IEC 60667-1:2020

Vulcanized fibre for electrical purposes - Part 1: Definitions and general requirements

IEC 60667-1:2020 gives the definitions and general requirements for vulcanized fibre sheets for electrical purposes. Materials made by combining with an adhesive several thicknesses of vulcanized fibre are not covered by this document. Materials that conform to this specification meet established levels of performance. However, the selection of a material by a user for a specific application is based on the actual requirements necessary for adequate performance in that application and not based on this specification alone. Safety warning: it is the responsibility of the user of the methods contained or referred to in this document to ensure that they are used in a safe manner. This second edition cancels and replaces the first edition published in 1980. This edition constitutes a technical revision. This edition includes the following significant technical changes with respect to the previous edition:
deletion of "corrugated, round rods, and round tubes" from the Scope;
types A, B and C replaced by general and fishpaper types and addition of a symbol for each type in the classification;
addition of white, blue, brown, and addition of a symbol for each colour;
deletion of the thickness of 15,0 mm, the length, the mass and the dimension of rolls from the general requirements;
addition of the manufacturer's name, trademark (if any), nominal thickness, manufacture date, and lot number in the conditions of supply.

Fibres vulcanisées à usages électriques - Partie 1: Définitions et exigences générales

IEC 60667-1:2020 donne les définitions et exigences générales pour les feuilles en fibre vulcanisée à usages électriques. Les matériaux composites constitués de plusieurs couches de fibre vulcanisée assemblées par un adhésif ne sont pas couverts par le présent document. Les matériaux conformes à la présente spécification satisfont aux niveaux de performance établis. Cependant, le choix du matériau par un utilisateur pour une application spécifique est fondé sur les exigences réellement nécessaires pour une performance appropriée et non sur cette seule spécification. Mise en garde: il est de la responsabilité de l’utilisateur des méthodes contenues ou mentionnées dans le présent document de veiller à ce qu’elles soient utilisées de façon sécurisée. Cette deuxième édition annule et remplace la première édition parue en 1980. Cette édition constitue une révision technique.
Cette édition inclut les modifications techniques majeures suivantes par rapport à l'édition précédente:
suppression des termes "feuilles ondulées, les barres et les tubes de section ronde" dans le Domaine d'application;
modification des types A, B et C en type général et type papier de guipage et ajout du symbole pour chaque type dans la classification;
ajout du blanc, bleu, marron, et ajout du symbole pour chaque couleur dans les formes et couleurs;
suppression de l’épaisseur de 15,0 mm, de la longueur, de la masse et de la dimension des rouleaux dans les exigences générales;
ajout du nom du fabricant, de la marque commerciale le cas échéant, de l’épaisseur nominale, de la date de fabrication et du numéro de lot dans les conditions de livraison.

General Information

• Status: Published
• Publication Date: 08-Apr-2020
• ICS: 29.035.10 - Paper and board insulating materials
• Technical Committee: TC 15 - Solid electrical insulating materials
• Drafting Committee: MT 16 - TC 15/MT 16
• Current Stage: PPUB - Publication issued
• Start Date: 09-Apr-2020
• Completion Date: 23-Apr-2020

Overview

IEC 60667-1:2020 is an important international standard published by the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) that specifies definitions and general requirements for vulcanized fibre sheets used in electrical applications. This standard serves as the foundational document in a series addressing vulcanized fibre for electrical purposes, with this Part 1 focusing on terminology, material classification, quality, physical characteristics, and supply conditions.

Vulcanized fibre is a type of electrical insulating material produced by chemically treating layers of paper to form a dense, homogeneous cellulose mass. This standard excludes products made by laminating multiple vulcanized fibre thicknesses with adhesives and aims to assure consistent material performance at established quality levels. The current 2020 edition updates the 1980 edition with technical revisions including revised classification types, material colours, and supply information mandates.

Key Topics

• Scope and Definitions: Establishes the boundaries of use for vulcanized fibre sheets and provides precise definitions for terms such as “vulcanized fibre,” ensuring clear communication throughout industry and testing procedures.

• Material Classification:

  • General type (symbol VFS): Suitable for most electrical applications, offering good physical and electrical properties with ease of processing.
  • Fishpaper type (symbol FP): Designed for applications requiring flexible bending or forming; available in thicknesses from 0.1 mm to 0.8 mm.

• Forms and Colours:

  • Vulcanized fibre sheets are supplied in several colours including natural grey, red, black, white, blue, and brown.
  • Each colour is assigned a corresponding symbol to assist in product identification and classification.

• Quality and Finish Requirements:

  • Materials must be free of blisters, cracks, and significantly free of wrinkles or dents.
  • Surfaces must be smooth and matt with no edge splitting or internal fractures, ensuring consistent physical integrity.

• Thickness Specifications:

  • General type thickness ranges from 0.10 mm up to 15.0 mm, with many preferred increments within this range.
  • Fishpaper thicknesses are specifically between 0.09 mm and 0.80 mm to cater to their specialized use cases.

• Conditions of Supply:

  • Packaging must protect the material during transport and storage.
  • Packages must include clear information: manufacturer’s name/trademark, type, colour, nominal thickness, sheet or roll dimensions, weight, manufacture date, and lot number.

• Safety Notice: The standard emphasizes user responsibility to ensure safe use of methods described or referenced within, underscoring safety in electrical material handling.

Applications

Vulcanized fibre sheets compliant with IEC 60667-1 are critical in a variety of electrical insulation applications, including:

• Insulation in electrical transformers, motors, and generators.
• Components in electrical switchgear and control equipment.
• Flexible insulation in electrical apparatus where bending or forming is required, particularly with fishpaper type sheets.
• General electrical insulation tasks requiring uniform, reliable performance and standardized properties.

Materials that conform to this standard help engineers and manufacturers ensure consistent performance and quality in their electrical insulating components, thereby enhancing safety, durability, and compliance with international best practices.

Related Standards

This document is part of a broader IEC 60667 series, which includes:

• IEC 60667-2: Methods of test for vulcanized fibre sheets, providing detailed test procedures to verify material compliance.
• IEC 60667-3: Specifications for individual vulcanized fibre materials, outlining performance criteria for various grades within the product family.

These related parts complement IEC 60667-1 by specifying how to evaluate and qualify vulcanized fibre materials for electrical purposes, supporting quality assurance and technical innovation in electrotechnical industries.

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Keywords: IEC 60667-1, vulcanized fibre, electrical insulation, fishpaper, electrical insulating materials, IEC standard, electrical fibre sheets, material classification, electrical applications, vulcanized fibre thickness, electrical insulating sheets, IEC standards for electrical materials.

Standards Content (Sample)

IEC 60667-1 ®
Edition 2.0 2020-04
INTERNATIONAL
STANDARD
NORME
INTERNATIONALE
Vulcanized fibre for electrical purposes –
Part 1: Definitions and general requirements

Fibres vulcanisées à usages électriques –
Partie 1: Définitions et exigences générales

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IEC 60667-1 ®
Edition 2.0 2020-04
INTERNATIONAL
STANDARD
NORME
INTERNATIONALE
Vulcanized fibre for electrical purposes –

Part 1: Definitions and general requirements

Fibres vulcanisées à usages électriques –

Partie 1: Définitions et exigences générales

INTERNATIONAL
ELECTROTECHNICAL
COMMISSION
COMMISSION
ELECTROTECHNIQUE
INTERNATIONALE
ICS 29.035.10 ISBN 978-2-8322-8078-2

– 2 – IEC 60667-1:2020 © IEC 2020
CONTENTS
FOREWORD . 3
INTRODUCTION . 5
1 Scope . 6
2 Normative references . 6
3 Terms and definitions . 6
4 Classification . 6
4.1 General type . 6
4.2 Fishpaper type . 7
5 Forms and colours . 7
6 General requirements . 7
6.1 Quality . 7
6.2 Finish . 7
7 Thickness . 8
7.1 General type . 8
7.2 Fishpaper type . 8
8 Conditions of supply . 8
Bibliography . 9

Table 1 – Classification and symbol . 7
Table 2 – Colours and symbol . 7

INTERNATIONAL ELECTROTECHNICAL COMMISSION
____________
VULCANIZED FIBRE FOR ELECTRICAL PURPOSES –

Part 1: Definitions and general requirements

FOREWORD
1) The International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) is a worldwide organization for standardization comprising
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rights. IEC shall not be held responsible for identifying any or all such patent rights.
International Standard IEC 60667-1 has been prepared by IEC Technical Committee 15: Solid
electrical Insulating materials.
This second edition cancels and replaces the first edition published in 1980. This edition
constitutes a technical revision.
This edition includes the following significant technical changes with respect to the previous
edition:
a) deletion of "corrugated, round rods, and round tubes" from the Scope;
b) types A, B and C replaced by general and fishpaper types and addition of a symbol for each
type in the classification;
c) addition of white, blue, brown, and addition of a symbol for each colour;
d) deletion of the thickness of 15,0 mm, the length, the mass and the dimension of rolls from
the general requirements;
e) addition of the manufacturer's name, trademark (if any), nominal thickness, manufacture
date, and lot number in the conditions of supply.

– 4 – IEC 60667-1:2020 © IEC 2020
The text of this International Standard is based on the following documents:
CDV Report on voting
15/878/CDV 15/893/RVC
Full information on the voting for the approval of this International Standard can be found in the
report on voting indicated in the above table.
This document has been drafted in accordance with the ISO/IEC Directives, Part 2.
A list of all parts in the IEC 60667 series, published under the general title Vulcanized fibre for
electrical purposes, can be found on the IEC website.
Future standards in this series will carry the new general title as cited above. Titles of existing
standards in this series will be updated at the time of the next edition.
The committee has decided that the contents of this document will remain unchanged until the
stability date indicated on the IEC website under "http://webstore.iec.ch" in the data related to
the specific document. At this date, the document will be
• reconfirmed,
• withdrawn,
• replaced by a revised edition, or
• amended.
INTRODUCTION
This International Standard is one of a series which deals with vulcanized fibre sheets for
electrical purposes.
The series consists of three parts:
Part 1: Definitions and general requirements (IEC 60667-1)
Part 2: Methods of test (IEC 60667-2)
Part 3: Specifications for individual materials (IEC 60667-3)

– 6 – IEC 60667-1:2020 © IEC 2020
VULCANIZED FIBRE FOR ELECTRICAL PURPOSES –

Part 1: Definitions and general requirements

1 Scope
This part of IEC 60667 gives the definitions and general requirements for vulcanized fibre
sheets for electrical purposes. Materials made by combining with an adhesive several
thicknesses of vulcanized fibre are not covered by this document.
Materials that conform to this specification meet established levels of performance. However,
the selection of a material by a user for a specific application is based on the actual
requirements necessary for adequate performance in that application and not based on this
specification alone.
Safety warning: it is the responsibility of the user of the methods contained or referred to in this
document to ensure that they are used in a safe manner.
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.
IEC 60667-3 (all parts), Vulcanized fibre for electrical purposes – Part 3: Specifications for
individual materials
3 Terms and definitions
For the purposes of this document, the following terms and definitions apply.
ISO and IEC maintain terminological databases for use in standardization at the following
addresses:
• IEC Electropedia: available at http://www.electropedia.org/
• ISO Online browsing platform: available at http://www.iso.org/obp
3.1
vulcanized fibre
superimposed layers of specially prepared paper, chemically treated (gelatinized) so that the
laminae are virtually destroyed, with the production of a homogeneous mass of converted
cellulose that will not delaminate after 30 min of immersion in boiling water
Note 1 to entry: It is supplied in the form of rolls or sheets.
4 Classification
4.1 General type
This type is considered as the general-purpose type. It possesses good physical and electrical
properties and can be processed satisfactorily by punching.

4.2 Fishpaper type
This type is intended primarily for applications involving difficult bending or forming operations.
It is
...