Environmental Material and Product Properties

Health and environmental issues relating to materials and consumer products have gained significant importance and public attention, leading to new scientific investigations and technological developments.

Emissions of hazardous substances from materials and products effect both the natural environment and human health and safety. Activities of this division concentrate on the identification and analysis of such pollutants and their emission levels from materials. This also involves the development of specialised testing methods for:

• Characterising hazardous emissions from organic and inorganic substances, in products such as building materials and components
• Restoration and remediation of buildings or artefacts of cultural and heritage value which have been damaged by environmental impacts
• Testing the environmental stability of fibers and fiber products
• Development of protection methods against damage caused by environmental impacts
• Simulation of environmental damage to materials in climate chambers. 

Fields of activities

The environmental compatibility of organic and inorganic materials mainly depends on the nature of their emissions and the impacts of immissions from the environment.

Analytic methods for the determination and evaluation of hazardous substances are developed and tests for damage analysis and material protection are carried out.

The expertise acquired in the field of conservation of historic artefacts can be adapted to manufacturing methods for the protection of industrial consumer goods.

Analytical reference methods and databases have been established relying on multi sensoric gas measurements for analyzing air pollutants (i.e. 'electronic nose').

Methods, procedures and test equipment

• Emission test chambers with volumes of up to 20 m³
• Gas chromatographs coupled with mass spectrometers and flame ionization detectors
• HPLC with diode-array detector
• Electron probe microanalysis (EPMA / EDX)
• Environmental scanning electron microscope (ESEM / EDX)
• Optical microstructure characterization and image analysis
• Short term weathering test (Xenotest) and climate chambers

• Expert opinions on textiles and wear behaviour

• Testing of colour fastness of textiles according to ISO 105 series
• Testing and certification of textile floor coverings used as building material with low flammability (ISO certification)
• Qualitative and quantitative analysis of textiles and fibres in accordance with Textile Labelling Act
• Determination of components in textiles in accordance with Food and Consumer Article Act
• Protection and environmental compatibility of renewable raw materials such as wood and natural fibres
• Mechanical tenecity test Analysis of length and thickness distribution of fibres
• Investigation and analysis of material damage from immissions and secondary emission products.

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