ASTM E1333 Standard Significance and Summary of Test Method

1Significance and Use:

1.1 Limitations on formaldehyde concentrations in air have been established for some building products permanently installed in manufactured and conventional homes. This test method provides a standard means of testing typical product sizes, such as 1.2 by 2.4 m (4 by 8 ft) sheets, at product loadings consistent with product end use.

2 Summary of Test Method:

2.1 This test method incorporates a chamber of 22 m3(800ft3) minimum size to evaluate formaldehyde concentrations in air and emission rates from building products over a specified duration of time. This test method employs a single set of environmental conditions but different product loading ratios to assess formaldehyde concentrations in air and emission rates from certain wood products. Conditions controlled in the procedure are as follows:

2.1.1 Conditioning of specimens prior to testing,

2.1.2 Exposed surface area of the specimens in the test chamber,

2.1.3 Test chamber temperature and relative humidity,

2.1.4 Number of air changes per hour, and

2.1.5 Air circulation within the chamber.

2.1.6 At the end of a 16- to 20-h period in the test chamber, the air is sampled and the concentration of formaldehyde in air and emission rate are determined.

NOTE3—Care must be exercised in the extension of the results to

formaldehyde concentrations in air and emission rates from products under different conditions of air change rate or loading ratio, or both.

5. Interferences

5.1 The NIOSH 3500 analytical method lists phenols as a negative interference when present at an 8:1 excess over formaldehyde. Modification in the analytical procedure shall be made when relatively high phenol formaldehyde concentrations (8:1) are anticipated (3, 4).

DONGGUAN HUANYI INSTRUMENTS TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD