ISO 12219-4:2013 specifies a qualitative and quantitative analytical method for vapour-phase organic compounds (volatile and some semi-volatile) released from car trim materials under simulated real use conditions using small emission test chambers (small chamber). Small chambers are intended to provide a transfer function to vehicle level emissions. This method is intended for evaluating new car interior trim components but can, in principle, be applied to used car components.
Target compounds include VOCs (conventionally defined as organic compounds in the volatility range n-hexane to n-hexadecane) and volatile carbonyl compounds such as formaldehyde. The specified analytical procedure for VOCs is ISO 16000‑6 and for formaldehyde and some other light carbonyl compounds is ISO 16000‑3.
ISO 12219-4:2013 is complementary to ASTM D5116 and VDA 276, and provides third party test laboratories and manufacturing industry with an approach for: a) identifying the effect of real use conditions on specific VOC emissions data; b) comparing emissions from various assemblies with regards to specific VOC emissions; c) evaluating and sorting specific assemblies regarding specific VOC emissions data; d) providing specific VOC emissions data to develop and verify a correlation between material level methods and the vehicle level method; e) evaluating prototype, "low-emission" assemblies during development.