NF (Norme Française) are the French national standards published by AFNOR. They cover materials and mechanical test methods and are frequently issued as adoptions of European or international standards.
Why NF standards matter in testing
An NF standard is the recognized French method for a test; in mechanical testing many are published as NF EN or NF EN ISO, sharing the same procedure used across Europe.
What NF standards cover
NF spans metals, plastics, textiles, and soils, with tensile, tear, flexural, and shear methods. A letter-class in the number indicates the field (for example T for plastics and rubber, P for construction, G for textiles).
How to read an NF designation
NF numbers may be national or adopted:
| Part | Example | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| NF <class> | NF T54-141 | A national standard with a field class (T = plastics/rubber) |
| NF EN | NF EN 10002 | A European Standard adopted in France |
| NF EN ISO | NF EN ISO 6892-1 | An ISO method adopted via EN into the French catalogue |