ISO 16000-11 Indoor Air - Part 11: Standard Test for Determining Emissions of Volatile Organic Compounds from Building Products and Flooring

EUROLAB, with its state-of-the-art accredited laboratories and expert team, provides precise and fast testing services within the scope of ISO 16000-11 testing. Studies of the emission of volatile organic compounds from unused building products or flooring in test chambers or cells require appropriate treatment of the product prior to and throughout the test period.

ISO 16000-11 defines three types of building products or flooring: solid, liquid and composite. For each species, specifications are given for sampling procedures, transport conditions, storage and substrate used, which may affect emissions of volatile organic compounds. For individual products it is envisaged to prepare a test sample for each type.

The determination of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) emitted from construction products using emission test chambers in conjunction with standard sampling, storage of samples and preparation of test samples has the following purposes:

• To provide manufacturers, builders and end users with useful emissions data for assessing the impact of building products on indoor air quality;
• To promote the development of improved products.

Product samples collected at the point of manufacture will be taken as soon as possible after the normal production process. Product samples can also be obtained from retail stores.

For solid products this can usually be achieved by wrapping each sample individually in aluminum foil and polyethylene bag, or alternatively in aluminized packaging lined with polyethylene or clear polyvinyl fluoride film. Liquid products are unopened boxes, tubes, etc. will be shipped in.

If long-term effects on emissions are to be studied, general conditions must be chosen for the samples to allow the chemical reactions that produce this emission to take place. Using conditions that give a high humidity level in the system often do this. An example where it is important to test combinations is the application of surface coatings or layers to a recently poured concrete.

EUROLAB assists manufacturers with ISO 16000-11 test compliance. Our test experts, with their professional working mission and principles, provide you, our manufacturers and suppliers, the best service and controlled testing process in our laboratories. Thanks to these services, businesses receive more effective, high-performance and quality testing services and provide safe, fast and uninterrupted service to their customers.