Group standard PV 3015

Issue 2019-03
Class. No.: 55116

Descriptors: condensable component, emission, fogging, fogging behavior, vehicle interior

Fogging Behavior of Materials Used in the Vehicle Interior

Gravimetric Determination of Condensable Components

Previous issues
PV 3015: 1994-05

Changes
The following changes have been made to PV 3015: 1994-05:
– Title changed
– Standard restructured
– Section 2 "Designation" added
– Section 3 "Definitions" added
– Section 4.2 "Reagents": Control substance changed
– Section 4.3 "Testing equipment": Equipment for dry temperature control added
– Section 4.5 "Preparing the specimens" described in greater detail
– Section 5.2 "Test report": Specifications added

Contents
Page
1 Scope ......................................................................................................................... 2
2 Designation ................................................................................................................ 2
3 Definitions .................................................................................................................. 2
4 Test method ................................................................................................................ 2
4.1 Brief description ......................................................................................................... 2
4.2 Reagents .................................................................................................................... 3
4.3 Testing equipment ...................................................................................................... 3
4.4 Auxiliary equipment .................................................................................................... 3
4.5 Preparing the specimens ........................................................................................... 3

Always use the latest version of this standard.

This electronically generated standard is authentic and valid without signature. A comma is used as the decimal sign. Page 1 of 6
The English translation is believed to be accurate. In case of discrepancies, the German version controls.

Technical responsibility The Standards department

I/EZ-N Dr. Bernhard Angermaier
I/GQ-L16 Dr. Ludwig Poll Tel.: +49 841 89 38286 Tel.: +49 841 89 30965
All rights reserved. No part of this document may be provided to third parties or reproduced without the prior consent of one of the Volkswagen Group’s Standards
departments.
© Volkswagen Aktiengesellschaft VWNORM-2018-11
Page 2
PV 3015: 2019-03

4.5.1 General notes ............................................................................................................. 3

4.5.2 Roll goods .................................................................................................................. 3
4.5.3 Molded parts .............................................................................................................. 4
4.5.4 Powder, paste, and liquid raw materials ..................................................................... 4
4.6 Conditioning the specimens ....................................................................................... 4
4.7 Procedure ................................................................................................................... 4
5 Determining and visualizing the test results ............................................................... 5
5.1 Evaluation .................................................................................................................. 5
5.2 Test report .................................................................................................................. 5
6 Applicable documents ................................................................................................ 6

1 Scope
This Test Specification (PV) defines a gravimetric method for determining the fogging behavior of
materials that are used in the interior of motor vehicles. This method can also be used to determine
the fogging behavior of liquid, paste, powder, and solid raw materials that make up the aforemen-
tioned materials or that are used to produce these materials.

2 Designation
Fogging behavior as per PV 3015

3 Definitions
Fogging Condensation of semivolatile organic compounds that
condense especially on the inside of the windshield.
NOTE 1: If lighting conditions are poor, the fogging
condensation can have a negative effect on the ability
to see through the windshield.
Condensable component Weight differential for a piece of aluminum foil with and
without fogging condensation

4 Test method

4.1 Brief description

The specimen is placed at the bottom of a beaker without a spout (hereafter referred to as "beak-
er") with defined dimensions (DIN 75201).
The beaker is covered with a seal and a piece of aluminum foil weighed with an accuracy of
±0,01 mg. During the test, semivolatile compounds from the specimen condense on this aluminum
foil. This aluminum foil is continuously cooled with water at a temperature of (21 ±1) °C.
The beaker prepared this way is aged 16 h at (100 ±0,5) °C.
The weight of the fogging condensation on the aluminum foil is determined by weighing the foil be-
fore and after the fogging test.
NOTE 2: Measuring raw materials will not necessarily provide conclusive information on the fog-
ging behavior of the parts made with these materials.
 Page 3
PV 3015: 2019-03

4.2 Reagents
Control substance : Disodecyl phthalate (DIDP)1)
Only the DIDP available from the source of supply (see footnote) is allowed to be used.

4.3 Testing equipment

The following devices must be used:
– Fogging device as per DIN 75201 with temperature control liquid or dry temperature control
equipment
– Cooling device as per DIN 75201; if dry temperature control equipment is used, the cooling
plate's weight is allowed to be less than 1 kg
– Beakers, glass plates, fluorocarbon rubber sealing rings, and metal rings as per DIN 75201;
– Aluminum foil: Thickness of 0,03 mm, circular disks with a diameter of 103 mm
– Analytical balance with a display accuracy of 0,01 mg.

4.4 Auxiliary equipment

– Laboratory glassware washer for cleaning the beakers and accessories
– Dishwasher detergent for cleaning laboratory glassware (do not use a rinse aid)
– Desiccators with silica gel (orange gel) as a desiccant for conditioning the specimens and ag-
ing the aluminum foil disks
– Disposable polyethylene or nitrile gloves
– Heat transfer fluid for the thermostatically regulated bath (if a fogging device with temperature
control liquid is used), temperature-resistant and water-soluble so that it can be cleaned more
easily (e.g., polyethylene-glycol-based or polypropylene-glycol-based).

4.5 Preparing the specimens

4.5.1 General notes

As far as possible, prepare flat, circular specimens with a diameter of (80 ±1) mm from the speci-
men material.
Specimen thickness: ≤ 10 mm
In the case of thicker materials, remove material from the underside until the thickness is ≤ 10 mm.
The underside is the side facing away from the visible side.

4.5.2 Roll goods

Roll goods can include, e.g., textile materials, leatherette, leather, or nonwovens.
To obtain the specimens, cut or punch them out in a circular shape.
Diameter: (80 ±1) mm

1) Must be procured from: Swedish National Testing and Research Institute, Materials Technology, P.O. Box 857, SE-50115 Borås,
Sweden, Fax: +46 33 16 53 16, e-mail: mt@sp.se. This note is only intended for the user of this standard and must not be interpre-
ted as an acceptance of the product by the Volkswagen Group.
Page 4
PV 3015: 2019-03

4.5.3 Molded parts

In the case of large molded parts (including material composites) and large assemblies, obtain the
flattest possible specimens with a diameter of (80 ±1) mm.
In the case of large molded parts (including material composites) and large assemblies with a com-
plex geometry, subdivide the molded parts or assemblies in such a way that as few cut surfaces as
possible will be produced.
Weight: (10 ±2) g
Specify the initial weight in the test report.
Preferably test smaller molded parts made of a single material without subdividing them into small-
er parts. Use a total specimen weight of (10 ±2) g. Specify the initial weight in the test report.
Test small assemblies and components made of material composites (e.g., injection-molded parts
with hard and soft components) without subdividing them into smaller parts. Test as many parts as
necessary to reach a weight of 10 g ≤ x ≤ 20 g. Specify the initial weight and the number of parts in
the test report.

4.5.4 Powder, paste, and liquid raw materials

Use specimens with a weight of (10 ±0,1) g each.

4.6 Conditioning the specimens

Pre-dry the specimens with silica gel (orange gel) in the desiccator for 24 h unless otherwise speci-
fied during the sample inspection.
Materials listed in table 1 must be pre-dried with silica gel (orange gel) in the desiccator for the pe-
riod specified.

Table 1 – Drying period for various materials

Material Drying period
Foam, leatherette, trim cover material 1d
Velour 2d
Other textiles with more than 50% wool; leather 7d
Wood fiber molding compound, wood Until the weight is constant

4.7 Procedure
Before starting the test, wash all beakers, seals, glass plates, and metal rings in a laboratory glass-
ware washer with a suitable dishwasher detergent at min 80 °C and then use deionized water to
rinse them.
For every fogging test, you will be simultaneously conducting a control test with DIDP. To do so, fill
a beaker with (10 ±0,1) g DIDP such that the inner wall of the beaker above the liquid level is not
wetted with DIDP. For every fogging test, place the beaker filled with DIDP this way in a location in
the temperature control bath that is different from the one used for the previous test. If the portion
of condensable components falls outside a range of ±0,25 mg in comparison to the beaker control
value after aging for 16 h ±10 min and at a bath temperature of (100 ±0,5) °C, it will be necessary
to check the test conditions.
 Page 5
PV 3015: 2019-03

Place one specimen in each of the remaining beakers or fill them with one specimen each. Do not
touch the specimens with your bare hands when doing so. The visible side of the specimens, i.e.,
the side that is facing the vehicle interior, must be facing upwards.
In the case of roll-goods specimens that roll or curl up, place a metal ring on each specimen in
order to secure it in place. Do not touch the metal rings with your bare hands when doing so.
In the case of specimens that are made up of multiple individual pieces, distribute them as evenly
as possible.
When measuring powder, paste, or liquid raw materials, pour in (10 ±0,1) g and distribute evenly at
the bottom of the beaker.
Place a sealing ring on each filled beaker. Then place an aluminum foil disk, after weighing it with
an accuracy of ±0,01 mg (result W0), on top of the sealing ring, with the shiny side facing down.
Place the beakers prepared this way into the heated-up temperature control unit. Carefully place a
glass plate on the aluminum foil disk and then place a cooling plate on top of the glass plate. En-
sure that the setup does not shift.
This results in the following setup:
Beaker/seal/weighed aluminum foil disk/glass plate/cooling plate
Age the specimens prepared this way for 16 h ±10 min at (100 ±0,5) °C. Immediately dismantle the
test setup after the test ends. Dry the aluminum foil disks, with the fogged side facing upward, for
3,5 h to 4 h in the desiccator with silica gel (orange gel).
Weigh the aluminum foil disks with the fogging condensation on the balance with an accuracy of
0,01 mg (result W1).
Since the fogging values will change exponentially with temperature and time (Fick's laws of diffu-
sion), the test times and the test temperature must be precisely adhered to.

5 Determining and visualizing the test results

5.1 Evaluation
Calculate the condensable component for each piece of aluminum foil by calculating the difference
between the weights before and after the test in mg. See formula (1):

W = W1 – W0 (1)

W Condensable component in mg
W0 Weight of aluminum foil disks before the fogging test, in mg
W1 Weight of aluminum foil disks after the fogging test, in mg
Carry out two individual tests for each specimen. Two measurements independent of each other
are required for this purpose. If, for measured values > 0,5 mg, the results deviate by more than
20% (relative to the average value), test a total of 4 specimens.
In the case of specimens that require initial weighing (see section 4.5.3 and section 4.5.4), the re-
sults must be specified relative to a 10-g initial weight.

5.2 Test report

The test report must include the following information:
Page 6
PV 3015: 2019-03

– Test results
– Test specification
– Test laboratory and test date
– Test device used
– DIDP reference value that was used for setting up the test device and as a control for it
– Measured DIDP control value
– Description and unique designation for the specimens
– Initial weight if applicable
– Individual and average values for the condensable components
– Description of the fogging consistency (e.g., white condensation, large drops, film, crystals)
– Deviations from this standard

6 Applicable documents
The following documents cited are necessary to the application of this document:
Some of the cited documents are translations from the German original. The translations of Ger-
man terms in such documents may differ from those used in this standard, resulting in terminologi-
cal inconsistency.
Standards whose titles are given in German may be available only in German. Editions in other
languages may be available from the institution issuing the standard.

DIN 75201 Determination of the fogging characteristics of trim materials in the interi-
or of automobiles