Test chamber
A test chamber is generally used to describe any device that is used to set certain physical and / or chemical conditions , which are usually defined in standards . The samples to be examined are stored in these chambers and examined for the respective parameters either afterwards or during storage. A typical application are so-called climatic chambers , which are used to set a defined temperature and humidity . Another common application is checking materials for possible emissions and effects on indoor air .
Examples
The European standard EN 717-1 "Formaldehyde release according to the test chamber method" defines the conditions for measuring the formaldehyde release of wood-based materials in test chambers of different sizes.
The inspection of the emission of volatile organic compounds from building products with chambers is regulated according to EN 13419-1.
Construction and function
Test chambers for determining and evaluating emissions from materials are made of stainless steel or glass and have a certain size, whereby a volume of 1 m 3 has proven to be practical. The chamber has a defined and adjustable air exchange rate, whereby the air, which has previously been cleaned with adsorbents such as activated carbon and silica gel, is supplied from the outside. In addition, an optimal mixing must be ensured in the chamber. The relative humidity can be set between 0 and 100%. One problem is that the inner walls can adsorb the emissions, which would lead to a falsification of the test results. This is counteracted with special coatings. In addition, the influence of the chamber on the substance to be examined is determined in a calibration before the actual measurement .
Individual evidence
- ↑ T. Salthammer: Air- polluting organic substances in interiors, Chemistry in our time, 28th year 1994, No. 6, p. 285, doi : 10.1002 / ciuz.19940280603 .