TS 5172 EN ISO 13402

TS 5172 EN ISO 13402 is the standard for determining the resistance of surgical and dental hand instruments to autoclaving, corrosion and thermal exposure. This topic is important because reusable metal instruments are repeatedly exposed to heat, moisture and cleaning or sterilization environments, all of which can affect surface integrity, functionality and service life.

What resistance means in this context

In technical terms, resistance here refers to whether an instrument shows visible deterioration, rusting, discoloration, surface damage or loss of performance during sterilization-related cycles. In general engineering context, autoclaving is steam sterilization under pressure, corrosion is the chemical or electrochemical degradation of a material surface, and thermal exposure refers to the effect of elevated temperature on the material and any surface finish.

Why the instrument type matters

The covered product family is surgical and dental hand instruments, including reusable tools such as forceps, scissors, elevators, probes and similar items. These instruments often have joints, cutting edges and finely finished surfaces that are especially sensitive to repeated processing. As a result, resistance assessment is relevant not only to the base material but also to manufacturing quality, surface treatment and overall design robustness.

• The scope is the determination of resistance for surgical and dental hand instruments.
• The main exposures are autoclaving, corrosion and thermal exposure.
• The general purpose is to assess material and surface integrity under repeated sterilization conditions.
• It supports technical understanding of durability for reusable medical and dental hand instruments.