BRITISH STANDARD BS EN ISO

536:1997
Incorporating
Amendment No. 1
BS ISO 536:1995
renumbered

Paper and board —

Determination of
grammage
Licensed Copy: :FULLNAME, : DATE, Uncontrolled Copy, (c) BSI

The European Standard EN ISO 536:1996 has the status of a

British Standard

ICS 85.060
 BS EN ISO 536:1997

Committees responsible for this

British Standard

The preparation of this British Standard was entrusted to Technical

Committee PAI/11, Methods of test for paper, board and pulp, upon which the
following bodies were represented:

British Apparel and Textile Confederation

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British Carton Association

British Fibreboard Packaging Association
British Printing Industry Federation
Envelope Makers’ and Manufacturing Stationers’ Association
Her Majesty’s Stationery Office
Institute of Paper Conservation
Ministry of Defence
Paper Federation of Great Britain
Pira International
University of Manchester Institute of Science and Technology

This British Standard, having

been prepared under the
direction of the Sector Board
for Materials and Chemicals,
was published under the
authority of the Standards
Board and comes Amendments issued since publication
into effect on
15 February 1997 Amd. No. Date Comments
© BSI 07-1999
9309 February Indicated by a sideline in the margin
1997
The following BSI references
relate to the work on this
standard:
Committee reference PAI/11
Draft for comment 92/48312 DC

ISBN 0 580 25355 4

 BS EN ISO 536:1997

Contents

Page
Committees responsible Inside front cover
National foreword ii
Foreword 2
1 Scope 3
2 Normative references 3
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3 Definition 3
4 Principle 3
5 Apparatus 3
6 Sampling 3
7 Conditioning 3
8 Procedure 3
9 Expression of results 4
10 Test report 4
Annex A (normative) Determination of grammage on
“oven-dry” and “as-taken” bases 5
Annex B (informative) Limited area of sample 5
List of references Inside back cover

© BSI 07-1999 i
 BS EN ISO 536:1997

National foreword

This British Standard has been prepared by Technical Committee PAI/11 and is
the English language version of EN ISO 536:1996 Paper and board —
Determination of grammage, published by the European Committee for
Standardization (CEN). It supersedes BS EN ISO 536:1997 which is withdrawn.
EN ISO 536:1996 was produced as a result of international discussions in which
the United Kingdom took an active part.
EN ISO 536:1996 has been approved by CEN member bodies under the weighted
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voting procedures introduced in 1988 to coincide with the introduction of “New

Approach” Directives from the Commission of the European Community.
NOTE It should be noted that the European ratified text made changes to the Normative references
clause of the ISO. For the purposes of this British Standard these changes have not been included, but
the equivalent ENs are listed below.

Cross-references

Publication referred to Corresponding British Standard

ISO 186:1994 BS 3430:1995 Method for sampling to determine the

pr EN ISO 1861) average quality of paper and board
ISO 187:1990 BS EN 20187:1993 Paper, board and pulps. Standard
EN 20187:1993 atmosphere for conditioning and testing and procedure
for monitoring the atmosphere and conditioning of
samples
ISO 287:1985 BS EN 20287:1994 Paper and board. Determination of
EN 20287:1994 moisture content. Open-drying method
A British Standard does not purport to include all the necessary provisions of a
contract. Users of British Standards are responsible for their correct application.

Compliance with a British Standard does not of itself confer immunity

from legal obligations.

Summary of pages
This document comprises a front cover, an inside front cover, pages i and ii,
the EN ISO title page, pages 2 to 6, an inside back cover and a back cover.
This standard has been updated (see copyright date) and may have had
amendments incorporated. This will be indicated in the amendment table on the
inside front cover.

ii © BSI 07-1999
 EUROPEAN STANDARD EN ISO 536
NORME EUROPÉENNE
June 1996
EUROPÄISCHE NORM

ICS 85.060

Descriptors: See ISO document

English version
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Paper and board — Determination of grammage

(ISO 536:1995)

Papier et carton — Détermination du papier und Pappe — bestimmung der

grammage Flächenbezogenen Masse
(ISO 536:1995) (ISO 536:1995)

This European Standard was approved by CEN on 1995-05-25. CEN members

are bound to comply with the CEN/CENELEC Internal Regulations which
stipulate the conditions for giving this European Standard the status of a
national standard without any alteration.
Up-to-date lists and bibliographical references concerning such national
standards may be obtained on application to the Central Secretariat or to any
CEN member.
This European Standard exists in three official versions (English, French,
German). A version in any other language made by translation under the
responsibility of a CEN member into its own language and notified to the
Central Secretariat has the same status as the official versions.
CEN members are the national standards bodies of Austria, Belgium,
Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Ireland, Italy,
Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and
United Kingdom.

CEN
European Committee for Standardization
Comité Européen de Normalisation
Europäisches Komitee für Normung
Central Secretariat: rue de Stassart 36, B-1050 Brussels

© 1996 Copyright reserved to CEN members

Ref. No. EN ISO 536:1996 E
 EN ISO 536:1996

Foreword
The text of the International Standard from
Technical Committee ISO/TC 6, Paper, board and
pulp, of the International Organization for
Standardization (ISO) has been taken over as a
European Standard by the Technical Committee
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CEN/TC 172, Pulp, paper and board, the secretariat

of which is held by DIN.
This European Standard shall be given the status of
a national standard, either by publication of an
identical text or by endorsement, at the latest by
December 1996, and conflicting national standards
shall be withdrawn at the latest by December 1996.
According to CEN/CENELEC Internal Regulations,
the national standards organizations of the
following countries are bound to implement this
European Standard: Austria, Belgium, Denmark,
Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Iceland,
Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway,
Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and
the United Kingdom.

2 © BSI 07-1999

1 Scope
This International Standard specifies a method of
determining the grammage of paper and board.
2 Normative references
The following standards contain provisions which,
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through reference in this text, constitute provisions
of this International Standard. At the time of
publication, the editions indicated were valid. All
standards are subject to revision, and parties to
agreements based on this International Standard
are encouraged to investigate the possibility of
applying the most recent editions of the standards
indicated below. Members of IEC and ISO maintain
registers of currently valid International Standards.
ISO 186:1994, Paper and board — Sampling to
determine average quality.
ISO 187:1990, Paper, board and pulps — Standard
atmosphere for conditioning and testing and
procedure for monitoring the atmosphere and
conditioning of samples.
ISO 287:1985, Paper and board — Determination of
moisture content — Oven-drying method.
3 Definition
For the purposes of this International Standard, the
following definition applies.
3.1
grammage
mass of a unit area of paper or board determined by
a specific method of test
grammage is expressed in grams per square metre
4 Principle
The area of the test pieces and their masses are
determined and the grammage is calculated.
5 Apparatus
5.1 Cutting device, capable of repeatedly cleanly
cutting test pieces of the same nominal size whose
area falls within ± 1,0 % of a known area. This shall
be checked frequently by measurement and,
provided that the above accuracy is attained, the
mean area obtained in these checks shall be used for
calculating grammage.
With certain types of paper and board it will be
found, after carrying out this determination of area,
that test pieces cannot be cut with the accuracy just
defined; in such instances the area of every test
piece shall be determined individually.
© BSI 07-1999
ISO 536:1995(E)
5.2 Balance, sufficiently accurate, over the range of
mass for which it is used, to measure to within 0,5 %
of the actual mass. It shall be sensitive enough to
detect a change of ± 0,2 % in the mass to be weighed
and, if the balance is of the direct-reading type, it
shall be graduated so that readings may be taken to
this degree of accuracy.
Special sheet-weighing balances, designed to weigh
test pieces of a given size and which indicate
grammage directly, may be used provided that the
above conditions are fulfilled and that the area of
each test piece on a single weighing is not less
than 500 cm2 and not more than 1 000 cm2
(see clause 8 and 9.2).
When in use, the balance shall be shielded from air
currents.
6 Sampling
The selection of units and sheets and the taking of
specimens shall be carried out in accordance with
ISO 186. The number of specimens taken (at least
five) shall be sufficient for at least 20 test pieces.
7 Conditioning
For determination of conditioned grammage, the
specimens shall be conditioned in accordance with
ISO 187.
If a determination is made in the “oven-dry” or
“astaken” condition (see Annex A), or if any other
conditioning atmosphere is used, the reported
results shall be qualified by a statement indicating
the condition of the test pieces at the time of
weighing.
8 Procedure
For determination of conditioned grammage,
prepare and weigh the test pieces in the same
atmospheric conditions used to condition the
specimens.
Using the cutting device (5.1), cut at least 20 test
pieces in total from at least five specimens, if
possible taking the same number from each
specimen.
Whenever possible, each test piece shall have an
area of not less than 500 cm2
(preferably 200 mm × 250 mm) and not more
than 1 000 cm2; it may, if necessary, be composed of
several smaller pieces.
Determine the area of each test piece by calculation
from measurements taken to the nearest 0,5 mm.
Weigh each test piece on the balance (5.2) and
express its mass to three significant figures.
NOTE 1 It is recommended, especially when dealing with small
pieces, that contact of the test piece with bare hands be avoided.
3
 ISO 536:1995(E)

9 Expression of results 9.3 Calculate the mean of the results and the
standard deviation and express them to three
9.1 If the procedure in clause 8 is followed, calculate
significant figures.
the grammage g, expressed in grams per square
metre, of each test piece, using the equation 10 Test report
m
g = ----- × 10 000 The test report shall include the following
A
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information:
where a) reference to this International Standard;
m is the mass, in grams, of the test piece; b) date and place of testing;
A is the area, in square centimetres, of the c) conditioning atmosphere used;
test piece.
d) all information necessary for identification of
Alternatively, the grammage may be calculated the sample;
using the equation e) area of test piece used;
m f) number of replicate tests;
g = ----- × 10 000
A g) mean and standard deviation of the results;
where h) if specimens have been taken from more than
m is the average mass, in grams, of the test one position across a reel or sheet and
pieces; information on grammage variation is required,
is the average area, in square centimetres, the details listed in c), d), e) and f) shall be
A reported for each position separately;
of the test pieces.
i) any departure from the procedure specified in
9.2 If a special sheet-weighing balance as described this International Standard and any
in 5.2 is used, calculate the grammage g, expressed circumstances that may have influenced the
in grams per square metre, using the equation results.
A1
g = --------
- × g1
A
where
g1 is the indicated grammage, in grams per
square metre, of the test piece;
A1 is the area, in square centimetres, of the
test piece for which the balance is
calibrated;
A is the area, in square centimetres, of the
weighed test piece.

4 © BSI 07-1999
 ISO 536:1995(E)

Annex A (normative) Annex B (informative)

Determination of grammage on
“oven-dry” and “as-taken” bases
A.1 Determination of grammage on an
“oven-dry” basis
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Limited area of sample
In cases where there is only a limited area of sample
available and it is not possible to make up a test
piece comprising several smaller pieces as specified
in clause 8, a test area of not less than 100 cm2 may

Determine the area of each test piece after

conditioning in accordance with clause 7. Dry the be used.
test pieces in accordance with ISO 287 and In other respects the procedure given in clause 8
determine their mass. Calculate the grammage should be followed.
according to 9.1.
A.2 Determination of grammage “as-taken”
This is based on the material in the condition
pertaining at the time of sampling. Select specimens
and cut and weigh test pieces from them as quickly
as the need for accuracy will allow. When taking
specimens from a roll, cut them out from such a
depth that their moisture content has remained
unaffected by the ambient atmosphere.

© BSI 07-1999 5
 Licensed Copy: :FULLNAME, : DATE, Uncontrolled Copy, (c) BSI

6
blank
 BS EN ISO 536:1997

List of references

See national foreword.

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© BSI 07-1999
 BS EN ISO
536:1997
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