SIST ISO 8873-3:2015

Rigid cellular plastics - Spray-applied polyurethane foam for thermal insulation - Part 3: Test methods

This part of ISO 8873 specifies the test procedures that are to be used when testing spray-applied
polyurethane foam materials to verify that they meet the requirements given in ISO 8873-1.

Plastiques alvéolaires rigides - Mousse de polyuréthanne projetée pour l'isolation thermique - Partie 3: Méthodes d'essai

Penjeni polimerni materiali - Brizgana poliuretanska pena za toplotno izolacijo - 3. del: Preskusne metode

Ta del standarda ISO 8873 določa preskusne postopke, ki jih je treba uporabiti pri preskušanju brizgane poliuretanske pene, za preverjanje, ali material ustreza zahtevam iz standarda ISO 8873-1.

General Information

• Status: Published
• Publication Date: 15-Feb-2015
• ICS: 83.100 - Cellular materials
• Technical Committee: IPMA - Polimer materials and products
• Current Stage: 6060 - National Implementation/Publication (Adopted Project)
• Start Date: 27-Jan-2015
• Due Date: 03-Apr-2015
• Completion Date: 16-Feb-2015
• Ref Project: ISO 8873-3:2007 - Rigid cellular plastics -- Spray-applied polyurethane foam for thermal insulation

RELATIONS

• Revised: SIST ISO 8873:1996 - Cellular plastics, rigid -- Spray-applied polyurethane foam for thermal insulation of buildings -- Specification
• Effective Date: 01-Mar-2015

Standards Content (sample)

INTERNATIONAL ISO
STANDARD 8873-3
First edition
2007-05-01
Rigid cellular plastics — Spray-applied
polyurethane foam for thermal
insulation —
Part 3:
Test methods
Plastiques alvéolaires rigides — Mousse de polyuréthanne projetée
pour l'isolation thermique —
Partie 3: Méthodes d'essai
Reference number
ISO 8873-3:2007(E)
ISO 2007
---------------------- Page: 1 ----------------------
ISO 8873-3:2007(E)
PDF disclaimer

This PDF file may contain embedded typefaces. In accordance with Adobe's licensing policy, this file may be printed or viewed but

shall not be edited unless the typefaces which are embedded are licensed to and installed on the computer performing the editing. In

downloading this file, parties accept therein the responsibility of not infringing Adobe's licensing policy. The ISO Central Secretariat

accepts no liability in this area.
Adobe is a trademark of Adobe Systems Incorporated.

Details of the software products used to create this PDF file can be found in the General Info relative to the file; the PDF-creation

parameters were optimized for printing. Every care has been taken to ensure that the file is suitable for use by ISO member bodies. In

the unlikely event that a problem relating to it is found, please inform the Central Secretariat at the address given below.

COPYRIGHT PROTECTED DOCUMENT
© ISO 2007

All rights reserved. Unless otherwise specified, no part of this publication may be reproduced or utilized in any form or by any means,

electronic or mechanical, including photocopying and microfilm, without permission in writing from either ISO at the address below or

ISO's member body in the country of the requester.
ISO copyright office
Case postale 56 • CH-1211 Geneva 20
Tel. + 41 22 749 01 11
Fax + 41 22 749 09 47
E-mail [e-mail]
Web www.iso.org
Published in Switzerland
ii © ISO 2007 – All rights reserved
---------------------- Page: 2 ----------------------
ISO 8873-3:2007(E)
Contents Page

Foreword............................................................................................................................................................ iv

Introduction ........................................................................................................................................................ v

1 Scope...................................................................................................................................................... 1

2 Normative references ........................................................................................................................... 1

3 Terms and definitions........................................................................................................................... 1

4 Standard laboratory procedure for the determination of volatile organic compound

emissions from cellular plastic products........................................................................................... 3

4.1 General................................................................................................................................................... 3

4.2 Apparatus and equipment.................................................................................................................... 3

4.3 Test procedure ...................................................................................................................................... 5

4.4 Estimation of indoor air concentrations............................................................................................. 7

4.5 Test report.............................................................................................................................................. 9

4.6 Assessment of acceptability of the material...................................................................................... 9

4.7 Accuracy ................................................................................................................................................ 9

5 Test method for air permeance of spray-applied polyurethane foam ........................................... 10

5.1 General................................................................................................................................................. 10

5.2 Number of samples............................................................................................................................. 10

5.3 Apparatus (see Figure 2) ..................................................................................................................... 10

5.4 Test procedure for air permeance of spray-applied polyurethane foam ...................................... 12

5.5 Test procedure for control ................................................................................................................. 16

5.6 Test report............................................................................................................................................ 17

© ISO 2007 – All rights reserved iii
---------------------- Page: 3 ----------------------
ISO 8873-3:2007(E)
Foreword

ISO (the International Organization for Standardization) is a worldwide federation of national standards bodies

(ISO member bodies). The work of preparing International Standards is normally carried out through ISO

technical committees. Each member body interested in a subject for which a technical committee has been

established has the right to be represented on that committee. International organizations, governmental and

non-governmental, in liaison with ISO, also take part in the work. ISO collaborates closely with the

International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) on all matters of electrotechnical standardization.

International Standards are drafted in accordance with the rules given in the ISO/IEC Directives, Part 2.

The main task of technical committees is to prepare International Standards. Draft International Standards

adopted by the technical committees are circulated to the member bodies for voting. Publication as an

International Standard requires approval by at least 75 % of the member bodies casting a vote.

Attention is drawn to the possibility that some of the elements of this document may be the subject of patent

rights. ISO shall not be held responsible for identifying any or all such patent rights.

ISO 8873-3 was prepared by Technical Committee ISO/TC 61, Plastics, Subcommittee SC 10, Cellular

plastics.

This first edition of ISO 8873-3, together with ISO 8873-1 and ISO 8873-2, cancels and replaces

ISO 8873:1987, which has been technically revised.

ISO 8873 consists of the following parts, under the general title Rigid cellular plastics — Spray-applied

polyurethane foam for thermal insulation:
⎯ Part 1: Material specifications
⎯ Part 2: Application
⎯ Part 3: Test methods
iv © ISO 2007 – All rights reserved
---------------------- Page: 4 ----------------------
ISO 8873-3:2007(E)
Introduction

This part of ISO 8873 provides the test methods required for the specification given in ISO 8873-1. These test

methods are currently not stand-alone test standards. In the future, when these test methods become stand-

alone International Standards, this part of ISO 8873 will be withdrawn.
© ISO 2007 – All rights reserved v
---------------------- Page: 5 ----------------------
INTERNATIONAL STANDARD ISO 8873-3:2007(E)
Rigid cellular plastics — Spray-applied polyurethane foam for
thermal insulation
Part 3:
Test methods

WARNING — Persons using this document should be familiar with normal laboratory practice, if

applicable. This document does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated

with its use. It is the responsibility of the user to establish appropriate safety and health practices and

to ensure compliance with any regulatory requirements.
1 Scope

This part of ISO 8873 specifies the test procedures that are to be used when testing spray-applied

polyurethane foam materials to verify that they meet the requirements given in ISO 8873-1.

2 Normative references

The following referenced documents are indispensable for the application of this document. For dated

references, only the edition cited applies. For undated references, the latest edition of the referenced

document (including any amendments) applies.

ISO 8873-1, Rigid cellular plastics — Spray-applied polyurethane foam for thermal insulation — Part 1:

Material specifications
3 Terms and definitions
For the purposes of this document, the following terms and definitions apply.
3.1
air-exchange rate
AER

volume of clean air brought into the chamber in 1 h divided by the chamber volume measured in identical

volume units
NOTE This rate is normally expressed in air changes per hour (AC/h).
3.2
air permeance

rate of airflow (l/s), per unit area (m ) and per unit static pressure differential (Pa)

3.3
chamber-loading ratio

total exposed surface area of each cellular plastic product specimen divided by the test chamber volume

NOTE Since the cellular plastic product is intended to be installed in large continuous areas, only the face of the

insulation is exposed in the test procedure.
© ISO 2007 – All rights reserved 1
---------------------- Page: 6 ----------------------
ISO 8873-3:2007(E)
3.4
clean air

air that does not contain any volatile organic compounds at a concentration in excess of the allowable

background level (i.e. 1 % of the permissible indoor air concentration limit for each compound identified)

3.5
dynamic chamber

chamber where a material specimen can be placed and tested to determine the volatile organic compound

emission rate under controlled environmental conditions
3.6
GC/MS-SCAN
gas chromatograph/mass spectrometer operated in scan mode
3.7
head-space analysis

procedure for measuring the volatile organic compounds (VOCs) present in the air space enclosed within a

static, airtight chamber

NOTE The chamber is assumed to contain VOCs in equilibrium with the VOCs emitted by the specimen in the

chamber.
3.8
head-space (static) chamber

airtight chamber where a specimen can be placed and tested to determine the volatile organic compounds

emitted under controlled environmental conditions
3.9
internal standard

volatile organic compound (other than that identified in the head-space analysis) which is injected at a known

rate into the dynamic chamber in order to verify sample collection and analysis procedures

3.10
permissible indoor air concentration
maximum allowable indoor air concentration of a volatile organic compound
3.11
tracer gas

gaseous chemical (e.g. SF and N O) used to study the mixing characteristics of the dynamic chamber and to

6 2
provide a crosscheck of the air-exchange rate measurements
3.12
threshold limit value
TLV

time-weighted average concentration for a normal 8 h workday and a 40 h workweek, which nearly all workers

may be repeatedly exposed to without adverse effects, day after day
NOTE Also called TLV-TWA (threshold limit value–time-weighted average).
3.13
volatile organic compound
VOC

organic compound with a saturation vapour pressure at room temperature and/or with a boiling point less than

260 °C
2 © ISO 2007 – All rights reserved
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ISO 8873-3:2007(E)
4 Standard laboratory procedure for the determination of volatile organic
compound emissions from cellular plastic products
4.1 General

This standard laboratory procedure has been developed for the assessment of volatile organic compound

emissions from building materials made from plastic.

It specifies recommended procedures for the use of test chambers to evaluate emissions from a product at a

point in time following its installation. It contains the following:

a) a head-space analysis procedure for initial identification of volatile organic compounds released by a

material;

b) two dynamic chamber procedures (A and B) for characterizing the rate of volatile organic compound

emissions from a material;

c) methodology for calculating the estimated indoor air concentrations of volatile organic compounds based

on the results of dynamic chamber testing.

The headspace analysis is a static test to identify significant amounts of emitted compounds from the material.

It is followed by either dynamic chamber procedure (A or B).

Procedure A determines the long-term VOC emission characteristics of the material. The test is conducted

after conditioning the material sample for 30 days.

Procedure B determines the VOC emission profile of the product commencing 20 h to 24 h after installation of

the material in a building and continues for 30 days.

The results of procedure A or B are used to calculate the indoor air VOC concentration profiles and to

determine the acceptability of the material for new construction and/or retrofit use.

Procedure A is used to evaluate the material in new residential construction when there is a minimum of

30 days from material installation to building occupancy.

Procedure B is a more complex evaluation of the material when the normal 30-day minimum airing-out period

associated with new construction is not provided (e.g. occupied buildings).

In these special cases (e.g. occupied buildings), the product and/or application standard will provide the

requirements for isolation and ventilation, if necessary. The test results of procedure B will determine the

length of time that these requirements are necessary.

The methodology for assessing the acceptability of the material utilizes a comparison of the estimated indoor

air concentration of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) with permissible concentrations.

4.2 Apparatus and equipment
4.2.1 General product requirements

All equipment and apparatus in contact with the specimen or the associated air stream, including the air-

exchange system, chambers, sample holder and air sampling system, shall be of glass, stainless steel or

another inert material. Special care should be taken to ensure that gaskets, seals, sealants, valve and pump

components and other associated items are chemically inert.
4.2.2 Head-space (static) chamber

The head-space chamber shall be a small container (approximately 1 litre) and shall be constructed of

materials that meet the requirements of 4.2.1. The interior should be smooth and easy to clean. The container

© ISO 2007 – All rights reserved 3
---------------------- Page: 8 ----------------------
ISO 8873-3:2007(E)

shall have an airtight opening of sufficient size to allow loading/unloading of the specimen and chamber

cleaning. Two ports to allow the removal and return of an air sample shall be provided.

4.2.3 Dynamic chamber

The chamber and all associated hardware shall meet the requirements of 4.2.1. The interior should be smooth

and easy to clean. All gaskets shall be of Teflon or another chemically inert material.

3 3

The chamber size is not critical; however, a chamber volume of 0,1 m to 1,0 m will provide a reasonable

compromise between sample size and complexity of testing.

The chamber shall be equipped with an airtight opening large enough to allow specimen loading/unloading

and chamber cleaning. Ports for temperature and humidity probes and air and gas supply/exhaust

connections shall be provided as required. The chamber design shall allow for complete mixing of the air and

this shall be verified (with a specimen in place) using a tracer gas decay test.

The surface air velocity over the cellular plastic product specimen should be between 0,04 m/s and 0,05 m/s.

This velocity shall be verified using a thermal anemometer or other appropriate air velocity measurement

instrument.
4.2.4 Sample storage enclosure

This enclosure shall be large enough to contain the specimen and shall contain shelves to hold the other

storage vessels referenced in this part of ISO 8873. The enclosure shall be lined with chemically inert material

that is easy to clean, and shall be provided with environmental control and monitoring systems that maintain a

temperature of (23 ± 2) °C, a relative humidity of (50 ± 5) %, and a clean air-exchange rate of 0,3 ± 0,015 air

changes per hour.
4.2.5 Environmental enclosure

This enclosure shall be large enough to contain the dynamic chamber and all associated equipment, including

air sampling equipment, and bottled gas supplies. The enclosure shall be lined with material that is easy to

clean and it shall be provided with environmental control systems that maintain a temperature of (40 ± 2) °C.

4.2.6 Air-exchange system

This system shall be capable of supplying a controlled flow of clean air through the test chamber and

associated equipment. Clean air may include air supplied from compressed gas cylinders or ambient air,

which is conditioned by removing moisture and trace organic chemicals through charcoal filtration or other

means.
The equipment shall include the following:

a) a humidification system that maintains the relative humidity (RH) of the airflow at (50 ± 5) % using

deionized water (or equivalent), and a humidity indicator/recorder accurate to ± 5 % RH;

b) a temperature recorder/indicator system that can accurately measure airflow temperatures to ± 2 °C at

40 °C; due to compressed gas expansion cooling effects, a reheating system may be required to ensure

that the air entering the chamber is at a temperature of (40 ± 2) °C;

c) an air pump or pumps (unless a compressed air supply system is used), set to supply an airflow rate

equivalent to 0,3 air changes per hour, based on the volume of the emissions test chamber; the flow rate

shall be controllable to within 5 % of the specified value; the chamber shall be operated, and verified to

be, at a slight positive pressure to avoid contamination of the test chamber and sampling systems;

d) a flow indicator/recorder, accurate to within 5 % of the reading;
e) a particular filter system where applicable.
4 © ISO 2007 – All rights reserved
---------------------- Page: 9 ----------------------
ISO 8873-3:2007(E)
4.2.7 Air-sampling system

The air-sampling system shall be placed in the environmental enclosure (4.2.5) connected to the exhaust port

of the dynamic chamber, and shall direct the required amount of exhaust flow through the VOC absorbent

media.

All system components from the chamber to the VOC absorber shall be constructed of chemically inert

materials.

The system shall include an air-sampling pump and a device or devices that can measure and control the air-

flow through the sampling system to within 5 % of the specified value. The pump shall be operated in suction

mode to avoid contamination of the air sample.

A precision timing device shall be used to measure the sample collection interval. The device shall be capable

of measuring an elapsed time of 8 h ± 2 % of the elapsed time.

For collection of the airflow samples, charcoal sorbent tubes or alternative collection media should be used.

The air-sampling rate shall be selected based on the specifications of the sorbent tubes; generally a sampling

rate of 0,2 l/min is recommended. Sorbent tube manufacturers’ recommendations should be followed

regarding the sample airflow rate and sampling time.

The exhaust air shall be sampled close to the exit from the chamber to ensure that the air sample is well

mixed and represents the chamber concentration.

The air-sampling-system design and operation shall be sufficiently sensitive to ensure that the overall

chemical analysis is consistent with the required VOC detection levels.
4.2.8 Clock/elapsed time indicator

The timing system shall provide a record of the starting and completion times of all laboratory procedures. The

system shall be capable of indicating the time elapsed from the beginning of the test (in hours, minutes,

seconds).
4.2.9 Chemical analysis system

The recommended equipment for identifying VOCs is GC/MS-SCAN. Other equivalent techniques may be

used. For measuring the chamber concentrations, the sampling and analysis procedure and equipment shall

have a detection limit of 1 % of the permissible indoor air concentration limit for the volatile organic compound.

4.2.10 Airtight glass containers

The glass containers shall have airtight lids and shall be sized to tightly contain the various referenced cellular

plastic product specimens (excess container volume shall not be more than 10 % of the specimen volume).

4.2.11 Specimen holder

Use an open-pan type container for the specimen, made of chemically inert product. The holder shall seal on

the sides and at the bottom allowing VOC emissions into the chamber only through the top surface of the

specimen.
4.3 Test procedure
4.3.1 Specimen preparation

The specimen shall be prepared in accordance with the relevant material standard.

© ISO 2007 – All rights reserved 5
---------------------- Page: 10 ----------------------
ISO 8873-3:2007(E)
4.3.2 Cleaning and background contamination check
4.3.2.1 Cleaning

Prior to testing, clean the head-space apparatus and/or dynamic chamber and all internal hardware and

equipment that will be in contact with the specimen or tes
...

SLOVENSKI STANDARD
SIST ISO 8873-3:2015
01-marec-2015

Penjeni polimerni materiali - Brizgana poliuretanska pena za toplotno izolacijo - 3.

del: Preskusne metode

Rigid cellular plastics - Spray-applied polyurethane foam for thermal insulation - Part 3:

Test methods

Plastiques alvéolaires rigides - Mousse de polyuréthanne projetée pour l'isolation

thermique - Partie 3: Méthodes d'essai
Ta slovenski standard je istoveten z: ISO 8873-3:2007
ICS:
83.100 Penjeni polimeri Cellular materials
SIST ISO 8873-3:2015 en

2003-01.Slovenski inštitut za standardizacijo. Razmnoževanje celote ali delov tega standarda ni dovoljeno.

---------------------- Page: 1 ----------------------
SIST ISO 8873-3:2015
---------------------- Page: 2 ----------------------
SIST ISO 8873-3:2015
INTERNATIONAL ISO
STANDARD 8873-3
First edition
2007-05-01
Rigid cellular plastics — Spray-applied
polyurethane foam for thermal
insulation —
Part 3:
Test methods
Plastiques alvéolaires rigides — Mousse de polyuréthanne projetée
pour l'isolation thermique —
Partie 3: Méthodes d'essai
Reference number
ISO 8873-3:2007(E)
ISO 2007
---------------------- Page: 3 ----------------------
SIST ISO 8873-3:2015
ISO 8873-3:2007(E)
PDF disclaimer

This PDF file may contain embedded typefaces. In accordance with Adobe's licensing policy, this file may be printed or viewed but

shall not be edited unless the typefaces which are embedded are licensed to and installed on the computer performing the editing. In

downloading this file, parties accept therein the responsibility of not infringing Adobe's licensing policy. The ISO Central Secretariat

accepts no liability in this area.
Adobe is a trademark of Adobe Systems Incorporated.

Details of the software products used to create this PDF file can be found in the General Info relative to the file; the PDF-creation

parameters were optimized for printing. Every care has been taken to ensure that the file is suitable for use by ISO member bodies. In

the unlikely event that a problem relating to it is found, please inform the Central Secretariat at the address given below.

COPYRIGHT PROTECTED DOCUMENT
© ISO 2007

All rights reserved. Unless otherwise specified, no part of this publication may be reproduced or utilized in any form or by any means,

electronic or mechanical, including photocopying and microfilm, without permission in writing from either ISO at the address below or

ISO's member body in the country of the requester.
ISO copyright office
Case postale 56 • CH-1211 Geneva 20
Tel. + 41 22 749 01 11
Fax + 41 22 749 09 47
E-mail [e-mail]
Web www.iso.org
Published in Switzerland
ii © ISO 2007 – All rights reserved
---------------------- Page: 4 ----------------------
SIST ISO 8873-3:2015
ISO 8873-3:2007(E)
Contents Page

Foreword............................................................................................................................................................ iv

Introduction ........................................................................................................................................................ v

1 Scope...................................................................................................................................................... 1

2 Normative references ........................................................................................................................... 1

3 Terms and definitions........................................................................................................................... 1

4 Standard laboratory procedure for the determination of volatile organic compound

emissions from cellular plastic products........................................................................................... 3

4.1 General................................................................................................................................................... 3

4.2 Apparatus and equipment.................................................................................................................... 3

4.3 Test procedure ...................................................................................................................................... 5

4.4 Estimation of indoor air concentrations............................................................................................. 7

4.5 Test report.............................................................................................................................................. 9

4.6 Assessment of acceptability of the material...................................................................................... 9

4.7 Accuracy ................................................................................................................................................ 9

5 Test method for air permeance of spray-applied polyurethane foam ........................................... 10

5.1 General................................................................................................................................................. 10

5.2 Number of samples............................................................................................................................. 10

5.3 Apparatus (see Figure 2) ..................................................................................................................... 10

5.4 Test procedure for air permeance of spray-applied polyurethane foam ...................................... 12

5.5 Test procedure for control ................................................................................................................. 16

5.6 Test report............................................................................................................................................ 17

© ISO 2007 – All rights reserved iii
---------------------- Page: 5 ----------------------
SIST ISO 8873-3:2015
ISO 8873-3:2007(E)
Foreword

ISO (the International Organization for Standardization) is a worldwide federation of national standards bodies

(ISO member bodies). The work of preparing International Standards is normally carried out through ISO

technical committees. Each member body interested in a subject for which a technical committee has been

established has the right to be represented on that committee. International organizations, governmental and

non-governmental, in liaison with ISO, also take part in the work. ISO collaborates closely with the

International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) on all matters of electrotechnical standardization.

International Standards are drafted in accordance with the rules given in the ISO/IEC Directives, Part 2.

The main task of technical committees is to prepare International Standards. Draft International Standards

adopted by the technical committees are circulated to the member bodies for voting. Publication as an

International Standard requires approval by at least 75 % of the member bodies casting a vote.

Attention is drawn to the possibility that some of the elements of this document may be the subject of patent

rights. ISO shall not be held responsible for identifying any or all such patent rights.

ISO 8873-3 was prepared by Technical Committee ISO/TC 61, Plastics, Subcommittee SC 10, Cellular

plastics.

This first edition of ISO 8873-3, together with ISO 8873-1 and ISO 8873-2, cancels and replaces

ISO 8873:1987, which has been technically revised.

ISO 8873 consists of the following parts, under the general title Rigid cellular plastics — Spray-applied

polyurethane foam for thermal insulation:
⎯ Part 1: Material specifications
⎯ Part 2: Application
⎯ Part 3: Test methods
iv © ISO 2007 – All rights reserved
---------------------- Page: 6 ----------------------
SIST ISO 8873-3:2015
ISO 8873-3:2007(E)
Introduction

This part of ISO 8873 provides the test methods required for the specification given in ISO 8873-1. These test

methods are currently not stand-alone test standards. In the future, when these test methods become stand-

alone International Standards, this part of ISO 8873 will be withdrawn.
© ISO 2007 – All rights reserved v
---------------------- Page: 7 ----------------------
SIST ISO 8873-3:2015
---------------------- Page: 8 ----------------------
SIST ISO 8873-3:2015
INTERNATIONAL STANDARD ISO 8873-3:2007(E)
Rigid cellular plastics — Spray-applied polyurethane foam for
thermal insulation
Part 3:
Test methods

WARNING — Persons using this document should be familiar with normal laboratory practice, if

applicable. This document does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated

with its use. It is the responsibility of the user to establish appropriate safety and health practices and

to ensure compliance with any regulatory requirements.
1 Scope

This part of ISO 8873 specifies the test procedures that are to be used when testing spray-applied

polyurethane foam materials to verify that they meet the requirements given in ISO 8873-1.

2 Normative references

The following referenced documents are indispensable for the application of this document. For dated

references, only the edition cited applies. For undated references, the latest edition of the referenced

document (including any amendments) applies.

ISO 8873-1, Rigid cellular plastics — Spray-applied polyurethane foam for thermal insulation — Part 1:

Material specifications
3 Terms and definitions
For the purposes of this document, the following terms and definitions apply.
3.1
air-exchange rate
AER

volume of clean air brought into the chamber in 1 h divided by the chamber volume measured in identical

volume units
NOTE This rate is normally expressed in air changes per hour (AC/h).
3.2
air permeance

rate of airflow (l/s), per unit area (m ) and per unit static pressure differential (Pa)

3.3
chamber-loading ratio

total exposed surface area of each cellular plastic product specimen divided by the test chamber volume

NOTE Since the cellular plastic product is intended to be installed in large continuous areas, only the face of the

insulation is exposed in the test procedure.
© ISO 2007 – All rights reserved 1
---------------------- Page: 9 ----------------------
SIST ISO 8873-3:2015
ISO 8873-3:2007(E)
3.4
clean air

air that does not contain any volatile organic compounds at a concentration in excess of the allowable

background level (i.e. 1 % of the permissible indoor air concentration limit for each compound identified)

3.5
dynamic chamber

chamber where a material specimen can be placed and tested to determine the volatile organic compound

emission rate under controlled environmental conditions
3.6
GC/MS-SCAN
gas chromatograph/mass spectrometer operated in scan mode
3.7
head-space analysis

procedure for measuring the volatile organic compounds (VOCs) present in the air space enclosed within a

static, airtight chamber

NOTE The chamber is assumed to contain VOCs in equilibrium with the VOCs emitted by the specimen in the

chamber.
3.8
head-space (static) chamber

airtight chamber where a specimen can be placed and tested to determine the volatile organic compounds

emitted under controlled environmental conditions
3.9
internal standard

volatile organic compound (other than that identified in the head-space analysis) which is injected at a known

rate into the dynamic chamber in order to verify sample collection and analysis procedures

3.10
permissible indoor air concentration
maximum allowable indoor air concentration of a volatile organic compound
3.11
tracer gas

gaseous chemical (e.g. SF and N O) used to study the mixing characteristics of the dynamic chamber and to

6 2
provide a crosscheck of the air-exchange rate measurements
3.12
threshold limit value
TLV

time-weighted average concentration for a normal 8 h workday and a 40 h workweek, which nearly all workers

may be repeatedly exposed to without adverse effects, day after day
NOTE Also called TLV-TWA (threshold limit value–time-weighted average).
3.13
volatile organic compound
VOC

organic compound with a saturation vapour pressure at room temperature and/or with a boiling point less than

260 °C
2 © ISO 2007 – All rights reserved
---------------------- Page: 10 ----------------------
SIST ISO 8873-3:2015
ISO 8873-3:2007(E)
4 Standard laboratory procedure for the determination of volatile organic
compound emissions from cellular plastic products
4.1 General

This standard laboratory procedure has been developed for the assessment of volatile organic compound

emissions from building materials made from plastic.

It specifies recommended procedures for the use of test chambers to evaluate emissions from a product at a

point in time following its installation. It contains the following:

a) a head-space analysis procedure for initial identification of volatile organic compounds released by a

material;

b) two dynamic chamber procedures (A and B) for characterizing the rate of volatile organic compound

emissions from a material;

c) methodology for calculating the estimated indoor air concentrations of volatile organic compounds based

on the results of dynamic chamber testing.

The headspace analysis is a static test to identify significant amounts of emitted compounds from the material.

It is followed by either dynamic chamber procedure (A or B).

Procedure A determines the long-term VOC emission characteristics of the material. The test is conducted

after conditioning the material sample for 30 days.

Procedure B determines the VOC emission profile of the product commencing 20 h to 24 h after installation of

the material in a building and continues for 30 days.

The results of procedure A or B are used to calculate the indoor air VOC concentration profiles and to

determine the acceptability of the material for new construction and/or retrofit use.

Procedure A is used to evaluate the material in new residential construction when there is a minimum of

30 days from material installation to building occupancy.

Procedure B is a more complex evaluation of the material when the normal 30-day minimum airing-out period

associated with new construction is not provided (e.g. occupied buildings).

In these special cases (e.g. occupied buildings), the product and/or application standard will provide the

requirements for isolation and ventilation, if necessary. The test results of procedure B will determine the

length of time that these requirements are necessary.

The methodology for assessing the acceptability of the material utilizes a comparison of the estimated indoor

air concentration of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) with permissible concentrations.

4.2 Apparatus and equipment
4.2.1 General product requirements

All equipment and apparatus in contact with the specimen or the associated air stream, including the air-

exchange system, chambers, sample holder and air sampling system, shall be of glass, stainless steel or

another inert material. Special care should be taken to ensure that gaskets, seals, sealants, valve and pump

components and other associated items are chemically inert.
4.2.2 Head-space (static) chamber

The head-space chamber shall be a small container (approximately 1 litre) and shall be constructed of

materials that meet the requirements of 4.2.1. The interior should be smooth and easy to clean. The container

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shall have an airtight opening of sufficient size to allow loading/unloading of the specimen and chamber

cleaning. Two ports to allow the removal and return of an air sample shall be provided.

4.2.3 Dynamic chamber

The chamber and all associated hardware shall meet the requirements of 4.2.1. The interior should be smooth

and easy to clean. All gaskets shall be of Teflon or another chemically inert material.

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The chamber size is not critical; however, a chamber volume of 0,1 m to 1,0 m will provide a reasonable

compromise between sample size and complexity of testing.

The chamber shall be equipped with an airtight opening large enough to allow specimen loading/unloading

and chamber cleaning. Ports for temperature and humidity probes and air and gas supply/exhaust

connections shall be provided as required. The chamber design shall allow for complete mixing of the air and

this shall be verified (with a specimen in place) using a tracer gas decay test.

The surface air velocity over the cellular plastic product specimen should be between 0,04 m/s and 0,05 m/s.

This velocity shall be verified using a thermal anemometer or other appropriate air velocity measurement

instrument.
4.2.4 Sample storage enclosure

This enclosure shall be large enough to contain the specimen and shall contain shelves to hold the other

storage vessels referenced in this part of ISO 8873. The enclosure shall be lined with chemically inert material

that is easy to clean, and shall be provided with environmental control and monitoring systems that maintain a

temperature of (23 ± 2) °C, a relative humidity of (50 ± 5) %, and a clean air-exchange rate of 0,3 ± 0,015 air

changes per hour.
4.2.5 Environmental enclosure

This enclosure shall be large enough to contain the dynamic chamber and all associated equipment, including

air sampling equipment, and bottled gas supplies. The enclosure shall be lined with material that is easy to

clean and it shall be provided with environmental control systems that maintain a temperature of (40 ± 2) °C.

4.2.6 Air-exchange system

This system shall be capable of supplying a controlled flow of clean air through the test chamber and

associated equipment. Clean air may include air supplied from compressed gas cylinders or ambient air,

which is conditioned by removing moisture and trace organic chemicals through charcoal filtration or other

means.
The equipment shall include the following:

a) a humidification system that maintains the relative humidity (RH) of the airflow at (50 ± 5) % using

deionized water (or equivalent), and a humidity indicator/recorder accurate to ± 5 % RH;

b) a temperature recorder/indicator system that can accurately measure airflow temperatures to ± 2 °C at

40 °C; due to compressed gas expansion cooling effects, a reheating system may be required to ensure

that the air entering the chamber is at a temperature of (40 ± 2) °C;

c) an air pump or pumps (unless a compressed air supply system is used), set to supply an airflow rate

equivalent to 0,3 air changes per hour, based on the volume of the emissions test chamber; the flow rate

shall be controllable to within 5 % of the specified value; the chamber shall be operated, and verified to

be, at a slight positive pressure to avoid contamination of the test chamber and sampling systems;

d) a flow indicator/recorder, accurate to within 5 % of the reading;
e) a particular filter system where applicable.
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4.2.7 Air-sampling system

The air-sampling system shall be placed in the environmental enclosure (4.2.5) connected to the exhaust port

of the dynamic chamber, and shall direct the required amount of exhaust flow through the VOC absorbent

media.

All system components from the chamber to the VOC absorber shall be constructed of chemically inert

materials.

The system shall include an air-sampling pump and a device or devices that can measure and control the air-

flow through the sampling system to within 5 % of the specified value. The pump shall be operated in suction

mode to avoid contamination of the air sample.

A precision timing device shall be used to measure the sample collection interval. The device shall be capable

of measuring an elapsed time of 8 h ± 2 % of the elapsed time.

For collection of the airflow samples, charcoal sorbent tubes or alternative collection media should be used.

The air-sampling rate shall be selected based on the specifications of the sorbent tubes; generally a sampling

rate of 0,2 l/min is recommended. Sorbent tube manufacturers’ recommendations should be followed

regarding the sample airflow rate and sampling time.

The exhaust air shall be sampled close to the exit from the chamber to ensure that the air sample is well

mixed and represents the chamber concentration.

The air-sampling-system design and operation shall be sufficiently sensitive to ensure that the overall

chemical analysis is consistent with the required VOC detection levels.
4.2.8 Clock/elapsed time indicator

The timing system shall provide a record of the starting and completion times of all laboratory procedures. The

system shall be capable of indicating the time elapsed from the beginning of the test (in hours, minutes,

seconds).
4.2.9 Chemical analysis system

The recommended equipment for identifying VOCs is GC/MS-SCAN. Other equivalent techniques may be

used. For measuring the chamber concentrations, the sampling and analysis procedure and equipment shall

have a detection limit of 1 % of the permissible indoor air concentration limit for the volatile organic compound.

4.2.10 Airtight glass containers

The glass containers shall have airtight lids and shall be sized to tightly contain the various referenced cellular

plastic product specimens (excess container volume shall not be more than 10 % of the specimen volume).

4.2.11 Specimen holder

Use an open-pan type container for the specimen, made of chemically inert product. The holder shall seal on

the sides and at the bottom allowing VOC emissions into the chamber only through the top surface of the

specimen.
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