VOC | EUROLAB

What Is VOC?

The VOC test identifies and quantifies the volatile organic compounds released into the air from materials used in the vehicle cabin. These compounds, the source of new-car smell, accumulate in the enclosed cabin and affect interior air quality. Measurement can be performed at material, component, or whole-vehicle level.

Purpose of VOC

The purpose is to quantify materials' contribution to interior air quality and to demonstrate compliance with OEMs' interior-emission specifications.

Which Products Is VOC Applied To?

Seat fabric, foam and leather
Instrument-panel and door-panel plastics
Carpet, headliner and insulation materials
Adhesive, gasket and sealing materials
Cable insulation and protective materials

In Which Sectors Is VOC Used?

AutomotivePlastics & RubberTextilesChemistry

Standards Related to VOC

VDA 277
VDA 278
ISO 12219-2
ISO 12219-3
ISO 12219-4
ISO 16000-6

VOC Conditions

VDA 277: Static headspace method; gives the result as total carbon emission
VDA 278: Thermal desorption; VOC and FOG values are reported separately
Emission chamber: Temperature, humidity and air-exchange rate controlled under ISO 12219

Equipment for VOC

Thermal-desorption unit
Gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC-MS)
Headspace sampler
Emission test chamber (micro or large-volume)
Tenax sampling tubes and pumps

Sample Requirements for VOC

A representative material specimen; must be wrapped in aluminium foil immediately after cutting
The specimen's packaging must not itself be a source of emission
The amount of specimen varies by method (at gram level in VDA 278)
The sampling date and storage conditions must be recorded
For component- or vehicle-level measurement, the specimen description and surface area must be stated

Duration of VOC

Material-level analyses take a few days; emission-chamber studies and whole-vehicle measurements take longer owing to conditioning periods.

VOC Procedure

1The specimen is taken and packaged in a way that prevents loss of emission.
2The specimen is prepared according to the method to be applied.
3In VDA 278 the specimen undergoes two-stage thermal desorption.
4Released compounds are separated and identified by GC-MS.
5Quantity is determined using calibration standards.
6VOC and FOG values are calculated and reported.

VOC Acceptance Criteria

The acceptance criterion is not defined in the standard itself but in the OEM's interior-emission specification. Each manufacturer has its own limit values, which vary by material group.

Evaluation of Results

The VOC value represents low-boiling-point compounds, while the FOG value represents higher-boiling-point (condensable) compounds. The two values are interpreted together; a high FOG value is a precursor to a windscreen-fogging problem.

VOC Report

Applied method and standard
Specimen description, sampling date and storage conditions
Analysis conditions
VOC and FOG values, or total carbon emission
Main compounds identified
Comparison with the specification (if available)

Accreditation

EUROLAB holds internationally recognised accreditation obtained from accreditation bodies party to the IAF and ILAC multilateral recognition arrangements, under ISO/IEC 17025 for laboratory testing, ISO/IEC 17020 for inspection and surveillance, and ISO/IEC 17021-1 and ISO/IEC 17065 for system and product certification. This chain ensures the reports and certificates issued are accepted worldwide.

Whether this test can be offered within accredited scope depends on your product and the standard applied; since accreditation is method-based, the scope is confirmed in writing at the quotation stage.

Scope and authorisations

Related Regulations

OEM interior-emission specifications
National regulations on indoor air quality

Otomotiv Testleri — What Does This Testing Field Cover?

The section below describes the field that the VOC test belongs to; the conditions and acceptance criteria of this particular test are given in the sections above. The scope specific to your product is confirmed in writing at the quotation stage.

Automotive testing shows that a component keeps working under conditions representing the loads it will meet over the life of the vehicle. A vehicle is not a single product but an ENVIRONMENT: vibration, temperature cycling, salt water, stone impact, electrical transients and electromagnetic noise are all present at the same time and for years.

What distinguishes this family is that VEHICLE MANUFACTURER SPECIFICATIONS sit on top of the standards. ISO and SAE publications establish the common ground; but Volkswagen, BMW, Ford, Stellantis, Toyota and Renault define different severity levels, additional tests and different acceptance criteria in their own specifications. For a component, the phrase "complies with automotive standards" is not sufficient on its own; which manufacturer's specification, and which revision of it, must be answered.

The family carries three separate processes together and they are often confused. Homologation covers the type approvals a vehicle needs to enter traffic and runs under state authority. Supplier approval means passing the vehicle manufacturer's own quality and testing requirements and is a commercial relationship. The third is design verification: the engineering team demonstrating that its own design meets its targets.

At component level the test plan is built around the LOCATION OF USE. A module in the engine bay and a module in the boot do not go through the same temperature and vibration profile; a component inside a door and one in the roof console do not see the same water and dust exposure. The ISO 16750 series is the common framework for this location-based approach.

The shift to electric vehicles has reshaped the field. High-voltage safety, insulation coordination, battery safety, charging interface conformity and the electromagnetic behaviour of high-voltage components have been added to the classical automotive test set. In a quiet vehicle, acoustic and vibration expectations have changed too; sounds once masked by the combustion engine are now audible.

The quality system side cannot be separated from testing in this field. A manufacturer under IATF 16949 presents test results in the PPAP file; measurement system analysis, process capability study and the control plan stand around the test report. A single good result is not enough — the process must be shown to be able to repeat it.

Method groups in this field

Environmental and climatic
Temperature cycling, thermal shock, damp heat, salt spray, dust and water ingress (IP), solar radiation. Severity levels vary with the mounting location.
Mechanical
Sine and random vibration, shock, mechanical loads, fastener torque and durability cycles.
Electrical
Supply voltage variations, transients (ISO 7637), reverse polarity, overvoltage, short circuit and sleep current measurements.
EMC
Component emissions (CISPR 25), radiated and conducted immunity (ISO 11452 series), electrostatic discharge (ISO 10605).
Materials and emissions
Odour, fogging and VOC emissions from interior materials; flammability; UV ageing; coating durability and stone impact.
Functional safety and cyber security
Functional safety evidence under ISO 26262 and cyber security engineering under ISO/SAE 21434; these are tied to regulation through UNECE R155 and R156.

Commonly confused in this field

An automotive report without a specification reference is not accepted in the supply chain; which OEM specification and revision was applied must be stated.
Type approval and supplier approval are different processes. A component with E-Mark approval is not thereby considered to have passed the OEM's own acceptance tests.
A result obtained on a prototype does not carry over to series production; PPAP is done with series production parts.
On the EMC side, measuring emissions alone is incomplete; immunity is a separate body of work and is more critical in a vehicle.
On electric vehicle components, high-voltage safety is a distinct competence; classical 12 V test infrastructure is not sufficient.

Which decisions these results support

Supplier component approval and the PPAP file
UNECE type approval and E-Mark marking
Design verification and durability evidence
Root cause analysis of field complaints and warranty returns
Assessing the impact of a design or supplier change

Related Tests

Frequently Asked Questions About VOC

What is the difference between VDA 277 and VDA 278?

VDA 277 gives total carbon emission as a single value and is a fast screening method. VDA 278 gives VOC and FOG values separately via thermal desorption and provides compound-level identification; it is more detailed.

How should I send the specimen?

The specimen must be wrapped in aluminium foil as soon as possible after cutting, and plastic bags that could themselves be a source of emission must be avoided. Compounds migrating from the packaging directly distort the result; the sampling date must always be stated.