Emissions from automotive interiors materials and parts

Bureau veritas - your trusted partner for better indoor air quality in vehicles

As an independent laboratory recognized by the automotive market, Bureau Veritas performs analyses of emissions from interior materials and components, according to the manufacturers specifications. 

These laboratory measurements allow manufacturers to choose the least emissive parts. The objective is to ensure a healthier and more pleasant environment for vehicle occupants.

Emissions from automotive interior materials and components

How to ensure indoor air quality in vehicles?

Automotive manufacturers are increasingly aware of the importance of air quality in vehicles. They therefore impose specific analyses in their specifications for interior materials and components, in order to:

• Limit Volatile Organic Compound (VOC) emissions inside the cabin, to comply with user health and indoor air regulations.
• Control the odors of the integrated interior materials and components, for user comfort.
   

emission tests on materials, components and whole vehicles

Bureau Veritas’ Laboratories carry out  VOC (Volatile Organic Compound), SVOC (Semi Volatile Organic Compounds) emission tests, and odors characterizations, according to the specifications and test methods of automotive manufacturers, as well as VDA and ISO standards.
These tests are carried out on plastic raw materials, injected plastic parts, decorated and assembled parts (samples or complete parts), up to the entire vehicle.

Technical support and advice

The technicians of Bureau Veritas Laboratories assist clients in:

•   Better understanding automotive specifications and interpreting analysis results,
• Performing additional analyses if necessary,
• Advising on the preparation of samples to be sent to the laboratory to meet technical requirements and obtain reliable results.

Expertise in case of non-conformity

In the event of non-conformity with tests or for the development of new manufacturing, the experts of Bureau Veritas Laboratories propose:

• In laboratory : more specific analyses to identify and quantify the emitted chemical pollutants (VOC screening) and the molecules or substances involved.
• In factory : advice through an analysis of processes, control plans, FMEA or AMDEC, and the different stages of the production chain: 
  • injection, decoration, assembly, packaging, etc.

Testing equipment and methods

The laboratory has analysis and testing capabilities that are not common in laboratories, such as:

• The 1 m3 emission chamber that can accommodate a complete part such as an automotive seat or an assembled set of parts,
• The emission chamber for a whole vehicle, to comply with ISO 12219-1 and thus meet the new European Regulation (EU) 2023/1464 of July 2023,
• The olfactory cone at the outlet of the chromatograph (GC-MS), to identify the molecules responsible for the odor detected by our olfactory panelists (olfactory screening).

Automotive test methods and standards

Bureau Veritas Laboratories conducts tests in accordance with the main test methods of automotive manufacturers (see tables below, for other methods, please consult us).