July 20121

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VOC Emissions what you get and what you calculate

Reinhard OpplDirector VOC Testing

Eurofins Product Testing A/S

Galten / DenmarkFolsom / CaliforniaShenzhen / China

July 20122

www.eurofins.com/voc-testing

Test chambers

Photo: Eurofins Product Testing A/S

July 20123

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What you get from chamber testing is:

Test chamber air concentration at given time mg/m³,then we calculate from that:

Emission rate per hour, mg/h

Specific emission rate (emission factor),

per area mg/m²h

or per mass, per device, per unit

Contribution to air concentration, mg/m³ (source strength)

in reference room or in real room after a specified time

Compare with limit values (always given as air concentration)

Significance of test result

July 20124

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Reference room - not a test room, but just a model Needed for comparing test result with air concentration limit values

European Reference Room (CEN TC 351):

Floor area 12 m², Height 2.5 m, Volume 30 m³

1 window, 1 door

Then calculate loading factors (m²/m³) for walls etc.,

½ air change per hour

Area specific air flow rate (m³/m²h) = ach / loading factor

23 °C, 50% relative humidity

As most products can be used in various exposure scenarios,

this room is used as general reference for all situations

Testing shall simulate those rooms in small scale Test chambers made of stainless steel or glass, 50 litres to several m³

European Reference Room

July 20125

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US: Open-plan or private office, class room, residential Different in surface, room height, furniture, equipment, ventilation

Why different exposure scenarios can make sense:

Some products are manufactured only to e.g. offices, schools, etc.

and then are rated against specific conditions

Ambition is to predict air concentrations in such rooms

Why different exposure scenarios cannot make sense:

Almost all products are used in all scenarios

A product may pass one, but fail another scenario

(How) Will product marketing distinguish?

We need an unambiguous scale for rating products Select one small room as worst-case scenario Do not exaggerate precision in exposure scenarios;

e.g. round 1.89 m² to 2 m² (door in CA); 31.4 m² to 30 m² (walls in EU) Emissions can vary over time ± 30-50%; testing uncertainty ± 30-50%

Different Exposure Scenarios

July 20126

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All programs evaluate in-use phase emissions Evaluation mostly after 28 days in Europe, after 14 days in USA Limits after 3 days cover renovation / refurbishing Testing in ventilated test chambers; no correlation with VOC content

VOC long-term emissions – schedule

Example of a decay curve

Lifetime

Emissions

All emissions during lifetime = VOC content