Overview
EN ISO 23997:2012 (adopted from ISO 23997:2007) defines a standardized laboratory method for determining the mass per unit area of resilient floor coverings. The method yields repeatable mass-per-area values that support product specification, quality control and regulatory compliance for non-textile and resilient flooring products.
Key Topics
- Scope: Method for determining mass per unit area (expressed in g/m2). Applies to resilient floor coverings as described in the standard.
- Principle: Cut a number of specimens of defined size, weigh each specimen and calculate mass per unit area as m/A (mass divided by area).
- Specimen selection: Take a representative sample and obtain five specimens at equal distances from the sample, with the nearest specimen edge at least 100 mm from the outer edge of the sample. Specimens may be square, round (minimum area 0.01 m2) or full tiles.
- Conditioning: Condition specimens at 23 ± 2 °C and 50 ± 5 % relative humidity for a minimum of 24 hours and maintain these conditions during testing.
- Apparatus:
- Balance capable of weighing to the nearest 10 mg.
- Calliper gauge capable of measuring specimen dimensions to the nearest 0.05 mm.
- Measurement and calculation: Measure dimensions to the nearest 0.1 mm, weigh to the nearest 10 mg, calculate mass per unit area for each specimen using m/A, and report the mean value for the five specimens.
- Result expression: For results ≤ 1 000 g/m2 express to the nearest 5 g/m2; for results > 1 000 g/m2 express to the nearest 10 g/m2.
- Precision: A round‑robin test is planned/conducted to determine method precision.
- Test report requirements: Report shall state conformity to ISO 23997, product identification (type, source, colour, manufacturer reference), sample history, mean mass per unit area, and any deviations from the standard.
Applications
- Product specification: Establish and verify declared mass per unit area for resilient flooring products.
- Quality control: Routine production monitoring to detect density or material composition changes that affect performance.
- Regulatory and procurement compliance: Provide objective test data for standards compliance, tendering requirements and material classification.
- Research and development: Comparative evaluation of formulations, backing systems and construction methods when mass per area is a relevant parameter.
Related Standards
- ISO 23997:2007 - original international publication adopted without modification as EN ISO 23997:2012.
- Superseded: EN 430:1994 (EN ISO 23997:2012 supersedes this earlier European standard).
For laboratories and manufacturers, EN ISO 23997:2012 provides a concise, reproducible procedure to generate reliable mass-per-unit-area data for resilient floor coverings used across testing, specification and compliance workflows.
