DRAFT UGANDA STANDARD DRAFT UGANDA STANDARD  
  DUS EAS 854 
First  Edition  
2015-mm-dd 
 
 Reference number  
DUS EAS 854: 2015 
© UNBS 201 5 
  
Thinner for nitrocellulose resin-based paints and lacquers — 
Specification  
 DRAFT UGANDA STANDARDDUS EAS 854: 2015 
ii                © UNBS 2015 - All rights reserved 
 Compliance with this standard does not, of itself confer immunity from legal obligations  
A Uganda Standard does not purport to include all necessary provisions of a contract. Users are 
responsible for its correct application  
© UNBS 2015 
All rights reserved. Unless otherwise specified, no part of this publication may be reproduced or utilised in any 
form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying and microfilm, without prior written 
permission from UNBS. 
Requests for permission to reproduce this document should be addressed to 
The Executive Director 
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Uganda 
Tel: 256 41 505 995 
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E-mail: unbs@infocom.co.ug  
Web: www.unbs.go.ug  
 DRAFT UGANDA STANDARDDUS EAS 854: 2015 
© UNBS  2015 - All rights reserved                iii National foreword 
Uganda National Bureau of Standards (UNBS) is a parastatal under the Ministry of Trade, Industry and 
Cooperatives established under Cap 327, of the Laws of Uganda, as amended.  UNBS is mandated to co-
ordinate the elaboration of standards and is  
(a) a member of International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO) and  
(b) a contact point for the WHO/FAO Codex Alimentarius Commission on Food Standards, and  
(c) the National Enquiry Point on TBT Agreement of the World Trade Organisation (WTO). 
The work of preparing Uganda Standards is carried out through Technical Committees. A Technical 
Committee is established to deliberate on standards in a given field or area and consists of representatives of 
consumers, traders, academicians, manufacturers, government and other stakeholders. 
Draft Uganda Standards adopted by the Technical Committee are widely circulated to stakeholders and the 
general public for comments. The committee reviews the comments before recommending the draft standards 
for approval and declaration as Uganda Standards by the National Standards Council.  
This Draft Uganda Standard, DUS EAS 854:2015 , Thinner for nitrocellulose resin-based paints and 
lacquers -- Specification , is identical with and has been reproduced from an East African Standard, EAS 854:
2015, Thinner for nitrocellulose resin-based paints and lacquers -- Specification , and is being proposed for  
adoption as a Uganda Standard.  
Wherever the words, “ East African Standard" appear, they should be replaced by "Uganda Standard." 
 
  DRAFT UGANDA STANDARD FDEAS 854: 2015 
ICS 87.040  
© EAC 2015                                                                                                                              First Edition 2015 
 
FINAL DRAFT EAST AFRICAN STANDARD 
 
Thinner for nitrocellulose resin-based paints and lacquers — 
Specification  
EAST AFRICAN COMMUNITY  DRAFT UGANDA STANDARDFDEAS 854: 2015  
ii © EAC  2015  – All rights reserved  
 Copyright notice 
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participants in the EAC standards development process is permitted without prior permission from EAC, 
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© East African Community 2015  — All rights reserved 
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Reproduction for sales purposes may be subject to royalty payments or a licensing agreement. 
Violators may be persecuted 
 DRAFT UGANDA STANDARDFDEA S 854: 2015 
© EAC 2015  – All rights reserved  iii 
 Foreword 
Development of the East African Standards has been necessitated by the need for harmonizing requirements 
governing quality of products and services in the East African Community. It is envisaged that through 
harmonized standardization, trade barriers that are encountered when goods and services are exchanged 
within the Community will be removed.  
In order to achieve this objective, the Community established an East African Standards Committee mandated 
to develop and issue East African Standards.   
The Committee is composed of representatives of the National Standards Bodies in Partner States, together 
with the representatives from the private sectors and consumer organizations. Draft East African Standards 
are circulated to stakeholders through the National Standards Bodies in the Partner States. The comments 
received are discussed and incorporated before finalization of standards, in accordance with the procedures 
of the Community. 
East African Standards are subject to review, to keep pace with technological advances. Users of the East 
African Standards are therefore expected to ensure that they always have the latest versions of the standards 
they are implementing .  
FDEAS 854 was prepared by Technical Committee EASC/TC 070, Paints, vanishes and related products . 
 DRAFT UGANDA STANDARDDRAFT UGANDA STANDARDFINAL DRAFT EAST AFRICAN STANDARD  FDEAS 854: 2015  
 
© EAC 2015  – All rights reserved  1 
 Thinner for nitrocellulose resin-based paints and lacquers — 
Specification  
1 Scope 
This Final Draft East African Standard specifies requirements, sampling and test methods for  thinners for nitro-
cellulose resin- based paints and lacquers.  
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. 
ASTM D 86 , Standard test method for distillation of petroleum products at atmospheric pressure   
ASTM D 1613, Standard test method for acidity in volatile solvents and chemical intermediates used in paints, 
varnish, lacquer and related products  
ASTM D  5580 -13, Standard test method for determ ination of Benzene, Toluene, Ethylbenzene,  p/m-
Xylene,  o-Xylene, C9  and heavier aromatics, and total aromatics in finished gasoline by gas chromatography  
ASTM D  5769- 10, Standard test method for determination of Benz ene, Toluene, and total aromatics in 
finished gasolines by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry  
ISO 1523, Determination of flash point — Closed cup equilibrium method  
ISO 2811 (all parts), Paints and varnishes — Determination of density  
ISO 2813, Paints an d varnishes — Determination of gloss value at 20 degrees, 60 degrees and 85 degrees  
ISO 2884-2, Paints and varnishes — Determination of viscosity using rotary viscometers — Part 2: Disk or ball 
viscometer operated at a specified speed  
ISO 3248, Paints and varnishes — Determination of the effect of heat  
ISO 3251, Paints varnishes and  plastics — Determination of non - volatile matter content  
ISO 3668, Paints and varnishes — Visual comparison of the colour of paints  
ISO 6504-3, Paints and varnishes — Determina tion of hiding power — Part 3 : Determination of contrast ratio of 
light coloured paints at a fixed spreading rate  
ISO 9117- 3, Paints and varnishes — Drying test — Part 3: Surface drying test using Ballotini 
ISO 15528,  Paints, varnishes and raw materials for paints and varnishes — Sampling  
ISO 16000-28, Indoor air — P art 28, Determination of odour emissions from building products using test 
chambers  DRAFT UGANDA STANDARDFDEAS 854: 2015  
2 © EAC  2015  – All rights reserved  
 ISO 17132,  Paints and varnishes – T-bend test 
ISO 21207, Corrosion test in artificial atmospheres — Accelerated corrosion test involving alternate exposure 
to corrosion promoting gases, neutral salt spray and drying 
3 Requirements 
3.1 General requirements 
3.1.1  Composition 
The thinner shall consist of organic liquids only and shall be clear and free from sediment and suspended 
matter. 
3.1.2  Compatibility 
3.1.2.1  When paint or lacquer based on nitro-cellulose is thinned in the ratio of one part of nitro-cellulose 
paint or lacquer with five parts by volume of thinner, the mixed material shall be smooth and uniform.   
3.1.2.2  It shall not show the tendency of breakdown, coagulation or precipitation of the paint. 
3.2 Specific requirements  
3.2.1  Toxicity 
When tested in accordance with ASTM D 5580 and ASTM D 5769, nitrocellulose thinner shall be free from 
toxic solvents like benzene and chlorinated hydrocarbons. 
3.2.2  Colour 
When tested in accordance with ISO 3668, the colour of the  nitrocellulose thinner shall not be darker than a 
freshly prepared solution of 0.003 g K 2Cr2O7 in 1 L of water. 
3.2.3  Odour   
When tested in accordance with ISO 16000-28, the thinner shall not emit appreciable residual odour after 
drying on Whatman filter paper No. 42 after 1 h. 
3.2.4  Spot test 
When one to three drops of the thinner are applied on a Whatman filter paper No. 42, the thinner shall hav e 
completely evaporated, without leaving a stain, when visually examined after 1 h.  
3.2.5  Additional specific requirements 
The nitrocellulose thinner shall comply with the requirements given in Table 1 when tested in accordance with 
the test methods there in. DRAFT UGANDA STANDARDFDEA S 854: 2015 
© EAC 2015  – All rights reserved  3 
 Table 1 — Specific requirements for thinners for nitrocellulose resin-based auto-refinishing paints 
 
S No.  Parameter  Requirement  Test method  
(i)  Relative density at 20 ºC, min.  0.780  ISO 2811  
(ii)  Acidity (%), max.  0.005  ASTM D 1613  
(iii)  Distillation, ºC: 
 Initial boiling point, min.  
 Dry point, max.   
120 
170 ASTM D 8 6 
(iv)  Residue on evaporation mg/100 
mL, max.  5 ASTM D 86  
(v)  Total h ydrocarbon content, % 
max.  65 
ASTM D  5580 -
13 
(vi)  Alcohols, e sters, ketones, etc, %, 
max.  35 
(vii)  Flash point, °C, min.  24 ISO 1523  
 
4 Storage stability 
The thinner when stored in the orig inal sealed container under room temperature shall meet all the 
requirements for a period of o ne year from the date of manufactu re. 
5 Weights and measures  
The fill and volume of the paint shall comply with Weights and Measures regulations of the respective Partner 
State s. 
6 Packaging, labelling and marking 
6.1 Packaging 
The thinner shall be packaged in a suitable container that prevents it from deterioration during storage, 
transportation and normal handling 
6.2 Labelling and marking 
6.2.1 The labelling shall be either in English, Kiswahili or French or in combination as agreed between the 
manufacturer and the supplier. Any other language shall be optional. 
6.2.2 The thinners shall be packaged in containers that are legibly and indelibly marked with the following 
information: 
a) the name of the product shall appear as “ Nitrocellulose thinner for auto-finishing paint ”; 
b) manufacturer ’s name and/or registered trade mark; 
c) indication of colour/colour code; DRAFT UGANDA STANDARDFDEAS 854: 2015  
4 © EAC  2015  – All rights reserved  
 d) date of manufacture; 
e) net content; 
f) batch/code number; 
g) cautionary statement/symbols with the words : “Inflammable liquid” ; 
h) country of origin; 
i) expiry date or best before date; and  
j) instructions for use, storage and disposal.  
7 Sampling 
Sampling shall be done in accordance with ISO 15528. 
8 Quality of reagents 
Analytical grade reagents and distilled water or deionized water of equivalent purity shall be used for the 
appropriate tests. DRAFT UGANDA STANDARDFDEA S 854: 2015 
© EAC 2015  – All rights reserved  5 
 Bibliography 
KS 1718:2003, Thinner for nitrocellulose resin-based paints and lacquers — Specification 
 DRAFT UGANDA STANDARDDRAFT UGANDA STANDARDFDEAS 854: 2015    
 
© EAC 2015 – All rights reserved