Test Procedure to Determine Material Specific VOC Emission Rates and Prediction Model of VOC-levels in Controlled Production Environments

In such fields as cleanroom technology, food, pharmaceutics and health care as well as in normal living and working environments, construction materials implemented in specific applications need to be assessed for VOC emissions and classified in order to permit direct comparisons to be made. The paper presents a standardized procedure for testing and classifying materials with uniform sample preparation and defined storage times. It describes preparation of the samples, their storage in a VOC-free minienvironment, avoidance of cross-contamination, sampling using appropriate adsorbers in micro-chambers and analysis via thermodesorption coupled with chromatography and mass spectrometry (TD-GC/MS). Once the active surface area, sampling time and VOC mass emitted are known, a specific emission rate can be determined which is then converted into a classification using a calculation model. Knowledge of the emission class enables the VOC charge of a defined area at a specific point in time to be calculated in reality. The standardized procedure is laid down in the guideline VDI 2083 part 17 which will be published at the end of 2011. The tests and classifications allow a fast material screening compared to existing large chamber measurement methods. The resulting material classifications are entered into the CSM database www.ipa-csm.com of the industrial alliance CSM - cleanroom suitable materials to allow the tested products to be directly compared with one another. This enables a material selection already in the planning phase of a cleanroom or other environment. An easy-to-use simulation model enables the user to estimate the expected VOC-level and therefore the ISO-AMC-Classsification according to ISO 14644-8 of the environment to be constructed.