ISO 15314:2018

Plastics - Methods for marine exposure

This document describes three methods for the exposure of plastics in a marine environment. Method A covers exposures where specimens float on the surface, method B covers exposures where specimens are partially immersed method C covers exposures where specimens are completely immersed. Although intended for marine (salt water) exposure, the methodology can be used with outdoor brackish water and fresh-water exposures as well. Direct weathering of plastics on land is described in ISO 877-1, ISO 877-2 and ISO 877-3. Method A is particularly applicable to enhanced-degradability plastics where the environmental degradation under marine floating exposure is expected to be accelerated relative to that of regular plastic materials. This document specifies the general requirements for the apparatus, and procedures for using the test methods described. It lists properties that can be used to evaluate changes in plastics subjected to marine exposure. More specific information about methods for determining the changes in properties of plastics on exposure and reporting these results is given in ISO 4582.

Plastiques — Méthodes d'exposition aux intempéries marines

General Information

• Status: Published
• Publication Date: 02-Aug-2018
• ICS: 83.080.01 - Plastics in general
• Technical Committee: ISO/TC 61/SC 6 - Ageing, chemical and environmental resistance
• Drafting Committee: ISO/TC 61/SC 6/WG 2 - Exposure to light
• Current Stage: 9093 - International Standard confirmed
• Start Date: 06-Jun-2023
• Completion Date: 13-Dec-2025

Relations

• Revises: ISO 15314:2004 - Plastics - Methods for marine exposure
• Effective Date: 07-Oct-2017

Overview

ISO 15314:2018 - Plastics - Methods for marine exposure - defines standardized procedures to expose plastic specimens to real marine environments and assess their degradation. The standard describes three exposure methods:

• Method A: floating exposure (specimens float on the water surface),
• Method B: partial-immersion exposure (specimens partially immersed), and
• Method C: shallow/complete-immersion exposure (specimens fully immersed).

Although intended for marine (salt water) exposure, ISO 15314:2018 can also be applied to brackish and fresh-water testing. It specifies apparatus requirements, specimen preparation, exposure procedures, monitoring and reporting to ensure consistent, comparable marine weathering results.

Key Topics and Requirements

• Scope and principle: replicates realistic marine stresses (solar radiation, moisture, salts, biofouling, temperature) to evaluate plastic durability and breakdown.
• Apparatus requirements: construction and materials for exposure rafts, racks and floats; corrosion-resistant, non-contaminating components; minimum site depth and avoidance of shadowing and oil contamination.
• Specimen preparation: guidance on forms (films, sheets, fibres, ropes, netting), conditioning and use of control and file specimens for comparison.
• Exposure procedures: detailed steps for floating, partial-immersion and immersion tests, including exposure intervals, unstrained mounting and optional stresses (e.g., weights on fibres/ropes).
• Monitoring and evaluation: record climatic conditions and solar/UV exposure; evaluate chemical, physical and appearance changes, microbial growth and biofouling; report results per the standard’s test report requirements.
• Significance considerations: site selection guidance (representative geographic region, contaminant-free where appropriate), repeat exposures for averaging, and use for enhanced-degradability plastics where floating exposure may accelerate breakdown.

Applications and Users

ISO 15314:2018 is practical for:

• Materials developers and formulators assessing resistance or enhanced degradability of plastics in marine environments.
• Testing laboratories performing standardized marine weathering and durability testing.
• Manufacturers of marine products (fishing gear, packaging, ropes, nets, floating devices) validating service life or environmental persistence.
• Regulators and environmental scientists studying persistence of plastic debris, biodegradation potential and biofouling impacts.

Use cases include comparative durability testing, qualification of enhanced-degradability plastics, evaluation of biofouling effects, and supporting environmental impact assessments.

Related Standards

• ISO 4582 - Determination of changes in colour and properties after exposure (reporting and property-test methods).
• ISO 877-1 / ISO 877-2 / ISO 877-3 - Direct outdoor weathering and concentrated solar radiation methods (land-based weathering).
• ISO 291, ISO 2818 - Conditioning and specimen preparation guidance.

Keywords: ISO 15314:2018, plastics marine exposure, marine weathering, floating exposure, partial-immersion, shallow-immersion, enhanced-degradability plastics, biofouling, exposure raft, test specimens.

Standards Content (Sample)

INTERNATIONAL ISO
STANDARD 15314
Second edition
2018-08
Plastics — Methods for marine
exposure
Plastiques — Méthodes d'exposition aux intempéries marines
Reference number
©
ISO 2018
© ISO 2018
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]
Fax: [phone]
Email: [e-mail]
Website: www.iso.org
Published in Switzerland
ii © ISO 2018 – All rights reserved

Contents Page
Foreword .iv
Introduction .v
1 Scope . 1
2 Normative references . 1
3 Terms and definitions . 1
4 Principle . 2
4.1 General . 2
4.2 Significance . 2
5 Requirements for apparatus . 3
5.1 General requirements . 3
5.2 Requirements for method A, floating exposure . 3
5.3 Requirements for method B, partial-immersion exposure . 4
5.4 Requirements for method C, shallow-immersion exposure . 5
6 Test specimens. 5
6.1 Form and preparation . 5
6.2 Number of test specimens . 7
6.3 Storage and conditioning . 8
7 Procedure. 8
7.1 General . 8
7.2 Specific procedure for method A, marine floating exposure . 9
7.3 Specific procedure for method B, partial-immersion exposure . 9
7.4 Specific procedure for method C, shallow-immersion exposure . 9
7.5 Evaluation of specimens after exposure . 9
8 Test report .10
Bibliography .12
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 on 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 the following
URL: www .iso .org/iso/foreword .html.
This document was prepared by Technical Committee ISO/TC 61, Plastics, Subcommittee SC 6, Ageing,
chemical and environmental resistance.
This second edition cancels and replaces the first edition (ISO 15314:2004), which has been technically
revised.
The main changes compared to the previous edition are as follows.
— The term “sunlight” has been replaced by “solar radiation” or “global solar radiation”.
— ISO 293, ISO 294-1, ISO 294-2, ISO 294-3, ISO 295 and ISO 3167 have been moved to the bibliography.
— In Clause 2, the withdrawn International Standard ISO 877 has been replaced by ISO 877-1, ISO 877-2,
and ISO 877-3.
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 © ISO 2018 – All rights reserved

Introduction
Plastics are often used in outdoor applications where they are immersed or partially immersed in water.
In some cases, materials made from plastic are designed to float on water. In others, plastic articles
that are discarded end up as floating debris. In addition to the effects of global solar radiation and
heat, plastic polymers or products exposed in marine environments may be subjected to hydrolysis,
water absorption, extraction of stabilizers, erosion by wave action, corrosion by salts and/or attack by
seaborne microorganisms. These stresses are not simulated in typical weathering exposures conducted
in accordance with ISO 877-1, ISO 877-2 and ISO 877-3. Therefore, it is necessary to define procedures
that realistically and consistently stress plastic materials in the same way that they would be in
products used or discarded in marine environments. This document describes three procedures for
the exposure of plastic materials in the same way as they could be when used in marine environments.
There are four primary reasons why the rate of degradation of plastics exposed at sea can be different
from that for the same plastic exposed on land:
a) exposure in moist conditions is known to accelerate degradation of some polymers — small
amounts of absorbed water can act as a plasticizer, increasing accessibility of the matrix to oxygen,
or can leach out stabilizing additives;
b) differences in heat build-up between plastics exposed in water or on the surface compared to
plastics exposed on land;
c) the action of microorganisms that can shield the plastic from UV radiation or can enhance
biodegradation processes;
d) the action of macroorganism settlements that can produce disfigurement of surfaces.
It is essential to establish appropriate exposure procedures in order to properly assess the performance
of plastics used in marine environments, and to evaluate how long plastics discarded as litter will
persist in marine environments.
INTERNATIONAL STANDARD ISO 15314:2018(E)
Plastics — Methods for marine exposure
1 Scope
This document describes three methods for the exposure of plastics in a marine environment. Method A
covers exposures where specimens float on the surface, method B covers exposures where specimens
are partially immersed method C covers exposures where specimens are completely immersed.
Although intended for marine (salt water) exposure, the methodology can be used with outdoor
brackish water and fresh-water exposures as well. Direct weathering of plastics on land is described in
ISO 877-1, ISO 877-2 and ISO 877-3.
Method A is particularly applicable to enhanced-degradability plastics where the environmental
degradation under marine floating exposure is expected to be accelerated relative to that of regular
plastic materials.
This document specifies the general requirements for the apparatus, and procedures for using the test
methods described.
It lists properties that can be used to evaluate changes in plastics subjected to marine exposure. More
specific information about methods for determining the changes in properties of plastics on exposure
and reporting these results is given in ISO 4582.
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
ISO 877-1, Plastics — Methods of exposure to solar radiation — Part 1: General guidance
ISO 877-2, Plastics — Methods of exposure to solar radiation — Part 2: Direct weathering and exposure
behind window glass
ISO 877-3, Plastics — Methods of exposure to solar radiation — Part 3: Intensified weathering using
concentrated solar radiation
ISO 2818, Plastics — Preparation of test specimens by machining
ISO 4582, Plastics — Determination of changes in colour and variations in properties after exposure to
glass-filtered solar radiation, natural weathering or laboratory radiation sources
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:
— ISO Online browsing platform: available at https: //www .iso .org/obp
— IEC Electropedia: available at http: //www .electropedia .org/
3.1
control
material which is of similar composition and construction to the test material, and which
is exposed at the same time for comparison with the test material
Note 1 to entry: An example of the use of a control material would be when a formulation different from one
currently being used is being evaluated. In that case, the control would be the plastic made with the original
formulation.
3.2
file specimen
portion of the material to be tested which is stored under conditions in which it is stable, and is used for
comparison between the exposed state and the original state
4 Principle
4.1 General
Replicate specimens of the appropriate size and shape are exposed floating on the surface of water,
partially immersed in water or completely immersed in water. After the prescribed exposure interval,
the specimens are removed from the water and tested/examined for changes in chemical, physical and/
or appearance properties. In addition, the specimens may be tested for the type and severity of microbial
growth or biofouling. Unless otherwise specified, test specimens are exposed in an unstrained state.
The exposure intervals at which the specimens are tested/examined are typically defined in terms of
a given length of time. In some cases, however, the exposure interval may be expressed in terms of
the total solar or solar ultraviolet radiant exposure. The climatic conditions are monitored during the
exposure and reported with the other conditions of exposure.
4.2 Significance
The relative durability of materials in marine exposures can vary depending on the location of the
exposure because of differences in ultraviolet radiation, ambient air temperature, water temperature,
microorganisms, tidal action and contaminants in the water. Therefore, it cannot be assumed that
results from one exposure in a particular location will be useful in determining the relative durability
in another location. Exposures in several locations which represent a broad range of anticipated service
conditions are recommended.
Exposure of the same material for the same length of time at different marine sites is not expected to
result in identical degrees of degradation. This is also true for exposures at the same site, but during
different seasons or in different years. Thus, the length of exposure is only a general indication of the
extent of exposure and should always be considered in relation to the characteristics of the exposure
site. Because of year-to-year climatic variations, results from a single exposure test cannot be used to
predict the absolute rate at which a material degrades in marine exposures. Several years of repeat
exposures are needed to get an “average” test result for a given location.
It is strongly recommended that at least one control material be part of any marine exposure evaluation.
It is preferable to use two control materials, one with relatively good durability and one with relatively
poor durability.
This document covers plastic materials in film, sheet, laminate, monofilament, fibre, rope or netting
form. This includes, but is not limited to, packaging films, fishing gear, monofilament fibres and ropes.
When filaments, fibres, ropes or netting are exposed, it may be appropriate to apply a stress or use
weights during exposure to give a more realistic estimate of performance in actual service.
When marine exposures are used to evaluate enhanced-degradability plastic material, a comparable
material not formulated for enhanced degradability might be used for comparison. The test results can
then be used to obtain the rate of breakdown of the enhanced-degradability material relative to the other
2 © ISO 2018 – All rights reserved

material. For most enhanced-degradability materials, particularly the enhanced-photodegradability
materials, the time to embrittlement (reduction of ultimate extensibility to <2 %, and therefore failure
of the material) is only a few months of exposure. Therefore, the test results will depend heavily on the
time of year the exposure is conducted.
For materials that are intended to have enhanced degradability, it is important to evaluate the degraded
material after exposure to determine whether it is biodegradable.
The test results pertain solely to the geographical location where the test was carried out. Marine
weathering exposure test sites should be chosen on the basis of the geographical region in which the
plastic products are intended to be used. Selecting a location with high levels of solar radiation and a
high ambient temperature is recommended when high rates of breakdown are desirable in comparative
studies of several different materials.
With plastic materials expected to undergo enhanced biodegradation (of any of their components), it
might be important to select a test site where the incidence of microorganisms and biofouling species is
relatively high all year round. This allows the exposure to be completed in a relatively short time.
5 Requirements for apparatus
5.1 General requirements
Unless otherwise specified, the test site selected shall be free from oil contamination, with no visible
sheen of petroleum oil on the water surface, and free from any chemical influx from land-based sources
of pollution. The exposure raft shall be placed at a location that has a depth of at least 1 m at low tide.
Care shall be taken to ensure that no shadows from nearby structures or other obstructions fall on the
exposure raft or specimen-mounting racks.
NOTE Contaminated sites can be used to assess the effect of specific contaminants or environments.
Materials used to construct the exposure raft and racks shall be resistant to corrosion and not interact
with or contaminate the specimens being exposed. Unless otherwise specified, use nonmetallic
fasteners to attach specimens to the exposure raft and racks. Use of plastic pipe components for
exposure raft and rack construction is recommended.
5.2 Requirements for method A, floating exposure
The floating rack shall be constructed of heavy-duty plastic pipe material that is not susceptible to
microbial attack, and with a sufficient number of floats to ensure that the rack will not sink. Securely
anchor the floating rack and ensure that specimens are always in contact with the surface of the water,
regardless of tidal movements. Position the floating rack in a location where the water depth is at least
1 m at low tide. Structural members of the rack shall not provide backing or support for materials
exposed on it. Figure 1 is a diagram showing a typical floating rack, used for method A, that is made
from 15 mm to 25 mm diameter plastic pipe.
Dimensions in metres
Key
1 T-fittings for plastic tubing [the use of non-corroding bolts (brass or stainless steel) in addition to glue is
recommended for all joints]
2 15 mm to 25 mm diameter heavy-duty plastic tubing
3 foam float connected to frame using a plastic pipe that passes through the float (the use of three or more
floats is recommended for a 4 m rack)
Figure 1 — Diagram of typical test rack used for floating exposures conducted in accordance
with method A
5.3 Requirements for method B, partial-immersion exposure
Attach the test rack to a securely anchored floating raft to maintain the correct position in the water.
Use a minimum amount of decking on the raft to ensure maximum exposure to global solar radiation
of the surface of the test specimens. The exposure rack shall allow vertical installation of specimens
and shall be positioned so that the prevailing tidal
...