SIST-TS CEN/TS 15534-2:2007

• Abstract:

  This Technical Specification identifies the required and optional properties of wood-plastics composite (WPC) materials. It is intended to be used as a basis for the specifications of WPC materials.

• Status: Published
• Publication Date: 03-Jul-2007
• ICS: 79.060.01 - Wood-based panels in general
• Technical Committee: IPMA - Polimer materials and products
• Current Stage: 6060 - National Implementation/Publication (Adopted Project)
• Start Date: 27-Jun-2007
• Due Date: 01-Sep-2007
• Completion Date: 04-Jul-2007
• Ref Project: CEN/TS 15534-2:2007 - Wood-plastics composites (WPC) - Part 2: Characterisation of WPC materials

• Refers: SIST EN ISO 179-1:2026 - Plastics - Determination of Charpy impact properties - Part 1: Non-instrumented impact test (ISO 179-1:2026)
• Effective Date: 01-Apr-2026
• Refers: SIST EN ISO 4589-2:2017 - Plastics - Determination of burning behaviour by oxygen index - Part 2: Ambient-temperature test (ISO 4589-2:2017)
• Effective Date: 28-Jan-2026
• Refers: SIST EN ISO 75-1:2020 - Plastics - Determination of temperature of deflection under load - Part 1: General test method (ISO 75-1:2020)
• Effective Date: 28-Jan-2026
• Refers: SIST EN ISO 527-1:2019 - Plastics - Determination of tensile properties - Part 1: General principles (ISO 527-1:2019)
• Effective Date: 28-Jan-2026
• Refers: SIST EN ISO 1183-3:2000 - Plastics - Methods for determining the density of non-cellular plastics - Part 3: Gas pyknometer method (ISO 1183-3:1999)
• Effective Date: 28-Jan-2026
• Refers: SIST EN ISO 75-2:2013 - Plastics - Determination of temperature of deflection under load - Part 2: Plastics and ebonite (ISO 75-2:2013)
• Effective Date: 28-Jan-2026
• Refers: SIST EN 317:1996 - Particleboards and fibreboards - Determination of swelling in thickness after immersion in water
• Effective Date: 28-Jan-2026
• Refers: SIST EN ISO 527-2:2025 - Plastics - Determination of tensile properties - Part 2: Test conditions for moulding and extrusion plastics (ISO 527-2:2025)
• Effective Date: 28-Jan-2026
• Refers: SIST EN ISO 899-2:2024 - Plastics - Determination of creep behaviour - Part 2: Flexural creep by three-point loading (ISO 899-2:2024)
• Effective Date: 28-Jan-2026
• Refers: SIST-TP CEN ISO/TR 3834-6:2007 - Quality requirements for fusion welding of metallic materials - Part 6: Guidelines on implementing ISO 3834 (ISO/TR 3834-6:2007)
• Effective Date: 28-Jan-2026
• Refers: SIST EN 113-3:2023 - Durability of wood and wood-based products - Test method against wood destroying basidiomycetes - Part 3: Assessment of durability of wood-based panels
• Effective Date: 28-Jan-2026
• Refers: SIST EN ISO 11148-1:2012 - Hand-held non-electric power tools - Safety requirements - Part 1: Assembly power tools for non-threaded mechanical fasteners (ISO 11148-1:2011)
• Effective Date: 28-Jan-2026
• Refers: SIST-TS CEN/TS 15534-1:2007 - Wood-plastics composites (WPC) - Part 1: Test methods for characterisation of WPC materials and products
• Effective Date: 28-Jan-2026
• Refers: SIST EN ISO 12781-2:2011 - Geometrical product specifications (GPS) - Flatness - Part 2: Specification operators (ISO 12781-2:2011)
• Effective Date: 28-Jan-2026
• Refers: SIST-TS CEN/TS 15083-2:2006 - Durability of wood and wood-based products - Determination of the natural durability of solid wood against wood-destroying fungi, test methods - Part 2: Soft rotting micro-fungi
• Effective Date: 28-Jan-2026

SIST-TS CEN/TS 15534-2:2007 is a CEN Technical Specification, adopted by SIST, for wood-plastics composites (WPC) materials. It specifies which properties of WPC materials are required or optional, and it is meant to be used as the basis for WPC material specifications. It is aimed at suppliers, purchasers and specifiers who need a common way to describe WPC materials.

What does SIST-TS CEN/TS 15534-2:2007 specify?

SIST-TS CEN/TS 15534-2:2007 sets out the characterisation of WPC materials. It organizes that subject into Clause 1 Scope, Clause 2 Normative references, Clause 3 Characterisation of WPC materials, and informative Annex A with technical data templates.

Clause 3 and Table 1 are the core of the document. They divide WPC material characteristics into required and optional items and distinguish between external use and internal use, so a user can choose the right property set for the intended application.

Annex	What it covers
Annex A (informative)	Technical data templates for reporting WPC material characterisation

What are the key requirements of SIST-TS CEN/TS 15534-2:2007?

SIST-TS CEN/TS 15534-2:2007 requires WPC materials to be described through a defined set of properties, with the exact set depending on the use case. In practice, this means suppliers and buyers should agree up front which properties are mandatory for a product and which ones are only needed for a specific project.

Required and optional characteristics

Clause 3 separates the characteristics into required and optional. The required group is the baseline for characterising the material, while the optional group is used when a customer specification or application calls for extra data. For a buyer, this helps keep specifications focused on the performance that matters.

Table 1 shows that density, heat deflection temperature (HDT), flexural properties, swelling and water absorption are required characteristics. For external use, linear thermal expansion and several biological resistance properties are also part of the required set. For internal use, the required set is narrower.

Test methods

SIST-TS CEN/TS 15534-2:2007 says the characteristics shall be assessed using the test methods given in CEN/TS 15534-1. Table 1 links each property to a test standard, such as EN ISO 1183-1 and EN ISO 1183-3 for density, EN ISO 75-1 and EN ISO 75-2 for HDT, EN ISO 178 for flexural properties, EN 317 for swelling and water absorption, ISO 11359-2 for linear thermal expansion, and EN ISO 4589-2 for limit oxygen index.

Product data and tolerances

The supplier shall provide a technical data sheet to the purchaser. Annex A gives example templates for internal use and external use, and the sheet shall state the supplier’s declared tolerances for each characteristic. In practice, this is the document a buyer can file and compare against a purchase specification.

Legal use of constituents

SIST-TS CEN/TS 15534-2:2007 also requires the supplier to provide the information needed for the legal use of the constituents of WPC materials, as specified by the purchaser. That matters when the purchaser needs evidence about the materials and additives used in the composite.

Application-specific properties

Optional properties include moisture content, Charpy impact strength, tensile properties, creep behaviour, Brinell hardness, resistance against termites, resistance against basidiomycetes, resistance against soil inhabiting soft rotting micro-fungi, resistance against discolouring micro-fungi, resistance against discolouring algae, and limit oxygen index. Clause 3 also notes that creep behaviour is for decking only.

What terms does SIST-TS CEN/TS 15534-2:2007 define?

• Wood-plastics composite (WPC) - The material family covered by the document, made from wood and plastic constituents.
• Heat deflection temperature (HDT) - The temperature-related property used to judge how a WPC behaves under load.
• Flexural properties - Bending properties such as flexural modulus, flexural strain and flexural stress.
• Young’s modulus - A stiffness measure used in the tensile properties set.
• Flexural-creep modulus - A measure of how a WPC resists slow deformation under bending load over time.
• Limit oxygen index - A measure linked to burning behaviour, used to compare how readily a material supports combustion.
• Technical data sheet - The supplier’s document that lists the characterised properties and declared tolerances.

Who uses SIST-TS CEN/TS 15534-2:2007?

Suppliers use SIST-TS CEN/TS 15534-2:2007 to prepare technical data sheets and state tolerances. Purchasers and specifiers use it to write material requirements and compare offers on the same basis. Test laboratories use the linked methods to measure density, HDT, flexural properties, impact, creep, moisture and biological resistance. It is relevant to WPC products for internal and external use, including applications such as decking.

Which standards are used with SIST-TS CEN/TS 15534-2:2007?

Standard	What it contributes
EN 117	Termite resistance test
EN 317	Swelling in thickness after water immersion
EN 1534	Brinell indentation hardness test
ENV 12038	Resistance against basidiomycetes
CEN/TS 15083-2	Resistance against soil inhabiting soft rotting micro-fungi
prEN 15458	Resistance against discolouring algae
CEN/TS 15534-1:2007	Test methods for characterising WPC materials and products
EN ISO 75-1	General HDT test method
EN ISO 75-2	HDT conditions for plastics and reinforced composites
EN ISO 178	Flexural properties
EN ISO 179-1	Charpy impact properties
EN ISO 527-1	General tensile principles
EN ISO 527-2	Tensile test conditions
EN ISO 899-2	Flexural creep by three-point loading
EN ISO 1183-1	Density by immersion, liquid pyknometer or titration
EN ISO 1183-3	Density by gas pyknometer
EN ISO 4589-2	Oxygen index and burning behaviour
ISO 11359-2	Linear thermal expansion and glass transition by TMA
ISO 16869	Fungistatic effectiveness in plastics formulations
ISO 16979:2003	Moisture content of wood based panels

What does the SIST-TS CEN/TS 15534-2:2007 document contain?

The document contains a property list for WPC materials, the link from each property to a test method, and separate treatment of external and internal use. It also includes informative Annex A with technical data templates that can be used for supplier declarations. Table 1 is the main technical summary, and Annex A turns that summary into a practical datasheet format for procurement and product control.

SLOVENSKI STANDARD
01-september-2007
Lesno-polimerni kompoziti (WPC) - 2. del: Karakterizacija WPC materialov
Wood-plastics composites (WPC) - Part 2: Characterisation of WPC materials
Holz-Polymer-Werkstoffe (WPC) - Teil 2: Beschreibung von WPC-Werkstoffen
Composites bois-plastiques (WPC) - Partie 2 : Caractérisation des matériaux WPC
Ta slovenski standard je istoveten z: CEN/TS 15534-2:2007
ICS:
79.060.01 /HVQHSORãþHQDVSORãQR Wood-based panels in
general
2003-01.Slovenski inštitut za standardizacijo. Razmnoževanje celote ali delov tega standarda ni dovoljeno.

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATION
CEN/TS 15534-2
SPÉCIFICATION TECHNIQUE
TECHNISCHE SPEZIFIKATION
May 2007
ICS 79.060.01
English Version
Wood-plastics composites (WPC) - Part 2: Characterisation of
WPC materials
Composites bois-plastiques (WPC) - Partie 2 : Holz-Kunststoff-Verbundstoffe (WPC) - Teil 2:
Caractérisation des matériaux WPC Beschreibung von WPC-Werkstoffen
This Technical Specification (CEN/TS) was approved by CEN on 29 December 2006 for provisional application.
The period of validity of this CEN/TS is limited initially to three years. After two years the members of CEN will be requested to submit their
comments, particularly on the question whether the CEN/TS can be converted into a European Standard.
CEN members are required to announce the existence of this CEN/TS in the same way as for an EN and to make the CEN/TS available
promptly at national level in an appropriate form. It is permissible to keep conflicting national standards in force (in parallel to the CEN/TS)
until the final decision about the possible conversion of the CEN/TS into an EN is reached.
CEN members are the national standards bodies of Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland,
France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal,
Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and United Kingdom.
EUROPEAN COMMITTEE FOR STANDARDIZATION
COMITÉ EUROPÉEN DE NORMALISATION
EUROPÄISCHES KOMITEE FÜR NORMUNG
Management Centre: rue de Stassart, 36  B-1050 Brussels
© 2007 CEN All rights of exploitation in any form and by any means reserved Ref. No. CEN/TS 15534-2:2007: E
worldwide for CEN national Members.

Contents Page
Foreword.3
1 Scope .4
2 Normative references .4
3 Characterisation of WPC materials.5
Annex A (informative) Technical data templates .7

Foreword
This document (CEN/TS 15534-2:2007) has been prepared by Technical Committee CEN/TC 249 “Plastics”,
the secretariat of which is held by NBN.
Attention is drawn to the possibility that some of the elements of this document may be the subject of patent
rights. CEN [and/or CENELEC] shall not be held responsible for identifying any or all such patent rights.
CEN/TS 15534 consists of the following parts, under the general title Wood plastics composites (WPC):
 Part 1: Test methods for characterisation of WPC materials and products
 Part 2: Characterisation of WPC materials
 Part 3: Characterisation of WPC products
According to the CEN/CENELEC Internal Regulations, the national standards organizations of the following
countries are bound to announce this Technical Specification: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Czech
Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia,
Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain,
Sweden, Switzerland and the United Kingdom.

1 Scope
This Technical Specification identifies the required and optional properties of wood-plastics composite (WPC)
materials. It is intended to be used as a basis for the specifications of WPC materials.
2 Normative references
The following referenced documents are indispensable for the application 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.
EN 117, Wood preservatives — Determination of toxic values against Reticulitermes species (European
termites) (laboratory method)
EN 317, Particleboards and fibreboards — Determination of swelling in thickness after immersion in water
EN 1534, Wood and parquet flooring — Determination of resistance to indentation (Brinell) — Test method
ENV 12038, Durability of wood and wood-based products — Wood-based panels — Method of test for
determining the resistance against wood-destroying basidiomycetes
CEN/TS 15083-2, Durability of wood and wood-based products — Determination of the natural durability of
solid wood against wood-destroying fungi, test methods — Part 2: Soft rotting micro-fungi
prEN 15458, Paints and varnishes — Laboratory method for testing the efficacy of film preservatives in a
coating against algae
CEN/TS 15534-1:2007, Wood-plastics composites (WPC) — Part 1: Test methods for characterisation of
WPC materials and products
EN ISO 75-1, Plastics — Determination of temperature of deflection under load — Part 1: General test method
(ISO 75-1:2004)
EN ISO 75-2, Plastics — Determination of temperature of deflection under load — Part 2: Plastics, ebonite
and long-fibre-reinforced composites (ISO 75-2:2004)
EN ISO 178, Plastics — Determination of flexural properties (ISO 178:2001)
EN ISO 179-1, Plastics — Determination of Charpy impact properties — Part 1: Non-instrumented impact test
(ISO 179-1:2000)
EN ISO 527-1, Plastics — Determination of tensile
...