CEN/TC 366

Date: 2026-02-12

prEN 14243‑1:2026

Secretariat: UNI

Materials obtained from end of life tyres — Part 1: General definitions related to the methods for determining their dimension(s) and impurities

Einführendes Element — Haupt-Element — Ergänzendes Element

Élément introductif — Élément central — Élément complémentaire

ICS:

Contents Page

European foreword 3

Introduction 4

1 Scope 5

2 Normative references 5

3 Terms and definitions 5

3.1 Sampling and sample preparation 5

3.2 Materials derived from ELTs 7

3.3 Sieving 9

4 Categories of products obtained from end-of-life tyres based mainly on their dimensions 9

4.1 Categories 9

4.2 Testing programme 10

Bibliography 11

European foreword

This document (prEN 14243‑1:2026) has been prepared by Technical Committee CEN/TC 366 “Materials obtained from End-of-Life Tyres (ELT)”, the secretariat of which is held by UNI.

This document is currently submitted to the CEN Enquiry.

This document will supersede EN 14243‑1:2019.

prEN 142431‑1:2026 includes the following significant technical changes with respect to EN 14243‑1:2019:

— Clause 3 has been updated.

EN 14243, Materials obtained from End-of-Life Tyres (ELT), consists of the following parts:

— Part 1: General definitions related to the methods for determining their dimension(s) and impurities

— Part 2: Granulates and powders – Methods for determining the particole size distribution and impurities, including free steel and free textile content

— Part 3: Shreds cuts and chips – Methods for determining their dimension(s) including protruding filaments dimensions

Introduction

This document is used in conjunction with the other parts of EN 14243 series. Figure 1 shows how these series of standards cover the testing programs, conducted both in the field and in the laboratory, needed to characterize each product category.

Figure 1 — Typical scheme for a testing programme concerning several characteristics with testing steps in the field and in the laboratory

End-of-life tyres consist mainly of passenger and commercial vehicle tyres, truck, earthmover and agricultural tyres manufactured for distribution in the European market that are no longer suitable for their original purpose. Products from end-of-life tyres are used as a secondary raw material finding a wide range of applications. The principal categories of materials from end-of-life tyres are defined on the basis of their dimension(s) according to this document.

This document provides general definitions for sample collection and preparation of a representative sample based on a sampling plan for the purpose of determining dimensions and impurities.

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.

EN 14243‑2:2019, Materials obtained from End-of-life tyres — Part 2: Granulates and powders — Methods for determining the particle size distribution and impurities, including free steel and free textile content

EN 14243‑3:2019, Materials obtained from End-of-life tyres — Part 3: Shreds, cuts and chips — Methods for determining their dimension(s) including protruding filaments dimensions

For the purposes of this document, the terms and definitions given in [www.goldbook.iupac.org] referenced as IUPAC definition, and the following apply.

ISO and IEC maintain terminology databases for use in standardization at the following addresses:

• IEC Electropedia: available at https://www.electropedia.org/

• ISO Online browsing platform: available at https://www.iso.org/obp

3.1.1

sample

portion of material selected from a larger quantity of material

[SOURCE: IUPAC definition]

3.1.2

sub-sample

portion of a sample

3.1.3

increment

sub-portion of material extracted in a single operation by the sampling device

[SOURCE: ISO 13909‑1:2016, 3.15, modified]

3.1.4

characteristic

property which helps to identify or differentiate items of a given population

Note 1 to entry: The characteristic may be either quantitative (by variables) or qualitative (by attributes).

3.1.5

lot

defined quantity of material for which a characteristic is to be determined

Note 1 to entry: In sampling standards the lot is also designated as the “scale”.

Note 2 to entry: The lot (or the scale) is a stated weight or volume of material that is considered appropriate for assessing a given characteristic of the material. When several characteristics are determined, the corresponding lots may not be identical.

Note 3 to entry: Variations occurring in the material on a smaller scale than the defined lot are not taken into account and are deemed not to be of relevance.

3.1.6

combined sample

sample consisting of all the increments taken from a lot

Note 1 to entry: A combined sample is a quantity of material, representative of the lot for which the characteristic is to be determined.

3.1.7

field sample

sample taken in the place of production and from which laboratory samples are created

3.1.8

laboratory sample

sample or sub-sample sent to or received by the laboratory

[SOURCE: IUPAC definition]

Note 1 to entry: The laboratory sample is the final sample from the point of view of sample collection but it is the initial sample from the point of view of the laboratory testing and analysis.

Note 2 to entry: Several laboratory samples can be prepared and sent to different laboratories or they can be sent to the same laboratory for different purposes. In the latter case, they are generally considered a single laboratory sample and documented as such.

3.1.9

test sample

sample prepared from the laboratory sample, by subdivision, mixing, or crushing, or by a combination of these processes from which the test portions are removed for testing or for analysis

[SOURCE: IUPAC definition]

3.1.10

test portion

quantity or volume removed from the test sample for analysis purposes

[SOURCE: IUPAC definition]

3.1.11

population

totality of items, or total volume of material, to be investigated by sampling

Note 1 to entry: The population will generally be a convenient, well-defined subset of the overall population (e.g. a year's production of material) that is believed to be typical of that wider population.

3.1.12

representative sample

sample resulting from a sampling plan that can be expected to adequately reflect the properties of interest of the parent population

[SOURCE: IUPAC definition]

Note 1 to entry: This sample is expected to reflect adequately the properties of interest in the parent population.

3.1.13

probabilistic sampling

sampling conducted according to the statistical principles of sampling

3.1.14

judgement based sampling

sampling undertaken from a practically convenient (perhaps relatively small) sub-population, not conducted fully in accordance with the statistical principles of sampling

3.1.15

sample division

reduction of the mass of a sample or sub-sample

3.2.1

end-of-life tyre (ELT)

tyre no longer suitable for its original purpose

3.2.2

cut

result of mechanical processes by which end-of-life tyres are fragmented, ripped or torn into irregularly formed pieces typically larger than 300 mm in size

3.2.3

shred

result of mechanical processes by which end-of-life tyres are fragmented, ripped or torn into irregular pieces of typically 20 mm to 400 mm in any dimension

3.2.4

format

range of shreds size based on the distribution of the maximum projected length of shreds produced from end-of-life tyres

3.2.5

chip

result of mechanical processes by which end-of-life tyres are fragmented, ripped or torn into irregularly shaped pieces of typically 10 mm to 50 mm in size

3.2.6

granulate

ELT derived rubber particles typically between 0,8 mm and 20 mm obtained from a granulation process

3.2.7

powder

ELT derived rubber particles typically less than 0,8 mm obtained from a granulation process

3.2.8

impurity

substance that is not part of the polymeric matrix in granulates and powders, such as steel, textile and remaining other substances

3.2.9

steel wires

result of processing end-of-life tyres that can be separated from textile and rubber fractions

3.2.10

textile fibres

result of processing end-of-life tyres that can be separated from steel and rubber fractions

3.2.11

bound textile

textile which is incorporated or partially protruding from the rubber matrix

3.2.12

filament

steel wire or textile fibre protruding from pieces of shreds, cuts and chips

3.2.13

residual rubber

rubber part remaining attached to steel wires or textile fibre after the process of separation

3.2.14

free steel

fraction of the steel not embedded in granulates or powders which can be separated with a magnetic process

Note 1 to entry: This fraction can still contain some protruding steel wires.

3.2.15

protruding steel wire

fraction of steel wire extending from granulates

3.2.16

free textile

fraction of the textile content in granulates or powders which can be separated as small balls during sieving

3.2.17

granulation process

successive shredding, crushing, fragmentation, sorting and sieving of ELTs in order to separate the textile and metal reinforcements from the rubber matrix

3.2.18

big-bag

industrial container made of flexible fabric (such as woven polyethylene or polypropylene) that is designed for storing and transporting dry, flowable products

3.3.1

nominal dimension

dimension, specified by a producer, through which the particle size distribution of a material is characterized

Note 1 to entry: It consists in an upper nominal dimension and a lower nominal dimension.

Note 2 to entry: At least 90 % of the material pass through a sieve having aperture equal to the upper nominal dimension.

Note 3 to entry: Less than 10 % of the material pass through a sieve having aperture equal to the lower nominal dimension.

3.3.2

upper defined limit

limit such that more than 90 % by mass of the material has a size smaller than this value

3.3.3

lower defined limit

limit such that less than 10 % by mass of the material has a size smaller than this value

3.3.4

oversize

portion of a test sample retained on a given sieve

3.3.5

undersize

portion of the test sample which has passed through the apertures of a given sieve

The materials produced at different stages of the treatment processes primarily by size reduction of end-of-life tyres may be distinguished mainly according to their dimension(s):

— cuts: typically 300 mm and above;

— shreds: typically 20 mm – 400 mm;

— chips: typically 10 mm – 50 mm;

— granulates: typically 0,8 mm – 20 mm;

— powders: typically under 0,8 mm;

The actual range of dimensions (including lower and higher dimensions and associated percentage) is to be determined in the contract between producer and customer, according to the measurement method specified in EN 14243 series as follows:

— the dimensions of granulates and powders, as well as the impurities content, i.e. free steel, free textile and other impurities, shall be measured according to the test methods specified in EN 14243‑2:2019. Determination of impurities according to the test methods specified in Annexes A, B, C shall be performed if required by agreement between the producer and the customer or at the producer's own will.

— the dimensions of cuts, shreds and chips shall be measured according to the test methods specified in EN 14243‑3:2019. Determination of additional dimension according to the test methods specified in Annex A shall be performed if required by agreement between the producer and the customer or based on production management decisions.

NOTE The term dimension(s) is used since several materials cannot be considered as a collection of spherical particles characterized by a diameter but are rather characterized by several dimensions.

When performing a testing programme for determining product dimensions, all the different measurement/testing steps shall be considered and specified by means of standards dealing each with one or several of those steps, thus securing the needed coherence-coordination between these different testing steps. The different steps are:

a) sampling plan;

b) taking field sample(s) to obtain laboratory sample(s);

c) storage, transport of the sample(s);

d) preparation of test portion(s) from the laboratory sample(s);

e) pre-treatment, e.g. drying (if needed);

f) quantification, analysis, calculations;

g) complete test report.

When undertaking some or all of these steps, a testing laboratory shall operate with appropriate equipment and competent personnel to fulfil the applicable requirements specified in this document. This includes calibration of equipment, e.g. of scales.

Bibliography

[1] ISO 3082:2017, Iron ores — Sampling and sample preparation procedures

[2] ISO 3534‑1:2006, Statistics — Vocabulary and symbols — Part 1: General statistical terms and terms used in probability

[3] ISO 13909 (all parts), Hard coal and coke — Mechanical sampling

[4] AFNOR NF X11‑696:1989, Particle size analysis through image analysis

[5] AFNOR XP T47‑751:2006, End-of-life tyres (ELT) — Determination of the format of products from primary shredding — Manual method based on the measurement of the largest projected length

[6] AFNOR XP T47‑753:2007, End-of-life tyres (ELT) — Determination of the format of products from primary shredding — Method based on the automated measurement of the largest projected length

[7] AFNOR XP T47‑754:2007, End-of-life tyres (ELT) — Determination of the ferrous wire content in the granulates stemming from ELT tyres — Method based on the magnetic sorting of products

[8] AFNOR XP T47‑755:2008, End-of-life tyres (ELT) — Sampling of granulates from grinding process of ELT — Method based on taking a relevant sample from a big-bag from successive different level

[9] AFNOR XP T47‑756:2008, End-of-life tyres (ELT) — Sampling of primary shredding products — Conveyor scenario

[10] AFNOR XP T47‑757:2008, End-of-life tyres (ELT) — Determination of the format of products from primary shredding — Method of evaluation of filaments

[11] Compendium of Chemical Terminology – Gold book, IUPAC (International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry) - Second edition (1997-1999)