Overview
ISO 22843:2020 - Rubber bands - General requirements and test methods - defines minimum quality, dimensional and physical-performance requirements and standardized test methods for rubber bands made of dry natural rubber for general-purpose uses (daily wrapping, packaging). The standard explicitly excludes cover rubber bands made of blends or synthetic rubbers and bands intended for engineering, food-contact or medical applications.
Key topics and technical requirements
- Classification: Rubber bands are grouped into three types:
- Type 1: low modulus (M300 ≤ 2.0 MPa)
- Type 2: moderate to high modulus (M300 > 2.0 MPa)
- Type 3: no modulus requirement
- Physical property limits (examples from the standard):
- Tensile strength (MPa, min.) - tube/ring samples: Type 1: 17.0; Type 2: 15.5; Type 3: 10.0
- Elongation at break (%) min. - tube/ring: Type 1: 700/600; Type 2: 650/550; Type 3: 500/450
- Tension set (%) max.: Type 1 = 7; Type 2 = 10; Type 3 = 13
- Density (g/cm³) max.: Type 1 = 1.0; Type 2 = 1.1; Type 3 = 1.3
- Accelerated-ageing: change in tensile properties and elongation at break ≤ 20% after ISO 188 Method A (70 ± 2 °C for 168 ± 2 h)
- Dimensions and tolerances:
- Lay‑flat length: tolerances vary by size (<25 mm ±8%; 25–100 mm ±5%; >100 mm ±3.2%)
- Thickness and cut‑width: tiered tolerances (see standard for exact bands)
- Test methods and sampling:
- Conditioning and specimen prep per ISO 23529.
- Tensile tests: dumb‑bell (tube sample) per ISO 37 or ring‑sample tensile rig (roller grips). The standard defines how to measure lay‑flat length, cut‑width, thickness and how to calculate modulus at 300% and elongation at break.
- Packaging and marking: requirements for safe transport/storage and mandatory markings (type, size, quantity/weight, manufacturer, batch/date).
Applications - who uses ISO 22843:2020
- Rubber band manufacturers for product specification, quality control and production acceptance.
- Testing laboratories that perform tensile, density, tension‑set and ageing tests.
- Buyers and procurement teams requiring consistent quality and traceability.
- Suppliers and distributors ensuring packaging and marking compliance.
- Not suitable for users seeking standards for food-contact, medical or engineering rubber bands.
Related standards
ISO 22843 references and works with ISO 37 (tensile testing), ISO 188 (accelerated ageing), ISO 2781 (density) and ISO 23529 (conditioning). These are essential for laboratories applying the test methods in ISO 22843.
Keywords: ISO 22843:2020, rubber bands, test methods, natural rubber, tensile strength, tension set, accelerated ageing, dimensional tolerances.
