SIST EN 12458:1999

• Abstract:

  This European Standard specifies a method of assessing the stability in hard water of surface active agents which are readily soluble at ambient temperature or slightly higher temperatures. This method is applicable to surface active agents soluble in water at 20 °C. It can be extended to those which are soluble at approximately 50 °C.

• Status: Published
• Publication Date: 30-Sep-1999
• ICS: 71.100.40 - Surface active agents
• Technical Committee: KDS - Cosmetics, chemical disinfectants and surface active agents
• Current Stage: 6060 - National Implementation/Publication (Adopted Project)
• Start Date: 01-Oct-1999
• Due Date: 01-Oct-1999
• Completion Date: 01-Oct-1999
• Ref Project: EN 12458:1999 - Surface active agents - Determination of stability in hard water

• Refers: SIST ISO 835-2:1995 - Laboratory glassware -- Graduated pipettes -- Part 2: Pipettes for which no waiting time is specified
• Effective Date: 09-Feb-2026
• Refers: SIST EN 12829:2011 - Surface active agents - Preparation of water with known calcium and magnesium hardness
• Effective Date: 28-Jan-2026
• Refers: SIST EN ISO 3696:1998 - Water for analytical laboratory use - Specification and test methods (ISO 3696:1987)
• Effective Date: 28-Jan-2026
• Referred By: SIST-TS CEN/TS 17035:2018 - Surface Active Agents - Bio-based surfactants - Requirements and test methods
• Effective Date: 28-Jan-2026

SIST EN 12458:1999 is the Slovenian standard identical to EN 12458:1999. It specifies a method for assessing the stability in hard water of surface active agents that are readily soluble at ambient temperature or slightly higher temperatures. The method applies to surface active agents soluble in water at 20 °C and can also be extended to products soluble at about 50 °C.

What does SIST EN 12458:1999 specify?

SIST EN 12458:1999 specifies a laboratory method for checking how surface active agents behave in hard water. In practice, it is the standard to use when you need a common way to compare surfactant stability under water conditions where mineral content can affect performance.

The scope is narrow and practical. It is aimed at products that are already soluble enough to be prepared for testing at 20 °C, and it also allows use with materials that need around 50 °C to dissolve. For a user, that means the standard fits products that can be made into test solutions without unusual preparation conditions.

What are the key requirements of SIST EN 12458:1999?

SIST EN 12458:1999 centers on one technical task: assess the stability in hard water of a surface active agent by the method given in the standard. The important point for users is that this is a test method, so it tells you how to check behavior, not how to formulate a product.

• The standard applies to surface active agents that are readily soluble at ambient temperature or slightly above it. This matters because the sample has to be practical to prepare before the test can be run.
• It applies to products soluble in water at 20 °C. If a product cannot meet that basic condition, the method is outside its intended use.
• The method can be extended to products soluble at approximately 50 °C. In practice, this gives laboratories a way to include some warmer-water-soluble materials while staying within the same stability concept.
• The focus is hard water. That means the result is about whether the surfactant remains stable when water hardness is part of the test condition, which is important for product comparison and quality control.
• The document is relevant when the user needs a repeatable way to judge suitability in hard-water conditions. That helps technical teams compare batches, suppliers, or product variants on the same basis.
• Because the standard is limited to stability assessment, it should be read as a measurement procedure. Users should document the test result and then decide whether it meets their internal or customer expectations.

Who uses SIST EN 12458:1999?

SIST EN 12458:1999 is used by laboratories, surfactant manufacturers, quality control teams, and buyers who need a standard way to evaluate hard-water stability. It is relevant in the surface active agents field, especially where water solubility matters before testing.

In practice, laboratory staff use the standard to run the stability check, quality managers use it to compare products consistently, and buyers use the result when they need evidence that a surfactant performs acceptably under hard-water conditions.

What does the SIST EN 12458:1999 document contain?

SIST EN 12458:1999 contains the scope for a hard-water stability method for surface active agents and identifies the solubility conditions under which the method applies. It is a test-method document, so its value is in giving a shared procedure for checking stability rather than describing product performance in general.

The page also identifies the standard as identical to EN 12458:1999 and places it in ICS 71.100.40 for surface active agents. For technical users, that tells them the document belongs to the surfactant testing area and is meant to support consistent laboratory assessment.

2003-01.Slovenski inštitut za standardizacijo. Razmnoževanje celote ali delov tega standarda ni dovoljeno.Grenzflächenaktive Stoffe - Bestimmung der Beständigkeit gegenüber hartem WasserAgents de surface - Détermination de la stabilité a l'eau dureSurface active agents - Determination of stability in hard water71.100.40Površinsko aktivna sreds
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