EN 18183:2026

• Abstract:

  This document provides a method of describing the materials, impregnates and lubricants for various types of yarn and ribbon based packings intended for use as gland seals in mechanical equipment such as pumps, mixers, etc as a guide for packing manufacturers, pump OEM’s and end users. It does not include similar products intended for other duties such as thermal insulation.; Guidance is also given regarding dimensional and physical quality aspects of the packings and requirements for packaging and marking.; Tests are specified for the determination of lubricant content, size and mass.; NOTE 1 The information supplied by the purchaser at the time of enquiry and/or order is given in Annex B.; NOTE 2 All packings are free from introduced asbestos fibres in conformance with Annex XVII of REACH.

• Status: Not Published
• Publication Date: 13-Oct-2026
• ICS: 21.140 - Seals, glands
• ICS: 23.080 - Pumps
• Technical Committee: CEN/TC 197 - Pumps
• Current Stage: 6055 - CEN Ratification completed (DOR) - Publishing
• Start Date: 14-Sep-2026
• Due Date: 11-Dec-2025
• Completion Date: 14-Sep-2026
• Ref Project: kSIST FprEN 18183:2026 - Pumps - Specification for Gland Packings manufactured from Yarns and Ribbons

Overview

EN 18183:2026 - Pumps: Specification for Gland Packings Manufactured from Yarns and Ribbons is a European standard developed by CEN, providing detailed technical guidance for the description and specification of gland packings used as seals in mechanical equipment. The standard focuses on packings manufactured from various types of yarns and ribbons, detailing their materials, impregnants, lubricants, dimensional tolerances, physical properties, and packaging requirements. It is intended for use by packing manufacturers, pump original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), and end-users to ensure consistency, safety, and performance in pump sealing applications.

This standard excludes packings intended for non-sealing duties, such as thermal insulation, and explicitly requires the absence of introduced asbestos fibers in compliance with European regulations, notably Annex XVII of REACH.

Key Topics

• Material Classification: Guidance on categorizing yarns (e.g., aramid, cotton, graphite, PTFE) and specifying their content within gland packings.
• Impregnants & Lubricants: Coding systems for types and minimum percentages by weight of impregnates (such as PTFE, graphite, mineral oils) and lubricants (e.g., silicone, mica).
• Reinforcement & Core Options: Identification of reinforcements (e.g., glass, stainless steel) and elastomeric core packings, including allowable density range and core size limitations.
• Dimensional and Physical Quality:
  • Tolerances for cross-section dimensions and overall uniformity.
  • Physical properties such as tensile strength, elongation, shrinkage, and creep resistance.
• Packaging & Marking: Requirements for packaging (sealed, protected against contaminants) and clear marking (manufacturer identification, size, date, code).
• Testing Methods: Standardized test methods for lubricant content, dimensional checks, mass, tensile properties, shrinkage, density, and resistance to creep and chemical degradation.

Applications

EN 18183:2026 is crucial for sectors utilizing gland packings as primary or secondary sealing elements in equipment such as:

• Centrifugal and positive displacement pumps
• Mixers and agitators
• Valves and rotating equipment

Typical application industries include:

• Water and wastewater treatment
• Chemical processing
• Power generation
• Food and beverage manufacturing (with additional hygiene requirements)
• Oil and gas facilities

By providing a clear, codified method for specifying materials, quality, and performance criteria, this standard ensures that gland packings perform reliably, extend equipment life, and maintain process safety. It assists users and OEMs in ensuring compliance with European chemical and safety regulations, reducing risk of leakages and premature failure.

Related Standards

Professionals applying EN 18183:2026 should be aware of the following related standards and references:

• EN ISO 4797 – Laboratory glassware: Boiling flasks with conical ground joints
• ISO 18067 – Synthetic filament yarns: Shrinkage determination
• EN ISO 527-1 – Plastics: Determination of tensile properties
• ASTM C561, D4239, D4327, D5373 – Methods for testing chemical and physical properties in related materials
• REACH Regulation (Annex XVII) – Restriction on hazardous substances, including asbestos and fluorinated compounds

Implementing EN 18183:2026 alongside these standards facilitates harmonization across supply chains and technical documentation, ensuring product reliability, safety, and regulatory compliance in pump and mechanical seal applications throughout Europe.

Keywords: EN 18183, gland packing specification, yarn packings, ribbon packings, pump seals, mechanical seals, non-asbestos packings, European standard, CEN, REACH compliance.

SLOVENSKI STANDARD
oSIST prEN 18183:2025
01-junij-2025
Črpalke - Specifikacija za tesnila iz preje in trakov
Pumps - Specification for Gland Packings manufactured from Yarns and Ribbons
Pumpen - Spezifikation für Stopfbuchspackungen gefertigt aus Garnen und Bändern
Pompes - Spécifications pour les garnitures de presse-étoupe fabriquées en fil et ruban
Ta slovenski standard je istoveten z: prEN 18183
ICS:
21.140 Tesnilke, mašilke Seals, glands
23.080 Črpalke Pumps
oSIST prEN 18183:2025 en,fr,de
2003-01.Slovenski inštitut za standardizacijo. Razmnoževanje celote ali delov tega standarda ni dovoljeno.

oSIST prEN 18183:2025
oSIST prEN 18183:2025
DRAFT
EUROPEAN STANDARD
prEN 18183
NORME EUROPÉENNE
EUROPÄISCHE NORM
April 2025
ICS 23.080
English Version
Pumps - Specification for Gland Packings manufactured
from Yarns and Ribbons
Pompes - Spécifications pour les garnitures de presse- Pumpen - Spezifikation für Stopfbuchspackungen
étoupe fabriquées en fil et ruban gefertigt aus Garnen und Bändern
This draft European Standard is submitted to CEN members for enquiry. It has been drawn up by the Technical Committee
CEN/TC 197.
If this draft becomes a European Standard, 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.

This draft European Standard was established by CEN 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, Türkiye and
United Kingdom.
Recipients of this draft are invited to submit, with their comments, notification of any relevant patent rights of which they are
aware and to provide supporting documentation.

Warning : This document is not a European Standard. It is distributed for review and comments. It is subject to change without
notice and shall not be referred to as a European Standard.

EUROPEAN COMMITTEE FOR STANDARDIZATION
COMITÉ EUROPÉEN DE NORMALISATION

EUROPÄISCHES KOMITEE FÜR NORMUNG

CEN-CENELEC Management Centre: Rue de la Science 23, B-1040 Brussels
© 2025 CEN All rights of exploitation in any form and by any means reserved Ref. No. prEN 18183:2025 E
worldwide for CEN national Members.

oSIST prEN 18183:2025
prEN 18183:2025 (E)
Contents Page
European foreword . 3
Introduction . 4
1 Scope . 5
2 Normative references . 5
3 Terms and definitions . 5
4 Packing types . 5
4.1 Description . 5
4.2 Coding system . 7
4.3 Coding system example . 8
4.4 Elastomeric cored packings . 8
5 Packing construction . 8
6 Shape and cross-section . 8
7 Size . 8
8 Physical quality. 9
9 Packaging . 9
10 Marking . 9
11 Quality of materials . 9
11.1 Yarns . 9
11.1.1 Tensile Strength and Elongation at Break . 9
11.1.2 Shrinkage . 10
11.2 Packings . 11
11.2.1 Creep Resistance . 11
11.2.2 PTFE Packings (Group 5) . 12
11.2.3 Expanded Graphite Packings (Group 6D) . 12
Annex A (normative) Methods of test . 13
Annex B (normative) Information to be supplied by the purchaser . 16
Bibliography . 17

oSIST prEN 18183:2025
prEN 18183:2025 (E)
European foreword
This document (prEN 18183:2025) has been prepared by Technical Committee CEN/TC 197 “Pumps”,
the secretariat of which is held by AFNOR.
This document is currently submitted to the CEN Enquiry.
oSIST prEN 18183:2025
prEN 18183:2025 (E)
Introduction
This document was originally drafted by a joint Technical Task Force of the Packings Division of the
European Sealing Association (ESA) and the Compression Packing Division of the Fluid Sealing
Association and is approved by both organisations as a suitable reference for the packing types described.
Certain of the packings contain polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) which, when heated to elevated
temperatures, can produce fumes which give unpleasant effects if inhaled. Care should be taken to avoid
contamination of tobacco products with PTFE.
oSIST prEN 18183:2025
prEN 18183:2025 (E)
1 Scope
This document provides a method of describing the materials, impregnates and lubricants for various
types of yarn and ribbon based packings intended for use as gland seals in mechanical equipment such
as pumps, mixers, etc. It does not include similar products intended for other duties such as thermal
insulation.
Guidance is also given regarding dimensional and physical quality aspects of the packings and
requirements for packaging and marking.
Tests are specified for the determination of lubricant content, size and mass.
NOTE 1 The information supplied by the purchaser at the time of enquiry and/or order is given in Annex B.
NOTE 2 All packings are free from introduced asbestos fibres in conformance with Annex XVII of REACH.
2 Normative references
The following documents are referred to in the text in such a way that some or all of their content
constitutes requirements of this document. For dated references, only the edition cited applies. For
undated references, the latest edition of the referenced document (including any amendments) applies.
ISO 18067, Textiles — Synthetic filament yarns — Determination of shrinkage in dry-hot air (after
treatment)
FSA/ESA, Publication ‘Compression Packings Technical Manual - 4th Edition
3 Terms and definitions
For the purposes of this document, the terms and definitions given in the Glossary of Terms in the
th
FSA/ESA Compression Packing Technical Manual 4 Edition, 2018, apply.
ISO and IEC maintain terminology databases for use in standardization at the following addresses:
— ISO Online browsing platform: available at https://www.iso.org/obp/
— IEC Electropedia: available at https://www.electropedia.org/
4 Packing types
4.1 Description
Each packing shall be described by a unique series of codes which define the following attributes:
1. The generic yarn Group or Groups,
2. The specific yarns within the Group,
3. The minimum weight of each yarn as a percentage of the total weight of the packing,
4. The minimum total weight of yarns as a percentage of the total weight of the packing,
5. The type of impregnation (where used),
6. The amount of impregnant percentage by weight,
7. The type of lubricating oil or grease (where used),
oSIST prEN 18183:2025
prEN 18183:2025 (E)
8. The amount of lubricant percentage by weight,
9. The type of reinforcement (where used),
10. The allowable density range in g/cm ,
11. Whether the packing has an elastomeric core.
Table 1 indicates the packing types.
Table 1 — Packing types
Group Yarn
Yarn group Yarn Type
number code
A Ramie
B Cotton
1 Natural C Flax
D Hemp
E Micaceous
2 Glass A Glass
3 Ceramic A Ceramic
A Para aramid
B Meta aramid
C Acrylic
D Polyimide
4 Synthetic
E Novoloid
Polyphenylene Sulfide
F
(PPS)
Polybenzimidazole
G
(PBI)
A PTFE Filament
B ePTFE
5 PFTE C ePTFE/Graphite
D ePTFE/Graphite/Oil
E ePTFE/Talc/Oil
A Preox. PAN
B Carbon
6 Carbonaceous
C Graphite
D Expanded graphite
oSIST prEN 18183:2025
prEN 18183:2025 (E)
Table 2 indicates the impregnant and lubricant types.
Table 2 — Impregnant and Lubricant Types
Impregnant or Lubricant Code
None X
PTFE P
Mineral grease/oil L
Silicone grease/oil S
Graphite G
Mica M
Table 3 indicates the reinforcement types.
Table 3 — Reinforcement Types
Impregnant or Lubricant Code
None Y
Glass Gl
Cotton Co
Carbon Ca
PTFE filament P
Stainless steel SS
Ni/Cr NC
4.2 Coding system
Each packing description shall consist of a sequence of codes separated by semi-colons as follows:
1. Yarn group, yarn code as shown in Table 1, (e.g. 5A),
2. Minimum total yarn content by weight %.
Where more than one yarn is present the details for each yarn should be followed by its percentage
by weight of the total packing and the details for each yarn shall be separated by a point sign
(e.g. 5C50.4A40),
3. Impregnant type as indicated in Table 2 and minimum % by weight (e.g. P10),
4. Lubricant type as indicated in Table 2 and minimum % by weight when determined by the method
specified in A.1 (e.g. S15),
5. Reinforcement type as indicated in Table 3 (e.g. Gl),
6. Density range of finished packing when determined by the method specified in A.3
(e.g. 1.6/1.9 g/cm ).
Where the yarn and/or lubricant content of the packing varies depending on the cross-section size, the
values quoted should be for the size for which these values are lowest.
oSIST prEN 18183:2025
prEN 18183:2025 (E)
4.3 Coding system example
A packing coded ‘5C50.4A40;P10;X;Y;1.6/1.9’ describes a packing manufactured from a combination of
50 % ePTFE/graphite and 40 % Para –Aramid yarns (i.e. a minimum total yarn content of 90 %)
impregnated with a minimum of 10 % PTFE impregnation and no additional lubricant or reinforcement
-1
having a finished density between 1.6 and 1.9 g.cm .
4.4 Elastomeric cored packings
Packings of any of the types can also be manufactured with an elastomeric core of circular, square or
rectangular cross-section.
The cross-sectional area of such cores shall not exceed 50% of the packing cross-sectional area.
Where the packing contains an elastomeric core the packing code shall be as specified in 4.2 with the
addition of the letter E (e.g. 5C;70;P10;X;Y;1.6/1.9;E).
5 Packing construction
All packing types except those in expanded graphite and glass or ceramic shall be manufactured using
the minimum number of tracks indicated in Table 4.
Table 4 — Construction
Nominal cross-section Minimum Number of Tracks
[mm]
From 3.0 up to and inc. 6.4 2
Above 6.4 up to and inc. 12.7 3
Above 12.7 4
6 Shape and cross-section
The packing shall be provided in length form unless requested as dye-formed or cut rings.
The packing shall have a nominal square cross-section unless otherwise specified.
7 Size
The cross-section size of the packing when determined in accordance with the procedure
...