EN 60811-402:2012

Electric and optical fibre cables - Test methods for non-metallic materials - Part 402: Miscellaneous tests - Water absorption tests

IEC 60811-402:2012 describes water absorption tests which typically apply to cross-linked and thermoplastic compounds used for insulating and sheathing materials. IEC 60811-402:2012 cancels and replaces Clause 9 of IEC 60811-1-3:1993, which is withdrawn. Full details of the replacements are shown in Annex A of IEC 60811-100:2012. There are no specific technical changes with respect to the previous edition, but see the Foreword to IEC 60811-100:2012. This publication is to be read in conjunction with IEC 60811-100:2012.

Kabel, isolierte Leitungen und Glasfaserkabel - Prüfverfahren für nichtmetallene Werkstoffe - Teil 402: Sonstige Prüfungen - Wasseraufnahmeprüfungen

Câbles électriques et à fibres optiques - Méthodes d'essai pour les matériaux non-métalliques - Partie 402: Essais divers - Essais d'absorption d'eau

La CEI 60811-402:2012 décrit les essais d'absorption d'eau, généralement applicables aux mélanges réticulés et thermoplastiques utilisés dans les matériaux d'isolation et de gainage. La CEI 60811-402:2012 annule et remplace l'Article 9 de la CEI 60811-1-3:1993, qui est supprimée. L'ensemble des informations relatives aux remplacements figure dans l'Annexe A de la CEI 60811-100:2012. Aucune modification technique n'a été effectuée par rapport à l'édition précédente; voir cependant l'avant-propos de la CEI 60811-100:2012. Cette publication doit être lue conjointement avec la CEI 60811-100:2012.

Električni in optični kabli - Preskušalne metode za nekovinske materiale - 402. del: Drugi preskusi - Preskusi vpijanja vode

402. del standarda IEC 60811 opisuje preskuse vpijanja vode, ki se običajno uporabljajo za zamrežene in termoplastične zmesi za izolacije in plašče.

General Information

• Status: Published
• Publication Date: 14-Jun-2012
• ICS: 29.035.01 - Insulating materials in general
• ICS: 29.060.20 - Cables
• Technical Committee: CLC/TC 20 - Electric cables
• Drafting Committee: IEC/TC 20 - IEC_TC_20
• Parallel Committee: IEC/TC 20 - IEC_TC_20
• Current Stage: 6060 - Document made available - Publishing
• Start Date: 15-Jun-2012
• Completion Date: 15-Jun-2012
• Directive: 2006/95/EC - Directive 2006/95/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 12 December 2006 on the harmonisation of the laws of Member States relating to electrical equipment designed for use within certain voltage limits (codified version)
• Directive: 2014/35/EU - Directive 2014/35/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 26 February 2014 on the harmonisation of the laws of the Member States relating to the making available on the market of electrical equipment designed for use within certain voltage limits
• Ref Project: SIST EN 60811-402:2012 - Electric and optical fibre cables - Test methods for non-metallic materials - Part 402: Miscellaneous tests - Water absorption tests

Relations

• Replaces: EN 60811-1-3:1995 - Insulating and sheathing materials of electric and optical cables - Common test methods - Part 1-3: General application - Methods for determining the density - Water absorption tests - Shrinkage test
• Effective Date: 29-Jan-2023
• Replaces: EN 60811-1-3:1995/A1:2001 - Insulating and sheathing materials of electric and optical cables - Common test methods - Part 1-3: General application - Methods for determining the density - Water absorption tests - Shrinkage test
• Effective Date: 28-Jan-2023

Overview

EN 60811-402:2012 (IEC 60811-402:2012) specifies standardized water absorption tests for non‑metallic cable materials used in electric and optical fibre cables. It targets cross‑linked and thermoplastic compounds used for insulation and sheathing and is intended to be read in conjunction with EN/IEC 60811-100:2012. This part replaces Clause 9 of the earlier IEC 60811-1-3 and preserves the established test principles without technical changes from the previous edition.

Key topics and requirements

• Scope: Tests applicable to insulating and sheathing compounds of electric and optical fibre cables.
• Pre‑conditioning: Test pieces must be conditioned (e.g., not less than 16 h after extrusion or cross‑linking; room‑temperature stabilization at (23 ± 5) °C where applicable).
• Electrical water absorption test:
  • Includes an AC pre‑test (4 kV for 5 min after 1 h immersion) to screen damaged cores.
  • Main test applies a DC voltage between conductor and water (negative pole to conductor) with voltages set by insulation thickness (see standard table).
  • Acceptance: no electrical breakdown is permitted during the test.
• Gravimetric water absorption test:
  • Preparation varies by cable type (core lengths or thin slices punched to specific sizes).
  • Samples are cleaned, dried to constant weight (e.g., drying at 70 ± 2 °C or low‑pressure oven option), then exposed to water and reweighed.
  • Results are reported as the mass change (water absorption) following the procedures in the standard.
• Test reporting: Test method, conditioning, sample dimensions, voltages/time, and measured results must be documented.

Practical applications

• Qualifying insulating and sheathing materials for moisture resistance in power, communication and optical fibre cables.
• Verifying manufacturing consistency and detecting damage that could allow water ingress.
• Supporting specification and procurement of cable materials where water resistance influences lifetime, safety and performance.
• Used in type testing, quality control, and failure investigations related to water‑related degradation.

Who should use this standard

• Cable manufacturers and material compound suppliers
• Independent test laboratories and certification bodies
• Design and quality engineers for power and telecom cable systems
• Standards committees and procurement teams specifying cable acceptance criteria

Related standards

• EN/IEC 60811-100:2012 - General methods and normative references (used in conjunction with Part 402).
• IEC 60811 series - broader test methods for non‑metallic cable materials.
• Notes: EN 60811-402:2012 supersedes part of EN 60811-1-3 (withdrawn); consult the series for complementary tests.

Keywords: EN 60811-402:2012, IEC 60811-402, water absorption tests, electric cables, optical fibre cables, non‑metallic materials, insulation, sheathing, gravimetric test, electrical water absorption.

Standards Content (Sample)

SLOVENSKI STANDARD
01-september-2012
(OHNWULþQLLQRSWLþQLNDEOL3UHVNXãDOQHPHWRGH]DQHNRYLQVNHPDWHULDOHGHO
'UXJLSUHVNXVL3UHVNXVLYSLMDQMDYRGH
Electric and optical fibre cables - Test methods for non-metallic materials - Part 402:
Miscellaneous tests - Water absorption tests
Kabel, isolierte Leitungen und Glasfaserkabel - Prüfverfahren für nichtmetallene
Werkstoffe - Teil 402: Sonstige Prüfungen - Wasseraufnahmeprüfungen
Câbles électriques et câbles à fibres optiques - Méthodes d'essai pour les matériaux non
-métalliques - Partie 402: Essais divers - Essais d'absorption d'eau
Ta slovenski standard je istoveten z: EN 60811-402:2012
ICS:
29.035.01 Izolacijski materiali na Insulating materials in
splošno general
29.060.20 Kabli Cables
2003-01.Slovenski inštitut za standardizacijo. Razmnoževanje celote ali delov tega standarda ni dovoljeno.

EUROPEAN STANDARD
EN 60811-402
NORME EUROPÉENNE
June 2012
EUROPÄISCHE NORM
ICS 29.035.01; 29.060.20 Supersedes EN 60811-1-3:1995 (partially) + A1:2001 (partially)

English version
Electric and optical fibre cables -
Test methods for non-metallic materials -
Part 402: Miscellaneous tests -
Water absorption tests
(IEC 60811-402:2012)
Câbles électriques et à fibres optiques -  Kabel, isolierte Leitungen und
Méthodes d'essai pour les matériaux non- Glasfaserkabel -
métalliques - Prüfverfahren für nichtmetallene
Partie 402: Essais divers - Werkstoffe -
Essais d'absorption d'eau Teil 402: Sonstige Prüfungen -
(CEI 60811-402:2012) Wasseraufnahmeprüfungen
(IEC 60811-402:2012)
This European Standard was approved by CENELEC on 2012-04-16. CENELEC 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 CENELEC 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 CENELEC member into its own language and notified
to the CEN-CENELEC Management Centre has the same status as the official versions.

CENELEC members are the national electrotechnical committees of Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus,
the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy,
Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia,
Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey and the United Kingdom.

CENELEC
European Committee for Electrotechnical Standardization
Comité Européen de Normalisation Electrotechnique
Europäisches Komitee für Elektrotechnische Normung

Management Centre: Avenue Marnix 17, B - 1000 Brussels

© 2012 CENELEC - All rights of exploitation in any form and by any means reserved worldwide for CENELEC members.
Ref. No. EN 60811-402:2012 E
Foreword
The text of document 20/1286/FDIS, future edition 1 of IEC 60811-402, prepared by IEC/TC 20 "Electric
cables" was submitted to the IEC-CENELEC parallel vote and approved by CENELEC as
The following dates are fixed:
(dop) 2013-01-16
• latest date by which the document has
to be implemented at national level by
publication of an identical national
standard or by endorsement
• latest date by which the national (dow) 2015-04-16

standards conflicting with the
document have to be withdrawn
This document supersedes Clause 9 of EN 60811-1-3:1995 + A1:2001 (partially). Full details of the
replacements are shown in Annex A of EN 60811-100:2012.
There are no technical changes with respect to EN 60811-1-3:1995 + A1:2001, but see the Foreword to
EN 60811-100:2012.
This standard is to be read in conjunction with EN 60811-100.

Attention is drawn to the possibility that some of the elements of this document may be the subject of
patent rights. CENELEC [and/or CEN] shall not be held responsible for identifying any or all such patent
rights.
This standard covers the Principle Elements of the Safety Objectives for Electrical Equipment Designed
for Use within Certain Voltage Limits (LVD - 2006/95/EC)
Endorsement notice
The text of the International Standard IEC 60811-402:2012 was approved by CENELEC as a European
Standard without any modification.

- 3 - EN 60811-402:2012
Annex ZA
(normative)
Normative references to international publications
with their corresponding European publications

The following documents, in whole or in part, are normatively referenced in this document and are
indispensable for its application. For dated references, only the edition cited applies. For undated
references, the latest edition of the referenced document (including any amendments) applies.

NOTE  When an international publication has been modified by common modifications, indicated by (mod), the relevant EN/HD
applies.
Publication Year Title EN/HD Year

IEC 60811-100 2012 Electric and optical fibre cables - Test EN 60811-100 2012
methods for non-metallic materials -
Part 100: General
IEC 60811-402 ®
Edition 1.0 2012-03
INTERNATIONAL
STANDARD
NORME
INTERNATIONALE
Electric and optical fibre cables – Test methods for non-metallic materials –

Part 402: Miscellaneous tests – Water absorption tests

Câbles électriques et à fibres optiques – Méthodes d’essai pour les matériaux

non-métalliques –
Partie 402: Essais divers – Essais d’absorption d'eau

INTERNATIONAL
ELECTROTECHNICAL
COMMISSION
COMMISSION
ELECTROTECHNIQUE
PRICE CODE
INTERNATIONALE
CODE PRIX K
ICS 29.035.01; 29.060.20 ISBN 978-2-88912-962-1

– 2 – 60811-402  IEC:2012
CONTENTS
FOREWORD . 3
INTRODUCTION . 5
1 Scope . 6
2 Normative references . 6
3 Terms and definitions . 6
4 Test method . 6
4.1 General . 6
4.2 Pre-conditioning . 6
4.3 Electrical water absorption test . 6
4.3.1 Apparatus . 6
4.3.2 Preparation of test pieces . 7
4.3.3 Test procedure . 7
4.3.4 Evaluation of results . 7
4.4 Gravimetric water absorption test . 7
4.4.1 Preparation of test piece . 7
4.4.2 Testing procedure. 8
4.4.3 Expression of results . 9
5 Test report. 9
Bibliography . 10

Table 1 – d.c. test voltages . 7

60811-402  IEC:2012 – 3 –
INTERNATIONAL ELECTROTECHNICAL COMMISSION
____________
ELECTRIC AND OPTICAL FIBRE CABLES –
TEST METHODS FOR NON-METALLIC MATERIALS –

Part 402: Miscellaneous tests –
Water absorption tests
FOREWORD
1) The International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) is a worldwide organization for standardization comprising
all national electrotechnical committees (IEC National Committees). The object of IEC is to promote
international co-operation on all questions concerning standardization in the electrical and electronic fields. To
this end and in addition to other activities, IEC publishes International Standards, Technical Specifications,
Technical Reports, Publicly Available Specifications (PAS) and Guides (hereafter referred to as “IEC
Publication(s)”). Their preparation is entrusted to technical committees; any IEC National Committee interested
in the subject dealt with may participate in this preparatory work. International, governmental and non-
governmental organizations liaising with the IEC also participate in this preparation. IEC collaborates closely
with the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) in accordance with conditions determined by
agreement between the two organizations.
2) The formal decisions or agreements of IEC on technical matters express, as nearly as possible, an international
consensus of opinion on the relevant subjects since each technical committee has representation from all
interested IEC National Committees.
3) IEC Publications have the form of recommendations for international use and are accepted by IEC National
Committees in that sense. While all reasonable efforts are made to ensure that the technical content of IEC
Publications is accurate, IEC cannot be held responsible for the way in which they are used or for any
misinterpretation by any end user.
4) In order to promote international uniformity, IEC National Committees undertake to apply IEC Publications
transparently to the maximum extent possible in their national and regional publications. Any divergence
between any IEC Publication and the corresponding national or regional publication shall be clearly indicated in
the latter.
5) IEC itself does not provide any attestation of conformity. Independent certification bodies provide conformity
assessment services and, in some areas, access to IEC marks of conformity. IEC is not responsible for any
services carried out by independent certification bodies.
6) All users should ensure that they have the latest edition of th
...