Regulations for Labelling of Glassware

Issued pursuant to Section 21
of the Consumer Rights Protection Law

1. These Regulations prescribe glassware placed on the Latvian market that requires special labelling, as well as the procedures for labelling thereof.

2. These Regulations apply to the products that conform to Code 7013 of the Combined Nomenclature of Latvia.

3. The description, characteristics and relevant labelling of the groups of crystal glass are indicated in Annex 1 of these Regulations.

4. The use of the description of groups of crystal glass and the relevant symbol is permitted only for such products as conform to the characteristics of the relevant group of crystal glass referred to in Annex 1 of these Regulations.

5. If the labelling of a product bears any description of the groups of crystal glass referred to in Annex 1 of these Regulations, the labelling of the product may also bear the symbol of the relevant group of crystal glass in accordance with Annex 1 of these Regulations.

6. If the name of the trade mark or the undertaking (company), or other inscription on the labelling of the product, contains any description of the groups of crystal glass referred to in Annex 1 of these Regulations, or a similar name, such trade mark, name of the undertaking (company) or inscription shall be immediately preceded or followed, in bold lettering, by:

6.1. the description of the group of crystal glass if the product conforms to the characteristics of a relevant group of crystal glass referred to in Annex 1 of these Regulations; or

6.2. the characteristics of the product if the product does not conform to any of the characteristics of the groups of crystal glass referred to in Annex 1 of these Regulations.

7. The description of the groups of crystal glass and the relevant symbol may be indicated on the same labelling.

8. The Consumer Rights Protection Centre shall check, by using the methods specified in Annex 2 of these Regulations, the conformity of the products, labelled in accordance with Annex 1 of these Regulations, with the characteristics of the relevant group of crystal glass.

9. If the information conveyed on the labelling does not conform to the characteristics of the group of crystal glass determined by relevant analyses, the manufacturer or seller of the product shall cover the expenditures for performance of the analysis.

10. These Regulations shall come into force on 1 July 2000.

Prime Minister A. Šķēle

Minister for Economics V. Makarovs

Annex 1
Cabinet Regulation No. 78
29 February 2000

Description, Characteristics and Labelling of Groups of Crystal Glass

Minister for Economics V. Makarovs

Annex 2
Cabinet Regulation No. 78
29 February 2000

Methods for Determination of Chemical and Physical properties of Crystal Glass

1. Chemical analyses:

1.1. BaO and PbO:

1.1.1. Determination of combination BaO + PbO:

Weigh, to within 0.0001 grams, approximately 0.5 grams of powdered crystal glass and place in a platinum dish. Moisten with water and add 10 millilitres of a 15% solution of sulphuric acid and 10 millilitres hydrofluoric acid. Heat in sand bath until white fumes are given off. Allow to cool, then treat again with 10 millilitres hydrofluoric acid. Heat until reappearance of white fumes. Allow to cool and rinse the sides of the dish with water. Heat until reappearance of white fumes. Allow to cool, carefully add 10 millilitres of water and transfer to a 400 millilitres beaker. Rinse the dish several times with a 10% solution of sulphuric acid and dilute to 100 millilitres with the same solution. Boil for 2-3 minutes. Leave to stand overnight.

Pass through a filtering crucible of number 4 porosity, wash first of all with a 10% solution of sulphuric acid, then two or three times with ethyl alcohol. Dry for one hour in a drying oven at 150°C. Weigh BaSO4 + PbSO4;

1.1.2. Determination of BaO:

Weigh, to within 0.0001 grams, about 0.5 grams of powdered crystal glass and place in a platinum dish. Moisten with water and add 10 millilitres of hydrofluoric acid and 5 millilitres perchloric acid. Heat in sand bath until white 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 dish with distilled water. Heat again and evaporate until the dish is almost dry. Start again with 50 millilitres of a 10% solution of hydrofluoric acid and heat gently to aid dissolution. Transfer to a 400 millilitres beaker and dilute to 200 millilitres with water. Bring to boil and pass through a hot solution of hydrogen sulphide (i.e., gaseous hydrogen sulphide - H₂S). When the precipitate of lead sulphide drops to the bottom of the beaker, turn off the hydrogen sulphide. Pass through a fine filter paper and wash with cold water saturated with hydrogen 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 of sulphuric acid. Remove from heat and leave to stand for at least four hours.

Pass through a fine filter paper, wash with cold water. Calcine the precipitate to 1050°C and weigh the BaSO₄;

1.2. Determination of ZnO:

Evaporate the filtrates from the separation of BaSO₄ to 200 millilitres. Neutralise with ammonia in the presence of methyl red and add 20 millilitres of (N/10 = 0.1N) sulphuric acid. Adjust the pH to 2 (determine with pH-meter) by adding N/10 sulphuric acid or caustic soda, and precipitate the zinc sulphide in the cold utilising the existing hydrogen sulphide. Let the precipitate settle for four hours, then collect on a fine filter paper. Wash with cold water saturated with hydrogen sulphide. Dissolve the precipitate on the filter by pouring through it 25 millilitres of a hot 10% solution of hydrochloric acid. Wash the filter with hot water until a volume of about 150 millilitres is obtained. Neutralise with ammonia in the presence of litmus paper, then add 1-2 grams 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 pink changes to citron yellow;

1.3. Determination of K₂O by precipitation and weighing of potassium tetraphenylborate:

Procedure:

process 2 grams of crystal glass, after crushing and sieving, by:

2 millilitres concentrated NHO₃

15 millilitres HClO₄

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 with 20 millilitres of hot water and 2-3 millilitres concentrated HCl.

Transfer to a 200 millilitre graduated flask and adjust to volume with distilled water.

Reagents: 6% solution of sodium tetraphenylborate: dissolve 1.5 grams of the reagent in 250 millilitres distilled water. Remove the light cloudiness that remains by adding 1 gram aluminium hydroxide. Shake for five minutes and filter, taking care to re-filter the first 20 millilitres obtained.

Washing solution for the precipitate: prepare a little of the potassium salt by precipitation in a solution of about 0.1 grams KCl to 50 millilitres N/10 HCl into which the solution of tetraphenylborate is poured while stirring, until precipitation ceases. Filter through sinter glass. Wash with distilled water. Dry in a desiccator at room temperature. Then pour 20-30 milligrams of the resulting salt into 250 millilitres of distilled water. Stir from time to time. After 30 minutes, add 0.5-1 grams of aluminium hydroxide. Stir for a few minutes. Filter.

Method of operation: Take an aliquot from the 200 millilitre graduated flask corresponding to about 10 milligrams of K₂O. Dilute to about 100 millilitres. Slowly add the reagent solution, about 10 millilitres per 5 milligrams of K₂O, while gently stirring. Allow to stand for a maximum of fifteen minutes, then filter through a tared sintered crucible of porosity 3 or 4. Wash with washing solution. Dry for 30 minutes at 120°C. Conversion factor 0.13143 for K₂O.

1.4. tolerances:

± 0.1 in absolute value for each determination. If the analyses give 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 the average is greater than or equal to 29.95, 23.95 or 9.95 respectively, the crystal glass must be accepted in the category corresponding to 30%, 24% and 10%.

2. Physical determinations:

2.1. density:

Method by hydrostatic balance to within ± 0.01. A sample of at least 20 grams is weighed in air and weighted immersed in distilled water at 20°C;

2.2. refractive index:

The refractive index is to be measured on the refractometer to within ± 0.001;

2.3. microhardness:

Vickers hardness shall be determined by utilising the method specified in the standards of the State stock company "Latvijas standarts", using a load of 50 grams and taking the average of 15 determinations.

Minister for Economics V. Makarovs

Translation © 2002 Tulkošanas un terminoloģijas centrs (Translation and Terminology Centre)