🏗️ Adhesives for ceramic tiles — open time and pull-off adhesion, slip of the tile, shear adhesion strength of dispersion and reaction resin adhesives, transverse deformation of cementitious adhesives; PN-EN 12004-2

Construction PN-EN 12004-2

Overview

WHAT THE STANDARD COVERS. EN 12004-2:2017 (clause 1) specifies methods for determining the characteristics of adhesives for internal and external installation of ceramic tiles; it contains no performance requirements and no recommendations for the design and installation of tiles. Methods: open time (8.1), slip (8.2), tensile adhesion strength of cementitious adhesives (8.3), shear adhesion strength of dispersion adhesives (8.4) and of reaction resin adhesives (8.5), transverse deformation of cementitious adhesives (8.6). According to a note in clause 1, adhesives for ceramic tiles may also be used for other tiles (of natural and agglomerated stone) if they do not harm them. Normative references: EN 196-1:2016, EN 459-2, EN 1067, EN 12004-1, EN 14411 and EN ISO 15605. The "Scope" field of the PKN card of PN-EN 12004-2:2017-03 (Polish version), an excerpt: "This European Standard specifies methods for determining the characteristics of adhesives used for the installation of ceramic tiles internally and externally. This European Standard does not give performance requirements or recommendations for the design and installation of ceramic tiles" (our translation). The Polish version names the methods: determination of open time, slip, adhesion of cementitious adhesives, shear strength of dispersion adhesives and reaction resin adhesives, and transverse deformation of cementitious adhesives.

CONDITIONS, MATERIALS, MIXING (clauses 3–6). Adhesive sample — at least 2 kg according to EN ISO 15605 and EN 1067. Standard conditions: (23 ± 2) °C, (50 ± 5) % relative humidity and an air velocity below 0.2 m/s; tolerance of the test time after conditioning: 6 h ±15 min, 7 d ±3 h, 14 d ±6 h, 21 d ±9 h, 28 d ±12 h. Materials are conditioned for at least 24 h, the adhesive must be within its shelf life, and the tiles — unused, clean and dry. Substrate: a concrete slab at least 35 mm thick, with a moisture content below 3 % by mass (carbide method), a surface water absorption after 4 h of 0.5 cm³ to 1.5 cm³ and a pull-off strength of at least 1.5 N/mm², with a surface as after floating with a wooden float (manufacture of the slab — Annex A). Another substrate may be used by agreement if it is recommended by the adhesive manufacturer; compatibility is demonstrated by the open time method — the requirement is met with a result > 0.5 N/mm² or cohesive failure in the substrate. Cementitious adhesive is prepared with the amount of water or liquid stated by the manufacturer (for a range — the mean), at least 2 kg, in a mixer according to EN 196-1:2016, 4.4, at low speed (140 ± 5) rpm and (62 ± 5) rpm of planetary motion: liquid into the bowl, powder added, 30 s of mixing, scraping down within 1 min, 1 min of mixing, maturing according to the manufacturer and another 15 s of mixing. Ready-to-use dispersion and reaction resin adhesives are prepared according to the instructions of the manufacturer.

OPEN TIME (8.1). Glazed tiles with a porous body, group BIII according to EN 14411, water absorption (15 ± 3) % by mass, thickness 7–10 mm, back profile shallower than 0.25 mm, cut to (50 ± 1) × (50 ± 1) mm. A thin layer of adhesive is applied to the concrete slab with a straight-edged trowel, then a thicker one, which is combed with a notched trowel 6 × 6 mm at 12 mm centres, held at an angle of approx. 60°. After 5, 10, 20 and 30 min at least 10 tiles each are placed within 30 s at 50 mm intervals (on not more than four strips of adhesive), and each is loaded with a force of (20 ± 0.05) N for 30 s. After 27 days in standard conditions, metal pull-off plates 50 × 50 mm, at least 10 mm thick, are bonded to the tiles with a high-strength adhesive (e.g. epoxy), and after a further 24 h they are pulled off with a force increasing at (250 ± 50) N/s, applied without bending. The individual adhesion strength As = L/A (A = 2500 mm²) is given to the nearest 0.1 N/mm². For each time interval: mean of 10 values, rejection of values outside ±20 % of the mean, a new mean if at least five values remain, and with fewer than five — repetition of the test; the predominant failure pattern according to Annex B. The open time in minutes is the longest interval after which the adhesive meets the adhesion requirement of EN 12004-1.

SLIP (8.2). A dry-pressed tile, group BIa according to EN 14411 (water absorption ≤ 0.5 % by mass), unglazed, with a flat bonding surface, (100 ± 1) × (100 ± 1) mm, mass (200 ± 10) g, thickness 8–10 mm. A steel straight edge is fixed to the concrete slab with clamps so that, after the slab is set vertically, its lower edge is horizontal; under the straight edge — a 25 mm wide masking tape. The adhesive is applied as in 8.1, combed perpendicular to the straight edge, the tape is removed immediately, two stainless steel spacers 25 × 25 × 10 mm are placed against the straight edge, and after 2 min the tile is placed and loaded with a force of (50 ± 0.1) N. The gap between the straight edge and the tile is measured with a caliper at three points to within ±0.1 mm; after (30 ± 5) s the weight and the spacers are removed, the slab is carefully set vertically, and after (20 ± 2) min the gap is measured again at the same points. The maximum slip of the tile under its own weight is the difference of the readings; the test is carried out on 3 tiles for each adhesive, results in mm (individual and mean).

OTHER METHODS (table of contents; we have not read the content). 8.3 — tensile adhesion strength of cementitious adhesives (C), 8.4 — shear adhesion strength of dispersion adhesives (D), 8.5 — shear adhesion strength of reaction resin adhesives (R), 8.6 — transverse deformation of cementitious adhesives (C). Annex A (normative) describes the concrete test slab (manufacture, conditioning, surface water absorption, pull-off strength), and Annex B — the failure patterns: adhesive (AF-S or AF-T), cohesive within the adhesive (CF-A) and cohesive within the substrate or the tile (CF-S or CF-T). The test report (clause 7) contains, among other things, the place, date and time of sampling, the type and trade name of the adhesive, the test conditions, the amount of water or liquid (cementitious adhesives), individual and mean values and — where required — the failure pattern.

EDITIONS. EN 12004-2:2017 (CEN/TC 67 "Ceramic tiles"; approved by CEN on 15 July 2016) replaced EN 1308:2007, EN 1323:2007, EN 1324:2007, EN 1346:2007, EN 1348:2007, EN 12002:2008 and EN 12003:2008; conflicting national standards had to be withdrawn by August 2017 at the latest. EN 12004 has two parts: 1 — requirements, assessment and verification of constancy of performance, classification and marking; 2 — test methods. In the iTeh catalogue (read on 27.10.2026) EN 12004-2:2017 has the status "Published" and the stage "9093 – Decision to confirm – Review Enquiry".

STATUS (PKN card as of 27.10.2026). The card of PN-EN 12004-2:2017-03 (Polish version) has no withdrawal label: publication 07-09-2018, 38 pages, Chemistry Sector, KT 184 Adhesives, "Adopts: EN 12004-2:2017 [IDT]", "Replaces: PN-EN 1323:2008, PN-EN 1324:2008, PN-EN 1346:2008, PN-EN 1308:2008, PN-EN 12002:2010, PN-EN 12003:2010, PN-EN 1348:2008" (all in the Polish version), ICS 83.180 and 91.100.10. PKN search, search term "EN 12004" (27.10.2026): there is also the English version of PN-EN 12004-2:2017-03 and part 1 — PN-EN 12004-1:2017-03 (Polish and English versions); PN-EN 12004+A1:2012 (English version) is withdrawn and replaced by PN-EN 12004-1:2017-03, and the earlier editions of PN-EN 12004 (2002, 2007, 2008) are withdrawn.

HOW MANY LABORATORIES AND IN WHAT FORM (copy of the accreditation scope database refreshed from the production server on 27.10.2026 and current PCA documents downloaded on that day). Number 12004-2 appears in 33 records at 5 Polish laboratories: AB 023 (13), AB 054 (7), AB 499 (7), AB 556 (5), AB 1703 (1). In all 5 current PCA documents the standard is in the same 33 rows; no entry is suspended. Forms: "PN-EN 12004-2" without the year (AB 023), "EN 12004-2" (AB 054) and "PN-EN 12004-2:2017-03" (AB 499, AB 556, AB 1703). At AB 499 and AB 1703 the same entries also contain standards replaced by EN 12004-2: PN-EN 1348:2008 "N", PN-EN 1346:2008, PN-EN 1308:2008, PN-EN 1324:2008 "N" and PN-EN 12002:2010 (AB 499) and PN-EN 1348:2008 "N" (AB 1703); besides the entries with EN 12004-2, AB 054 has separate entries with PN-EN 1348:2008, PN-EN 1308:2008, PN-EN 1346:2008, PN-EN 12002:2010, PN-EN 1324:2008 and PN-EN 12003:2010. According to the PCA legends, "E" at the test object (AB 023, AB 054) denotes a flexible scope of accreditation, and "N" — a method used in activities relevant to notification under Regulation (EU) No 305/2011. The "Laboratories" tab ("PN-EN 12004-2") shows 9 laboratories: these 5 Polish ones and 4 Czech ones (tab query on labcoda.pl, 27.10.2026).

REGULATIONS. In "assessment of performance" entries in system 3 under Regulation (EU) No 305/2011 (Commission Decision 99/470/EC, tile adhesives), laboratories give the product standard EN 12004:2007+A1:2012 as the harmonised technical specification (AB 054, AB 499, AB 1703), and AB 054 also EN 12004-1:2017. We do not give requirements and classes of adhesives.

WHAT THE LABORATORIES TEST (database copy and PCA documents). AB 023 — adhesives and products with adhesive joints: open time, initial adhesion, after water immersion, after heat ageing and after freeze-thaw cycles (pull-off, 0.6–16 kN), initial shear strength, after water immersion, after heat ageing and at elevated temperature (0.001–10 kN), transverse deformation, slip; also open time in the entry "thermal insulation systems and their components" (0.001–16 kN). AB 054 — tile adhesives: open time and tensile strength (pull-off, 0.1–15 kN), shear strength (0.05–12 kN), transverse deformation and slip (0–20.0 mm); in the entries "ceramic tiles" — tensile and shear strength. AB 499 — cementitious and dispersion adhesives: open time (0.4–8.0 kN), adhesion of cementitious adhesives (initial, after water immersion, after heat ageing, after freeze-thaw cycles), shear strength of dispersion adhesives (also at elevated temperature; 0.2–10.0 kN), transverse deformation (0.1–20.0 mm), slip (0.0–10.0 mm). AB 556 — open time and adhesion in four variants (0.1–18.0 kN), transverse deformation (0.2–40 mm) and shear strength (0.1–20 kN) by the constant rate of load increase method, slip. AB 1703 — initial adhesion, after water immersion, after heat ageing and after freeze-thaw cycles (0.3–6 kN).

WHERE A SEEMINGLY CORRECT RESULT IS EASY TO GET. First — open time is not measured directly: it is the longest of the tested intervals (5, 10, 20, 30 min) after which the adhesion meets the requirement of EN 12004-1 (8.1.4); without that requirement the number of minutes means nothing. Second — rejection of results: values outside ±20 % of the mean are discarded, and when fewer than five of the 10 remain, the test is repeated; the mean of all ten without this procedure is not a result according to the standard. Third — the failure pattern (Annex B: AF-S/AF-T, CF-A, CF-S/CF-T) is part of the adhesion result. Fourth — the substrate: the concrete slab must meet the requirements of 5.3.1 (≥ 35 mm, moisture < 3 %, surface water absorption 0.5–1.5 cm³ after 4 h, pull-off strength ≥ 1.5 N/mm²); another substrate — only by agreement and with a compatibility test. Fifth — time: a test outside the window from Table 1 (e.g. 28 d ±12 h) does not comply with the standard. Sixth — the type of adhesive determines the method: adhesion (pull-off) is tested for cementitious adhesives (C), and shear strength — for dispersion adhesives (D) and reaction resin adhesives (R). Seventh — edition: at AB 499 and AB 1703, PN-EN 12004-2:2017-03 stands next to standards that EN 12004-2 replaced; the test report according to clause 7 gives the number and year of the edition of the standard, so it shows which method was used for the test.

WHAT WE DO NOT GIVE. The fragment of EN 12004-2:2017 we read ends at point 8.2.4. We do not give the course of the adhesion tests (8.3) and shear strength tests (8.4–8.5), the transverse deformation test (8.6), the manufacture of the concrete slab (Annex A) or the description of the failure patterns (Annex B); this part contains no requirements and no classification of adhesives (EN 12004-1).

Method principle

The adhesive, prepared in standard conditions ((23 ± 2) °C, (50 ± 5) %), is applied with a 6 × 6 mm notched trowel to a concrete slab of defined water absorption and pull-off strength, and ceramic tiles are placed on it: the open time is determined from the adhesion of tiles placed after 5, 10, 20 and 30 min, pulled off after 27 days and a further 24 h at a force increase of (250 ± 50) N/s (As = L/A, A = 2500 mm²), and the slip — from the displacement of a 100 × 100 mm tile after the slab has been set vertically for 20 min; the other methods are tensile adhesion strength (C adhesives), shear adhesion strength (D, R) and transverse deformation (C) (EN 12004-2:2017, clauses 4–8).

Applications

• Cementitious (C), dispersion (D) and reaction resin (R) adhesives for internal and external installation of ceramic tiles (EN 12004-2:2017, clause 1)
• Tests for the classification and assessment of performance of adhesives according to EN 12004-1 — in scopes with Commission Decision 99/470/EC (system 3)
• Compatibility of the adhesive with another substrate recommended by the manufacturer — by the open time method (5.3.2)
• In accreditation scopes: 5 Polish laboratories; force ranges from 0.001 kN to 20 kN, transverse deformation up to 40 mm

Key parameters

Standard

Standard number

PN-EN 12004-2:2017-03 (wersja polska i wersja angielska; wprowadza EN 12004-2:2017 [IDT])

Title (PL)

Kleje do płytek ceramicznych — Część 2: Metody badań

Title (EN)

Adhesives for ceramic tiles — Part 2: Test methods

Step-by-step procedure

1. Sample and conditioning

   At least 2 kg of adhesive (EN ISO 15605, EN 1067); materials ≥ 24 h at (23 ± 2) °C and (50 ± 5) %; adhesive within its shelf life (clauses 3–5).

2. Preparation of the adhesive

   Cementitious: amount of water according to the manufacturer, mixing 30 s + scraping down within 1 min + 1 min, maturing, 15 s; dispersion and reaction resin — according to the manufacturer (clause 6).

3. Open time

   Adhesive combed with a 6 × 6 mm trowel; BIII tiles after 5, 10, 20, 30 min, load 20 N for 30 s; after 27 d bonding of the pull-off plates, after 24 h pull-off at (250 ± 50) N/s; open time against the requirement of EN 12004-1 (8.1).

4. Slip

   BIa tile 100 × 100 mm against 25 mm spacers, load 50 N for (30 ± 5) s, slab vertical, reading of the gap after (20 ± 2) min at three points; 3 tiles (8.2).

5. Adhesion, shear, transverse deformation

   According to 8.3 (C adhesives), 8.4 (D), 8.5 (R) and 8.6 (C) with the failure pattern according to Annex B. WE DO NOT GIVE the course. PN-EN 12004-2:2017-03 — current (PKN card as of 27.10.2026).

Required equipment and apparatus

Reagents, media and consumables

Health and safety (OHS)

• The standard warns that it may involve hazardous materials and operations and does not address all safety issues — safe practice is established by the user (clause 1)
• TECHNICAL NOTE: an adhesion result without the rejection procedure (±20 %, at least 5 of 10) and without the failure pattern is not a result according to the standard (8.1.4)

Frequently asked questions