EN ISO 27587:2021

• Abstract:

  This document specifies a method for the determination of free formaldehyde, which is released under dynamic conditions when the sample is heated in an inert dry atmosphere, in process auxiliaries for leather. The analytical result obtained according to this procedure is expressed in milligrams per kilogram (mg/kg) sample.

• Status: Published
• Publication Date: 09-Mar-2021
• Withdrawal Date: 29-Sep-2021
• ICS: 59.140.30 - Leather and furs
• Technical Committee: CEN/TC 289 - Leather
• Drafting Committee: CEN/TC 289/WG 1 - Chemical test methods
• Current Stage: 6060 - Definitive text made available (DAV) - Publishing
• Start Date: 10-Mar-2021
• Completion Date: 10-Mar-2021
• Ref Project: SIST EN ISO 27587:2021 - Leather - Chemical tests - Determination of free formaldehyde in process auxiliaries (ISO 27587:2021)

• Replaces: EN ISO 27587:2009 - Leather - Chemical tests - Determination of the free formaldehyde in process auxiliaries (ISO 27587:2009)
• Effective Date: 17-Mar-2021
• Refers: ISO 3696:1987 - Water for analytical laboratory use — Specification and test methods
• Effective Date: 09-Feb-2026
• Consolidated By: ISO 27587:2021 - Leather — Chemical tests — Determination of free formaldehyde in process auxiliaries
• Effective Date: 12-Feb-2026

Overview

EN ISO 27587:2021 - Leather - Chemical tests - Determination of free formaldehyde in process auxiliaries specifies an analytical procedure to quantify free formaldehyde released from leather process auxiliaries when heated under dynamic, inert dry conditions. Results are reported in mg/kg. The method was prepared by IULTCS in cooperation with CEN and replaces the 2009 edition.

Key topics and technical requirements

• Principle: heat the sample in an inert atmosphere; capture released formaldehyde on a 2,4-dinitrophenylhydrazine (DNPH) cartridge; elute with acetonitrile and analyse by HPLC with UV or diode array detection (DAD).
• Sample conditions: typical sample mass 0.1–2 g (adjustable for liquids); no dilution of the sample; heat in a U‑tube assembly with sea sand packing.
• Temperature & atmosphere: thermostatic oil bath at (90 ± 3) °C; inert nitrogen flow (nitrogen purity 4.6) with controlled flow (example purge 500 ml/min during system setup).
• Reagents & calibration: DNPH cartridges (example capacity 6 400 µg carbonyls), formaldehyde‑2,4‑DNPH analytical standard and calibration standards prepared by dilution; formaldehyde solution S1 and S2 used for procedure control.
• Apparatus: U‑tube calcium chloride configuration, flow meter, HPLC (RP‑C18 column), 0.45 µm syringe filters, silicone oil bath, PTFE stopcock grease free of formaldehyde.
• Quality control: procedure includes reagent checks for absence of formaldehyde, calibration and control solutions, and annexes on HPLC conditions and method reliability.
• Output: calculated formaldehyde concentration expressed in mg/kg sample.

Applications and users

EN ISO 27587:2021 is intended for laboratories and organizations involved in the leather supply chain that need accurate measurement of free formaldehyde in process auxiliaries:

• Tannery and leather chemical manufacturers (product QC)
• Independent testing and conformity assessment laboratories
• Procurement and compliance teams verifying supplier declarations
• Environmental health and safety (EHS) and regulatory testing where formaldehyde release is a concern
• R&D groups developing low‑formaldehyde auxiliaries

This method is particularly useful when the interest is the amount of formaldehyde released under heating (dynamic conditions) rather than total bound/formaldehyde derivatives.

Related standards

• ISO 3696 - Water for analytical laboratory use (referenced for water quality)
• EN ISO 27587:2010 - previous edition (superseded)

Keywords: EN ISO 27587:2021, free formaldehyde, leather process auxiliaries, DNPH cartridge, HPLC analysis, formaldehyde determination, chemical tests leather, mg/kg.

SLOVENSKI STANDARD
01-maj-2021
Nadomešča:
SIST EN ISO 27587:2010
Usnje - Kemijski preskusi - Določevanje prostega formaldehida s pomožnim
postopkom (ISO 27587:2021)
Leather - Chemical tests - Determination of free formaldehyde in process auxiliaries
(ISO 27587:2021)
Leder - Chemische Prüfungen - Bestimmung des Gehaltes an freiem Formaldehyd in
Hilfsmitteln für die Lederherstellung (ISO 27587:2021)
Cuir - Essais chimiques - Dosage du formaldéhyde libre dans les auxiliaires de
traitement (ISO 27587:2021)
Ta slovenski standard je istoveten z: EN ISO 27587:2021
ICS:
59.140.30 Usnje in krzno Leather and furs
2003-01.Slovenski inštitut za standardizacijo. Razmnoževanje celote ali delov tega standarda ni dovoljeno.

EN ISO 27587
EUROPEAN STANDARD
NORME EUROPÉENNE
March 2021
EUROPÄISCHE NORM
ICS 59.140.30
English Version
Leather - Chemical tests - Determination of free
formaldehyde in process auxiliaries (ISO 27587:2021)
Cuir - Essais chimiques - Dosage du formaldéhyde libre Leder - Chemische Prüfungen - Bestimmung des
dans les auxiliaires de traitement (ISO 27587:2021) Gehaltes an freiem Formaldehyd in Hilfsmitteln für die
Lederherstellung (ISO 27587:2021)
This European Standard was approved by CEN on 18 February 2021.

CEN members are bound to comply with the CEN/CENELEC Internal Regulations which stipulate the conditions for giving this
European Standard the status of a national standard without any alteration. Up-to-date lists and bibliographical references
concerning such national standards may be obtained on application to the CEN-CENELEC Management Centre or to any CEN
member.
This European Standard exists in three official versions (English, French, German). A version in any other language made by
translation under the responsibility of a CEN member into its own language and notified to the CEN-CENELEC Management
Centre has the same status as the official versions.

CEN members are the national standards bodies of Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia,
Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway,
Poland, Portugal, Republic of North Macedonia, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey and
United Kingdom.
EUROPEAN COMMITTEE FOR STANDARDIZATION
COMITÉ EUROPÉEN DE NORMALISATION

EUROPÄISCHES KOMITEE FÜR NORMUNG

CEN-CENELEC Management Centre: Rue de la Science 23, B-1040 Brussels
© 2021 CEN All rights of exploitation in any form and by any means reserved Ref. No. EN ISO 27587:2021 E
worldwide for CEN national Members.

Contents Page
European foreword . 3

European foreword
This document (EN ISO 27587:2021) has been prepared by Technical Committee ISO/IULTCS
"International Union of Leather Technologists and Chemists Societies" in collaboration with Technical
Committee CEN/TC 289 “Leather” the secretariat of which is held by UNI.
This European Standard shall be given the status of a national standard, either by publication of an
identical text or by endorsement, at the latest by September 2021, and conflicting national standards
shall be withdrawn at the latest by September 2021.
Attention is drawn to the possibility that some of the elements of this document may be the subject of
patent rights. CEN shall not be held responsible for identifying any or all such patent rights.
This document supersedes EN ISO 27587:2009.
According to the CEN-CENELEC Internal Regulations, the national standards organizations of the
following countries are bound to implement this European Standard: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria,
Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland,
Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Republic of
North Macedonia, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey and the
United Kingdom.
Endorsement notice
The text of ISO 27587:2021 has been approved by CEN as EN ISO 27587:2021 without any modification.

INTERNATIONAL ISO
STANDARD 27587
IULTCS
IUC 26
Second edition
2021-02
Leather — Chemical tests —
Determination of free formaldehyde in
process auxiliaries
Cuir — Essais chimiques — Dosage du formaldéhyde libre dans les
auxiliaires de traitement
Reference numbers
ISO 27587:2021(E)
IULTCS/IUC 26:2021(E)
©
ISO 2021
ISO 27587:2021(E)
IULTCS/IUC 26:2021(E)
© ISO 2021
All rights reserved. Unless otherwise specified, or required in the context of its implementation, no part of this publication may
be reproduced or utilized otherwise in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, or posting
on the internet or an intranet, without prior written permission. Permission can be requested from either ISO at the address
below or ISO’s member body in the country of the requester.
ISO copyright office
CP 401 • Ch. de Blandonnet 8
CH-1214 Vernier, Geneva
Phone: [phone]
Email: [e-mail]
Website: www.iso.org
Published in Switzerland
ii © ISO 2021 – All rights reserved

ISO 27587:2021(E)
IULTCS/IUC 26:2021(E)
Contents Page
Foreword .iv
1 Scope . 1
2 Normative references . 1
3 Terms and definitions . 1
4 Principle . 1
5 Reagents . 1
6 Apparatus and materials. 2
7 Methods . 3
7.1 Outline of sample preparation system . 3
7.2 Setting of initial conditions . 4
7.3 Sample preparation . 4
7.4 Analysis. 4
8 HPLC conditions . 5
9 Calibration . 5
10 Calculation . 5
11 Checking reagents for absence of formaldehyde . 5
12 Control of the procedure . 6
13 Determination of formaldehyde in solution S1 . 6
14 Test report . 6
Annex A (informative) Reliability of the method . 7
Annex B (informative) HPLC conditions. 8
ISO 27587:2021(E)
IULTCS/IUC 26:2021(E)
Foreword
ISO (the International Organization for Standardization) is a worldwide federation of national standards
bodies (ISO member bodies). The work of preparing International Standards is normally carried out
through ISO technical committees. Each member body interested in a subject for which a technical
committee has been established has the right to be represented on that committee. International
organizations, governmental and non-governmental, in liaison with ISO, also take part in the work.
ISO collaborates closely with the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) on all matters of
electrotechnical standardization.
The procedures used to develop this document and those intended for its further maintenance are
described in the ISO/IEC Directives, Part 1. In particular, the different approval criteria needed for the
different types of ISO documents should be noted. This document was drafted in accordance with the
editorial rules of the ISO/IEC Directives, Part 2 (see www .iso .org/ directives).
Attention is drawn to the possibility that some of the elements of this document may be the subject of
patent rights. ISO shall not be held responsible for identifying any or all such patent rights. Details of
any patent rights identified during the development of the document will be in the Introduction and/or
on the ISO list of patent declarations received (see www .iso .org/ patents).
Any trade name used in this document is information given for the convenience of users and does not
constitute an endorsement.
For an explanation of the voluntary nature of standards, the meaning of ISO specific terms and
expressions related to conformity assessment, as well as information about ISO's adherence to the
World Trade Organization (WTO) principles in the Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT), see www .iso .org/
iso/ foreword .html.
This document was prepared by the Chemical Test Commission of the International Union of Leather
Technologists and Chemists Societies (IUC Commission, IULTCS), in collaboration with the European
Committee for Standardization (CEN) Technical Committee CEN/TC 289, Leather, the secretariat of
which is held by UNI, in accordance with the agreement on technical cooperation between ISO and CEN
(Vienna Agreement).
IULTCS, originally formed in 1897, is a world-wide organization of professional leather societies to
further the advancement of leather science and technology. IULTCS has three Commissions, which
are responsible for establishing international methods for the sampling and testing of leather. ISO
recognizes IULTCS as an international standardizing body for the preparation of test methods for
leather.
This second edition cancels and replaces the first edition (ISO 27587:2009), which has been technically
revised. The main changes to the previous edition are as follows:
— the wording in 5.6, 5.7, 5.12, 7.2, 7.3, 7.4 and Clause 8 has been modified;
—
...