1969L0493 — EN — 01.01.1986 — 001.001 — 1
This document is meant purely as a documentation tool and the institutions do not assume any liability for its contents
►B COUNCIL DIRECTIVE
of 15December 1969
on the approximation of the laws of the Member States relating to crystal glass
(69/493/EEC)
(OJ L 326, 29.12.1969, p. 36)
Amended by:
Official Journal
No page date
►A1Act of Accession of Denmark, Ireland and the United Kingdom of Great
Britain and Northern Ireland L 73 14 27.3.1972
(adapted by Council Decision of 1 January 1973) L 2 1 1.1.1973
►A2Act of Accession of Greece L 291 17 19.11.1979
►A3Act of Accession of Spain and Portugal L 302 23 15.11.1985
Corrected by:
►C1Consolidated text of corrigenda to instruments published in Special
Editions 1952-72
1969L0493 — EN — 01.01.1986 — 001.001 — 2
▼B
COUNCIL DIRECTIVE
of 15December 1969
on the approximation of the laws of the Member States relating to
crystal glass
(69/493/EEC)
THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES,
Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Economic
Community, and in particular Article 100 thereof;
Having regard to the proposal from the Commission;Having regard to the Opinion of the European Parliament(
1);
Having regard to the Opinion of the Economic and Social Committee;Whereas, with regard to the use of a special description for crystal glass
products and the consequent obligation concerning the composition ofsuch products, there are differences between the rules of certainMember States; whereas those differences hinder trade in such productsand can lead to distortions in competition within the Community;
Whereas those obstacles to the establishment and proper functioning of
the common market can be eliminated by adoption of the same require-ments by all the Member States;
Whereas, with regard to the descriptions laid down for the various
categories of crystal glass and to the characteristics of those categories,the purpose of the Community provisions to be adopted is to protectboth the buyer against fraud and the manufacturer who complies withthose provisions;
Whereas implementation of a system of Community rules requires the
establishment of standard methods for determining the chemical andphysical properties of crystal glass products bearing descriptions laiddown in this Directive;
HAS ADOPTED THIS DIRECTIVE:
Article 1
This Directive shall apply to the products falling within heading No
70.13 of the Common Customs Tariff.
Article 2
Member States shall take all necessary steps to ensure that the composi-
tion, characteristics of manufacture and labelling of the productsreferred to in Article 1, and all forms of publicity for such products,conform to the definitions and rules laid down in this Directive and inthe Annexes thereto.
Article 3
Member States shall take all necessary steps to prevent the descriptions
in column (b) of Annex I from being used commercially for productswhich do not have the corresponding characteristics specified incolumns (d) to (g) of Annex I.
Article 4
1. If a product covered by this Directive bears one of the descriptions
listed in column (b) of Annex I, it may also bear the corresponding
(1) OJ No C 108, 19.10.1968, p. 35.
1969L0493 — EN — 01.01.1986 — 001.001 — 3
▼B
identifying symbol shown and described in columns (h) and (i) of thatAnnex.
2. Where a trade mark, the name of an undertaking or any other
inscription contains, as a main part, as an adjective or as a root, adescription appearing in columns (b) and (c) of Annex I or a descriptionliable to be confused therewith, Member States shall take all necessarysteps to ensure that that trade mark, name or inscription is immediatelypreceded by the following, in very prominent lettering:
(a) the description of the product, where that product has characteristics
specified in columns (d) to (g) of Annex I;
(b) a statement of the exact nature of the product, where that product
does not have characteristics specified in columns (d) to (g) ofAnnex I.
Article 5
The description and identifying symbols given in Annex I may appear
on one and the same label.
Article 6
The methods laid down in Annex II, and only those methods, shall be
used to verify that products bearing descriptions and identifyingsymbols have the characteristics corresponding thereto as specified incolumns (d) to (g) of Annex I.
Article 7
Products intended for export from the Community shall not be subject
to the provisions of this Directive.
Article 8
Member States shall put into force the measures needed in order to
comply with this Directive within eighteen months of its notificationand shall forthwith inform the Commission thereof. As soon as thisDirective has been notified, Member States shall also ensure that theyinform the Commission in time for it to submit its observations, of anysubsequent drafts of main laws, regulations or administrative provisionswhich they propose to adopt in the field covered by this Directive.
Article 9
This Directive is addressed to the Member States.
1969L0493 — EN — 01.01.1986 — 001.001 — 4No Description of category Characteristics Labelling
Explanatory notes Metal oxides (%) Density Refractive indexSurface
hardnessShape of
symbolRemarks
—a— —b— —c— —d— —e— —f— —g— —h— —i—▼BANNEX I
List of crystal categories
CRISTAL SUPERIEUR 30%
CRISTALLO SUPERIORE 30%
HOCHBLEIKRISTALL 30%
VOLLOODKRISTAL 30%
►A1FULL LEAD CRYSTAL 30 %
1KRYSTAL 30 % PbO≥30% ≥3·00 x
◄
►A2κρύσταλλαυψηλήςπεριεκτι -
κότητοςσεµόλυβδο ◄►A230 %◄
►A3CRISTAL SUPERIOR 30 %
CRISTAL DE CHUMBO SUPERIOR 30 %◄Description may be freely used,
whatever the country of origin or
CRISTAL AU PLOMB 24% the country of destination Round label.
CRISTALLO AL PIOMBO 24%Colour: gold
BLEIKRISTALL 24% The percentage figure refers to∅≥1c m
LOODKRISTAL 24% the lead oxide content
►A1LEAD CRYSTAL 24 %
KRYSTAL 24 %2◄PbO≥24% ≥2·90 x
►A2µολυβδούχακρύσταλλα ◄ ►A225 %◄
►A3ΜΟΛΥΒ∆ΟΥΧΑΚΡΥΣ -
ΤΑΛΛΑ ◄►A324 %◄
►A3CRISTAL AL PLOMO ◄ ►A324 %◄
►A3CRISTAL DE CHUMBO ◄ ►A324 %◄
1969L0493 —EN — 01.01.1986 — 001.001 — 5No Description of category Characteristics Labelling
Explanatory notes Metal oxides (%) Density Refractive indexSurface
hardnessShape of
symbolRemarks
—a— —b— —c— —d— —e— —f— —g— —h— —i—▼B
CRISTALLIN
VETRO SONORO SUPERIORE
KRISTALLGLAS
KRISTALL ĲNGLAS(2)
SONOORGLAS(3)
►A1CRYSTAL GLASS, CRYSTALLINZnO BaO PbO
K2O singly or ≥2·45nD≥1·520 Square label.3
KRYSTALLIN Only the description in the together ≥10% Colour: silver
◄ language or languages of the Side:≥1c m
►A2υαλοκρύσταλλα ◄country in which the goods are
►A3VIDRIO SONORO SUPERIORmarketed may be used
VIDRO SONORO SUPERIOR ◄Exception:
VERRE SONORE On the German market pressed
VETRO SONOROglass containing 18% PbO and
KRISTALLGLAShaving a density of at least 2 ·70
may be sold under the descrip-
SONOORGLAS tion ‘PRESSBLEIKRISTALL'or
►A1CRYSTAL GLASS, CRYSTALLIN ‘BLEIKRISTALL GEPRESST' BaO PbO K2OLabel in the
shape of an4KRYSTALLIN(in capital letters) single or together ≥2·40 Vickersequilateral
◄≥10% — 550
±2 0triangle.
►A2υαλοκρύσταλλα ◄Colour: silver
►A3VIDRIO SONOROSide:≥1c m
VIDRO SONORO ◄
xn D≥1·545 as a criterion for an additional non-destructive determination of the products (at the time of import).
(2) In Belgium.
(3) In the Netherlands.
1969L0493 — EN — 01.01.1986 — 001.001 — 6
▼BANNEX II
METHODS FOR DETERMINING THE CHEMICAL AND PHYSICAL
PROPERTIES OF CATEGORIES OF CRYSTAL GLASS
1. CHEMICAL ANALYSES1.1.BaO and PbO
1.1.1.Determination of the combination BaO + PbO
Weigh, to within 0 ·0001 grammes, approximately 0 ·5 grammes of
powdered glass and place in a platinum dish. Moisten with water and add10 millilitres of a 15% solution of sulphuric acid and 10 millilitreshydrofluoric acid. Heat in sand bath until white fumes are given off.Allow to cool and treat again with 10 millilitres hydrofluoric acid. Heatuntil reappearance of white fumes. Allow to cool and rinse the sides of thedish with water. Heat until reappearance of white fumes. Allow to cool,carefully add 10 millilitres of water, then transfer to a 400 millilitresbeaker. Rinse the dish several times with a 10% sulphuric acid solutionand dilute to 100 millilitres with same solution. Boil for 2-3 minutes.Leave to stand overnight.
Pass through a filtering crucible of 4 porosity, wash first of all with a 10%
solution of sulphuric acid, then two or three times with ethyl alcohol. Dryfor one hour in an oven at 150 °C. Weigh BaSO4 + PbSO4.
1.1.2.Determination of BaO
Weigh, to within 0 ·0001 grammes, about 0 ·5 grammes of powdered glass
and place in a platinum dish. Moisten with water and add 10 millilitres ofhydrofluoric acid and 5 millilitres perchloric acid. Heat in sand bath untilwhite fumes are given off.
Allow to cool and add a further 10 millilitres hydrofluoric acid. Heat until
reappearance of white fumes. Allow to cool and rinse the sides of the dishwith distilled water. Heat again and evaporate until almost dry. Start againwith 50 millilitres of a 10% solution of hydrochloric acid and heat gentlyto aid dissolution. Transfer to a 400 millilitres beaker and dilute to 200millilitres with water. Bring to boil and pass a current of hydrogensulphide through the hot solution. When the precipitate of lead sulphidedrops to the bottom of the beaker, turn off the hydrogen sulphide. Passthrough a fine filter paper and wash with cold water saturated withhydrogen sulphide.
Boil the filtrates and then, if necessary, reduce them by evaporation to 300
millilitres. Add to boiling mixture 10 millilitres of a 10% solution ofsulphuric acid. Remove from heat and leave to stand for at least fourhours.
Pass through a fine filter paper, wash with cold water. Calcine the precipi-
tate to 1050 °C, and weigh the BaSO4.
1.2.Determination of ZnO
Evaporate the filtrates from the separation of BaSO4 so as to reduce their
volume to 200 millilitres. Neutralise with ammonia in the presence ofmethyl red and add 20 millilitres of N/10 sulphuric acid. Adjust the pH to2 (pH meter) by adding N/10 sulphuric acid or N/10 caustic soda which-ever the case, and precipitate the zinc sulphide in the cold by passing acurrent of hydrogen sulphide. Let the precipitate settle for four hours, thencollect on a fine filter paper. Wash with cold water saturated withhydrogen sulphide. Dissolve the precipitate on the filter by pouringthrough it 25 millilitres of a hot 10% solution of hydrochloric acid. Washthe filter with boiling water until a volume of about 150 millilitres isobtained. Neutralise with ammonia in the presence of litmus paper, thenadd 1-2 grammes solid urotropine to buffer the solution to about pH 5.Add a few drops of a 0 ·5% freshly prepared aqueous solution of xylenol
orange and titrate with an N/10 solution of Complexon III until the pinkchanges to citron yellow.
1969L0493 — EN — 01.01.1986 — 001.001 — 7
▼B
1.3.Determination of K2O
by precipitation and weighing of potassium tetraphenylborate.
Procedure: 2 grammes of glass are attacked, after crushing and
sieving, by
2 millilitres concentrated HNO3►
C115 millilitres NClO4 ◄
25 millilitres HF
in a platinum dish on a water-bath then in a sand bath. After dense fumes
of perchloric acid have been given off (continue until dry), dissolve with20 millilitres of hot water and 2-3 millilitres concentrated HCl.
Transfer to a 200 millilitres graduated flask and adjust to volume with
distilled water.Reagents: 6% solution of sodium tetraphenylborate: dissolve 1 ·5 grammes
of the reagent in 250 millilitres distilled water. Remove the light cloudi-ness which remains by adding 1 gramme of hydrated aluminia. Shake forfive minutes and filter, taking care to re-filter the first 20 millilitresobtained.
Washing solution for the precipitate: prepare a little of the potassium salt
by precipitation in a solution of about 0 ·1 grammes KCl to 50 millilitres
N/10 HCl into which the solution of tetraphenylborate is poured whilestirring, until precipitation ceases. Filter through a sinter. Wash withdistilled water. Dry in a desiccator at room temperature. Then pour 20-30milligrammes of that salt into 250 millilitres of distilled water. Stir fromtime to time. After thirty minutes, add 0 ·5-1 gramme of hydrated alumina.
Stir for a few minutes. Filter.
Method of operation: Take an aliquot of the acid digest corresponding to
about 10 milligrammes of K2O. Dilute to about 100 millilitres. Slowlyadd the reagent solution, about 10 millilitres per assumed 5 milligrammesof K2O, while gently stirring. Allow to stand for a maximum of fifteenminutes then filter through a tared sintered crucible of porosity 3 or 4.Wash with washing solution. Dry for thirty minutes at 120 °C. Conver-
sion factor 0 ·13143 for K2O.
1.4.Tolerances
±0·1 in absolute value for each determination. If the analysis gives a
lower value, within the tolerances, than the limits fixed (30, 24 or 10%),the average of at least three analyses must be taken. If that average isgreater than or equal to 29 ·95, 23·95 or 9·95 respectively, the glass must
be accepted in the category corresponding to 30, 24 and 10% respectively.
2. PHYSICAL DETERMINATIONS2.1.Density
Method by hydrostatic balance to within ± 0 ·01. A sample of at least 20
grammes is weighed in air and weighed immersed in distilled water at20°C.
2.2.Refractive index
The index is measured on the refractometer to within ± 0 ·001.
2.3.Microhardness
Vickers hardness is to be measured according to the standard ASTM E
92-65 (Revision 1965) but using a load of 50 grammes and taking theaverage of 15 determinations.