EN 15802:2009

Conservation of cultural property - Test methods - Determination of static contact angle

This European Standard specifies a method for the measurement of the static contact angle of a water drop on porous inorganic materials used for and constituting cultural property. The method may be applied to porous inorganic materials either untreated or subjected to any treatment or ageing.

Erhaltung des kulturellen Erbes - Prüfverfahren - Messung des statischen Kontaktwinkels

Diese Europäische Norm legt ein Prüfverfahren zur Messung des statischen Kontaktwinkels eines Wasser-tropfens auf porösen anorganischen Materialien fest, die an kulturellem Erbe Verwendung finden. Das Verfahren darf auf entweder unbehandelte oder behandelte oder durch Alterung beanspruchte poröse anorga-nische Materialien angewendet werden.

Conservation des biens culturels - Méthodes d'essai - Détermination de l'angle de contact statique

La présente Norme européenne définit une méthode permettant de mesurer l'angle de contact statique d'une goutte d'eau sur les matériaux inorganiques poreux utilisés pour des biens culturels et constituant des biens culturels. La méthode peut être appliquée aux matériaux inorganiques poreux non traités, soumis à un traitement quelconque ou à un vieillissement.

Ohranjanje kulturne dediščine - Preskusne metode - Določanje statičnega kota omočenja

Ta evropski standard opredeljuje metodo za merjenje statičnega kota omočenja kaplje vode na porozne neorganske materiale, ki se uporablja za kulturno dediščino ter jo določa. Metoda se lahko uporablja tako za porozne neorganske materiale, ki niso obdelani, kot tudi tiste, ki so podvrženi kakršnikoli obdelavi ali staranju.

General Information

• Status: Published
• Publication Date: 08-Dec-2009
• ICS: 97.195 - Items of art and handicrafts. Cultural property and heritage
• Technical Committee: CEN/TC 346 - Conservation of cultural property
• Drafting Committee: CEN/TC 346/WG 3 - Evaluation of methods and products for conservation works
• Current Stage: 9093 - Decision to confirm - Review Enquiry
• Start Date: 18-Nov-2020
• Completion Date: 23-Sep-2025
• Ref Project: SIST EN 15802:2010 - Conservation of cultural property - Test methods - Determination of static contact angle

Overview

EN 15802:2009 is a European Standard developed by CEN that specifies a standardized method for measuring the static contact angle of a water drop on porous inorganic materials related to cultural property conservation. This test method is essential for assessing the wettability and surface properties of porous materials such as natural stones (e.g., sandstone, limestone, marble) and artificial materials (e.g., mortar, plaster, brick) used in historic artifacts and buildings. The method applies equally to untreated materials or those subjected to treatments or aging.

The static contact angle measurement provides insight into the interaction between water and material surfaces, which is critical for evaluating protective treatments and understanding the moisture behavior of cultural heritage materials. This standard supports ethical conservation practices by offering a non-destructive and reproducible testing method.

Key Topics

• Scope and applicability: Applicable for porous inorganic materials constituting cultural heritage objects or structures, either treated or untreated.
• Static contact angle concept: Refers to the angle formed at the interface where a water drop rests on a solid surface, indicating wettability. The angle helps predict adhesion and surface tension properties.
• Test equipment:
  • Illumination source that avoids temperature changes.
  • Sample holder ensuring a flat test surface.
  • Graduated micro-pipette for precise water drop deposition.
  • Optical system with camera or screen for measuring drop height and diameter.
• Sample preparation:
  • Specimens typically 10-20 mm thick with flat surfaces.
  • Surface polishing with appropriate sandpaper and cleaning.
  • Pre-conditioning by drying to constant mass and storing in desiccators.
• Test procedure:
  • Depositing a 5-10 µl deionised water drop on the specimen.
  • Measuring drop height and diameter 10 seconds after deposition.
  • Repeating measurements on multiple specimens to capture variability.
• Results calculation:
  • Using geometric relationships to calculate the static contact angle based on the drop profile.
• Reporting:
  • Detailed documentation of sample properties, preparation, testing conditions, number of measurements, and statistical results including standard deviation.

Applications

The methodology laid out in EN 15802:2009 is critical for professionals involved in the conservation of cultural heritage, especially those working with stone monuments, historic buildings, and artworks composed of porous inorganic materials. Applications include:

• Assessing surface treatments: Evaluating the effectiveness of hydrophobic or consolidant treatments designed to protect cultural heritage materials against water ingress.
• Aging and weathering studies: Monitoring changes in material hydrophobicity or porosity due to natural aging or environmental exposure.
• Material characterization: Supporting restoration material selection by understanding surface wetting behavior.
• Preventive conservation: Informing cleaning and maintenance regimes by understanding moisture interaction at the surface.

This test supports best practices by providing quantitative, reproducible data essential for making informed conservation decisions, ensuring the long-term preservation of cultural property.

Related Standards

EN 15802:2009 references and complements other standards significant to cultural heritage conservation and materials testing:

• prEN 15898:2009 - General terms and definitions concerning conservation of cultural property, providing a standardized vocabulary.
• EN 1936 - Natural stone test methods, including density and porosity, which relate to understanding material structure affecting contact angle.
• EN 12440 - Denomination criteria for natural stones, relevant for identifying test materials.
• EN 12670 - Terminology specific to natural stones, aiding clear communication of materials properties.

These standards collectively provide a robust framework for characterizing, testing, and conserving porous inorganic materials integral to cultural heritage.

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Keywords: EN 15802:2009, static contact angle, porous inorganic materials, cultural property conservation, wettability, hydrophobicity testing, stone conservation, surface treatment evaluation, cultural heritage materials, contact angle measurement, CEN standards.

Standards Content (Sample)

2003-01.Slovenski inštitut za standardizacijo. Razmnoževanje celote ali delov tega standarda ni dovoljeno.RPRþHQMDErhaltung des kulturellen Erbes - Prüfverfahren - Messung des statischen KontaktwinkelsConservation des biens culturels - Méthodes d'essai - Détermination de l'angle de contact statiqueConservation of cultural property - Test methods - Determination of static contact angle97.195Umetniški in obrtniški izdelkiItems of art and handicraftsICS:Ta slovenski standard je istoveten z:EN 15802:2009SIST EN 15802:2010en,fr,de01-februar-2010SIST EN 15802:2010SLOVENSKI
STANDARD
EUROPEAN STANDARD NORME EUROPÉENNE EUROPÄISCHE NORM
EN 15802
December 2009 ICS 97.195 English Version
Conservation of cultural property - Test methods - Determination of static contact angle
Conservation des biens culturels - Méthodes d'essai - Détermination de l'angle de contact statique
Erhaltung des kulturellen Erbes - Prüfverfahren - Messung des statischen Kontaktwinkels This European Standard was approved by CEN on 7 November 2009.
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 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 Management Centre has the same status as the official versions.
CEN members are the national standards bodies of Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and United Kingdom.
EUROPEAN COMMITTEE FOR STANDARDIZATION
COMITÉ EUROPÉEN DE NORMALISATION EUROPÄISCHES KOMITEE FÜR NORMUNG
Management Centre:
Avenue Marnix 17,
B-1000 Brussels © 2009 CEN All rights of exploitation in any form and by any means reserved worldwide for CEN national Members. Ref. No. EN 15802:2009: ESIST EN 15802:2010

Physical meaning of the static contact angle . 10Bibliography . 11 SIST EN 15802:2010

Key d diameter of the contact surface, in mm h height, in mm
static contact angle, in degrees Figure 1 — Static contact angle at time t 4 Principle Determination of the static contact angle between a water drop and the test surface of the specimen. SIST EN 15802:2010

static contact angle, in degrees 6 Test equipment 6.1 Test equipment for the measurement of static contact angle consists of: i) an illumination source (1) that will not affect the temperature of the drop/specimen system, ii) a flat sample holder (2), iii) a drop deposition system, usually consisting of a graduated micro-pipette (3), with a flat head needle, positioned above and perpendicular to the specimen surface and able to deliver reproducible drops, iv) an optical system (4) that projects the image of the deposited water drop onto a screen (5) on which the height of the water drop and the diameter of the contact surface can be marked with a ruler (6). This part of the instrument can consist of a camera (4) able to record the image on a screen (5) where the parameters can be measured manually or automatically. The measurement principle of most commercial instruments available on the market is shown in Figure 2.
Key 1 illumination source 2 sample holder 3 graduated micro-pipette 4 optical system 5 screen 6 ruler Figure 2 — Schematic sketch of the measurement system SIST EN 15802:2010
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