ISO 22843:2020

Rubber bands - General requirements and test methods

This document specifies general requirements and relevant test methods for rubber bands made of dry natural rubber used for general purposes such as for daily wrapping or packaging. This document is not applicable for cover rubber bands made of blend and synthetic rubbers. This document is not applicable for rubber bands used for engineering applications, for food contact, nor for medical uses.

Bracelets élastiques —- Exigences générales et méthodes d'essais

General Information

• Status: Published
• Publication Date: 02-Aug-2020
• ICS: 83.140.99 - Other rubber and plastics products
• Technical Committee: ISO/TC 45/SC 4 - Products (other than hoses)
• Drafting Committee: ISO/TC 45/SC 4/WG 15 - Rubber bands
• Current Stage: 9093 - International Standard confirmed
• Start Date: 09-Jun-2025
• Completion Date: 13-Dec-2025

Overview

ISO 22843:2020 - Rubber bands - General requirements and test methods - defines minimum quality, dimensional and physical-performance requirements and standardized test methods for rubber bands made of dry natural rubber for general-purpose uses (daily wrapping, packaging). The standard explicitly excludes cover rubber bands made of blends or synthetic rubbers and bands intended for engineering, food-contact or medical applications.

Key topics and technical requirements

• Classification: Rubber bands are grouped into three types:
  • Type 1: low modulus (M300 ≤ 2.0 MPa)
  • Type 2: moderate to high modulus (M300 > 2.0 MPa)
  • Type 3: no modulus requirement
• Physical property limits (examples from the standard):
  • Tensile strength (MPa, min.) - tube/ring samples: Type 1: 17.0; Type 2: 15.5; Type 3: 10.0
  • Elongation at break (%) min. - tube/ring: Type 1: 700/600; Type 2: 650/550; Type 3: 500/450
  • Tension set (%) max.: Type 1 = 7; Type 2 = 10; Type 3 = 13
  • Density (g/cm³) max.: Type 1 = 1.0; Type 2 = 1.1; Type 3 = 1.3
  • Accelerated-ageing: change in tensile properties and elongation at break ≤ 20% after ISO 188 Method A (70 ± 2 °C for 168 ± 2 h)
• Dimensions and tolerances:
  • Lay‑flat length: tolerances vary by size (<25 mm ±8%; 25–100 mm ±5%; >100 mm ±3.2%)
  • Thickness and cut‑width: tiered tolerances (see standard for exact bands)
• Test methods and sampling:
  • Conditioning and specimen prep per ISO 23529.
  • Tensile tests: dumb‑bell (tube sample) per ISO 37 or ring‑sample tensile rig (roller grips). The standard defines how to measure lay‑flat length, cut‑width, thickness and how to calculate modulus at 300% and elongation at break.
• Packaging and marking: requirements for safe transport/storage and mandatory markings (type, size, quantity/weight, manufacturer, batch/date).

Applications - who uses ISO 22843:2020

• Rubber band manufacturers for product specification, quality control and production acceptance.
• Testing laboratories that perform tensile, density, tension‑set and ageing tests.
• Buyers and procurement teams requiring consistent quality and traceability.
• Suppliers and distributors ensuring packaging and marking compliance.
• Not suitable for users seeking standards for food-contact, medical or engineering rubber bands.

Related standards

ISO 22843 references and works with ISO 37 (tensile testing), ISO 188 (accelerated ageing), ISO 2781 (density) and ISO 23529 (conditioning). These are essential for laboratories applying the test methods in ISO 22843.

Keywords: ISO 22843:2020, rubber bands, test methods, natural rubber, tensile strength, tension set, accelerated ageing, dimensional tolerances.

Standards Content (Sample)

INTERNATIONAL ISO
STANDARD 22843
First edition
2020-08
Rubber bands — General
requirements and test methods
Reference number
©
ISO 2020
© ISO 2020
All rights reserved. Unless otherwise specified, or required in the context of its implementation, no part of this publication may
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ii © ISO 2020 – All rights reserved

Contents Page
Foreword .iv
1 Scope . 1
2 Normative references . 1
3 Terms and definitions . 1
4 Classification . 2
5 Requirements . 2
5.1 General . 2
5.2 Dimensions . 2
5.3 Physical properties . 3
6 Test methods . 3
6.1 General . 3
6.2 Dimensions . 3
6.3 Tensile properties . 4
6.3.1 Test method A: Tube sample . 4
6.3.2 Test method B: Ring sample . 5
6.4 Tension set . 6
6.5 Density . 7
6.6 Accelerated-ageing test . 7
7 Packaging . 7
8 Marking . 7
Foreword
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electrotechnical standardization.
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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
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www .iso .org/ iso/ foreword .html.
This document was prepared by Technical Committee ISO/TC 45, Rubber and rubber products,
Subcommittee SC 4, Products (other than hoses).
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 2020 – All rights reserved

INTERNATIONAL STANDARD ISO 22843:2020(E)
Rubber bands — General requirements and test methods
1 Scope
This document specifies general requirements and relevant test methods for rubber bands made of dry
natural rubber used for general purposes such as for daily wrapping or packaging.
This document is not applicable for cover rubber bands made of blend and synthetic rubbers. This
document is not applicable for rubber bands used for engineering applications, for food contact, nor for
medical uses.
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 37, Rubber, vulcanized or thermoplastic — Determination of tensile stress-strain properties
ISO 188, Rubber, vulcanized or thermoplastic — Accelerated ageing and heat resistance tests
ISO 2781, Rubber, vulcanized or thermoplastic — Determination of density
ISO 23529, Rubber — General procedures for preparing and conditioning test pieces for physical test methods
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
rubber band
elastic circular band used for holding things together
3.2
lay flat length
half of the inner circumference of the rubber band (3.1)
Note 1 to entry: See Figure 1.
3.3
cut-width
distance between the two cut surfaces of the rubber band (3.1)
Note 1 to entry: See Figure 1.
3.4
thickness
half the difference between the inside diameter and outside diameter of the rubber band (3.1)
Note 1 to entry: See Figure 1.
Key
1 lay flat length
2 cut-width
3 thickness
Figure 1 — Lay flat length, cut-wid
...