EN ISO 489:2022

Plastics - Determination of refractive index (ISO 489:2022)

This document specifies two test methods for determining the refractive index of plastics, namely:
—    Method A: a refractometric method for measuring the refractive index of moulded parts, cast or extruded sheet or film, by means of a refractometer. It is applicable not only to isotropic transparent, translucent, coloured or opaque materials but also to anisotropic materials.
—    Method B: an immersion method (making use of the Becke line phenomenon) for determining the refractive index of powdered or granulated transparent materials by means of a microscope. Monochromatic light, in general, is used to avoid dispersion effects.
NOTE      The refractive index is a fundamental property which can be used for checking purity and composition, for the identification of materials and for the design of optical parts. The change in refractive index with temperature can give an indication of transition points of materials.

Kunststoffe - Bestimmung des Brechungsindex (ISO 489:2022)

Dieses Dokument legt zwei Verfahren zur Bestimmung des Brechungsindex von Kunststoffen fest:
—   Verfahren A: Refraktometerverfahren zur Messung des Brechungsindex von Formteilen, gegossenen oder stranggepressten Tafeln oder Folien mit einem Refraktometer. Dieses Verfahren gilt nicht nur für isotrope durchsichtige, durchscheinende, gefärbte oder undurchsichtige, sondern auch für anisotrope Werkstoffe.
—   Verfahren B: Immersionsverfahren (unter Ausnutzung des Becke-Linien-Phänomens) zur Bestimmung des Brechungsindex von pulverförmigen oder granulierten durchsichtigen Werkstoffen unter Anwendung eines Mikroskops. Im Allgemeinen wird monochromatisches Licht verwendet, um Dispersionseffekte zu vermeiden.
ANMERKUNG   Der Brechungsindex ist eine grundlegende Eigenschaft, die zur Überprüfung der Reinheit und der Zusammensetzung, zur Identifizierung von Werkstoffen und zur Bemessung optischer Teile verwendet werden kann. Aus der Änderung des Brechungsindex mit der Temperatur kann der Übergangspunkt der Werkstoffe ermittelt werden.

Plastiques - Détermination de l’indice de réfraction (ISO 489:2022)

Le présent document spécifie deux méthodes d'essai visant à déterminer l'indice de réfraction des plastiques, à savoir:
—    Méthode A: méthode réfractométrique destinée à mesurer l'indice de réfraction des pièces moulées, se présentant sous forme de feuilles ou de films coulés ou extrudés, au moyen d'un réfractomètre. Elle s'applique non seulement aux matériaux isotropes opaques, colorés, translucides ou transparents, mais aussi aux matériaux anisotropes.
—    Méthode B: méthode d'immersion (utilisation du phénomène de la ligne de Becke) destinée à déterminer l'indice de réfraction de matériaux transparents en poudre ou en granulés à l'aide d'un microscope. La lumière monochromatique est utilisée pour éviter les effets de dispersion.
NOTE         L'indice de réfraction est une propriété fondamentale qui peut être utilisée pour contrôler la pureté et la composition des matières, pour leur identification et pour la conception de pièces d'optique. La variation de l'indice de réfraction suivant la température peut donner une idée du point de transition des matières.

Polimerni materiali - Določanje lomnega količnika (ISO 489:2022)

General Information

• Status: Published
• Publication Date: 22-Mar-2022
• Withdrawal Date: 29-Sep-2022
• ICS: 83.080.01 - Plastics in general
• Technical Committee: CEN/TC 249 - Plastics
• Drafting Committee: CEN/TC 249 - Plastics
• Current Stage: 6060 - Definitive text made available (DAV) - Publishing
• Start Date: 23-Mar-2022
• Completion Date: 23-Mar-2022
• Ref Project: SIST EN ISO 489:2022 - Plastics - Determination of refractive index (ISO 489:2022)

Relations

• Replaces: EN ISO 489:1999 - Plastics - Determination of refractive index (ISO 489:1999)
• Effective Date: 30-Mar-2022

Overview

EN ISO 489:2022 (adoption of ISO 489:2022) specifies two standardized test methods for determining the refractive index of plastics. The document is intended for use across plastics testing labs, quality control, material identification and optical design. It supersedes the previous edition (EN ISO 489:1999) and is published under CEN/ISO collaboration.

• Methods covered:
  • Method A - Refractometric method (Abbe or equivalent refractometer) for moulded parts, cast/extruded sheet or film, including isotropic and anisotropic materials.
  • Method B - Immersion method (Becke line technique) using a microscope for powdered or granulated transparent plastics.

Key topics and technical requirements

• Apparatus
  • Method A: Abbe refractometer (or equivalent) accurate to 0.001 in the refractive index range 1.300 to 1.700. Temperature control for prisms and specimen at (23 ± 0.5) °C.
  • Method B: Microscope with at least 200× magnification (objective ≈ 20×) and a condenser allowing a narrow axial beam; monochromatic light (typically sodium D line, 589 nm) to minimise dispersion.
• Contacting / immersion liquids
  • Liquids must have known refractive indices, not soften or dissolve the plastic, and be chosen to bracket the sample’s index. Examples listed include 1‑bromonaphthalene, methylene iodide (diiodomethane), various silicone oils and calibrated potassium mercury(II) iodide solutions. Users are warned about environmental and health hazards and must follow local regulations.
• Specimen preparation
  • Sheet specimens recommended thickness 3–5 mm for Method A; measurement faces must be optically flat. Method B uses mounted particles with immersion liquids of known nD.
• Precision and reporting
  • Precision information and interlaboratory data are provided (moved to Annex A in this edition). Test reports should record method, apparatus, temperature, contacting/immersion liquid, specimen details and results.

Applications and users

• Practical uses:
  • Material identification and verification of composition or purity.
  • Quality control of optical and non‑optical plastic parts (films, sheets, granules).
  • Optical design and engineering-selection of plastics by refractive index for lenses, displays and light-guiding components.
  • Monitoring temperature-dependent index changes to detect transition points.
• Typical users: plastics testing laboratories, OEMs in optics and lighting, materials scientists, polymer manufacturers and conformity assessment bodies.

Related standards

• ISO 291 (standard atmospheres for conditioning and testing) is normative in relation to specimen conditioning for EN ISO 489:2022.

Keywords: EN ISO 489:2022, ISO 489:2022, refractive index of plastics, refractometer, Abbe refractometer, immersion method, Becke line, optical properties, material identification, plastics testing.

Standards Content (Sample)

SLOVENSKI STANDARD
01-maj-2022
Nadomešča:
SIST EN ISO 489:2000
Polimerni materiali - Določanje lomnega količnika (ISO 489:2022)
Plastics - Determination of refractive index (ISO 489:2022)
Kunststoffe - Bestimmung des Brechungsindex (ISO 489:2022)
Plastiques - Détermination de l’indice de réfraction (ISO 489:2022)
Ta slovenski standard je istoveten z: EN ISO 489:2022
ICS:
83.080.01 Polimerni materiali na Plastics in general
splošno
2003-01.Slovenski inštitut za standardizacijo. Razmnoževanje celote ali delov tega standarda ni dovoljeno.

EN ISO 489
EUROPEAN STANDARD
NORME EUROPÉENNE
March 2022
EUROPÄISCHE NORM
ICS 83.080.01 Supersedes EN ISO 489:1999
English Version
Plastics - Determination of refractive index (ISO 489:2022)
Plastiques - Détermination de l'indice de réfraction Kunststoffe - Bestimmung des Brechungsindex (ISO
(ISO 489:2022) 489:2022)
This European Standard was approved by CEN on 8 February 2022.

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
© 2022 CEN All rights of exploitation in any form and by any means reserved Ref. No. EN ISO 489:2022 E
worldwide for CEN national Members.

Contents Page
European foreword . 3

European foreword
This document (EN ISO 489:2022) has been prepared by Technical Committee ISO/TC 61 "Plastics" in
collaboration with Technical Committee CEN/TC 249 “Plastics” the secretariat of which is held by NBN.
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 2022, and conflicting national standards
shall be withdrawn at the latest by September 2022.
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 489:1999.
Any feedback and questions on this document should be directed to the users’ national standards
body/national committee. A complete listing of these bodies can be found on the CEN website.
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 489:2022 has been approved by CEN as EN ISO 489:2022 without any modification.

INTERNATIONAL ISO
STANDARD 489
Third edition
2022-03
Plastics — Determination of refractive
index
Plastiques — Détermination de l'indice de réfraction
Reference number
ISO 489:2022(E)
ISO 489:2022(E)
© ISO 2022
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 489:2022(E)
Contents Page
Foreword .iv
1 Scope . 1
2 Normative references . 1
3 Terms and definitions . 1
4 Apparatus and materials .1
4.1 Method A . 1
4.2 Method B . 2
5 Preparation of test specimens . 3
5.1 Method A . 3
5.2 Method B . 3
5.3 Required number of specimens or measurements . 3
6 Conditioning . 4
7 Procedure .4
7.1 Method A . 4
7.1.1 General . 4
7.1.2 Transparent sheet . 4
7.1.3 Film . 6
7.1.4 Anisotropic material . 6
7.1.5 Translucent, coloured and opaque material . 7
7.2 Method B . 8
8 Precision . 9
9 Test report . 9
Annex A (informative) Precision data .10
Bibliography .12
iii
ISO 489:2022(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 Technical Committee ISO/TC 61, Plastics, Subcommittee SC 5, Physical-
chemical properties, in collaboration with the European Committee for Standardization (CEN) Technical
Committee CEN/TC 249, Plastics, in accordance with the Agreement on technical cooperation between
ISO and CEN (Vienna Agreement).
This third edition cancels and replaces the second edition (ISO 489:1999), which has been technically
revised.
The main changes compared to the previous edition are as follows:
— in the Scope, the description about the precision of the explanation of the method A and method B
has been deleted;
— normative references have been updated;
— the definition of the temperature control device of method A has been changed;
— the text of Clause 8, Precision, has been moved to Annex A;
— in Clause 9, the type of the immersing liquid used in method B has been added;
— the document has been editorial revised.
Any feedback or questions on this document should be directed to the user’s national standards body. A
complete listing of these bodies can be found at www.iso.org/members.html.
iv
INTERNATIONAL STANDARD ISO 489:2022(E)
Plastics — Determination of refractive index
1 Scope
This document specifies two test methods for determining the refractive index of plastics, namely:
— Method A: a refractometric method for measuring the refractive index of moulded parts, cast or
extruded sheet or film, by means of a refractometer. It is applicable not only to isotropic transparent,
translucent, coloured or opaque materials but also to anisotropic materials.
— Method B: an immersion method (making use of the Becke line phenomenon) for determining
the refractive index of powdered or granulated transparent materials by means of a microscope.
Monochromatic light, in general, is used to avoid dispersion effects.
NOTE The refractive index is a fundamental property which can be used for checking purity and
composition, for the identification of materials and for the design of optical parts. The change in refractive index
with temperature can give an indication of transition points of materials.
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 291, Plastics — Standard atmospheres for conditioning and testing
3 Terms and definitions
No terms and definitions are listed in this document.
ISO and IEC maintain terminological 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 Apparatus and materials
4.1 Method A
4.1.1 Abbe refractometer, or any other refractometer that can be shown to give the same results,
accurate to 0,001 and capable of measuring the refractive index in the range from 1,300 to 1,700. A
temperature-controlling device (4.1.4) shall be provided for the specimens and prisms.
4.1.2 White or sodium lamp, used as a source of light.
4.1.3 Contacting liquid.
WARNING — The contacting liquid may present an environmental hazard during handling,
storage and disposal. It is the responsibility of the user of this document to verify its toxicity and
establish national and regional regulations for safe handling and disposal.
ISO 489:2022(E)
The contacting liquid shall have a refractive index higher than that of the material to be examined and
shall not soften, attack or dissolve the plastic material. The liquids listed in Table 1 may be used for the
respective plastic materials, but other liquids meeting these requirements may also be used.
Table 1 — Contacting liquids
Plastic material Contacting liquid
Cellulose derivatives Aniseed oil or 1-bromonaphthalene
Fluorine-containing polymers 1-Bromonaphthalene
Urea-formaldehyde Aniseed oil or 1-bromonaphthalene
Phenol-formaldehyde 1-Bromonaphthalene
Polyethylenes 1-Bromonaphthalene
Polyamides 1-Bromonaphthalene
Unsaturated polyester 1-Bromonaphthalene
Polyisobutylene Saturated aqueous solution of zinc chloride made slightly acid
Poly(methyl methacrylate) Saturated aqueous solution of zinc chloride made slightly acid or
1-bromonaphthalene
Polystyrene Saturated potassium mercury(II) iodide solution
Styrene-acrylonitrile copolymers 1-Br
...