IEC 60216-8:2013 specifies the general ageing conditions and simplified procedures to be used for deriving thermal endurance characteristics, which are shown by temperature index (TI) and/or relative temperature index (RTI) and the halving interval (HIC).

The procedures specify the principles for evaluating the thermal endurance properties of materials exposed to elevated temperature for long periods. In the application of this standard, it is assumed that a practically linear relationship exists between the logarithm of the time required to cause the predetermined property change and the reciprocal of the corresponding absolute temperature (Arrhenius relationship). For the valid application of the standard, no transition, in particular no first-order transition should occur in the temperature range under study.