Material testing, off-gassing analysis and verification

Material off-gassing is the process of releasing gaseous species previously contained in a non-gaseous material into an atmosphere.
At our specialized facilities, we offer off-gas testing of simple materials and larger components in various atmospheres.

Material testing

Direct off-gas testing

In direct off-gas testing, a small piece of the sample is placed directly into a thermal desorption tube. The tube is then slightly heated before the analytes present in the tube atmosphere is separated by gas chromatography and identified by mass spectrometry. This is a fast method to evaluate the off-gassing potential of simple materials such as fabric, plastic, paint and more.

Available analyses from direct off-gas testing include:

  • Volatile organic compounds (VOC)

Contact

Kim Løseth

Manager Test and Analyse

Email: kil@nui.no

Chamber off-gas testing

Larger components consisting of multiple materials may also have to be off-gas tested. Components are off-gas tested before being introduced into a closed environment where people are present. Hyperbaric chambers used in saturation diving is an example of such an environment.

 

Our facilities are set up for off-gas testing in a hyperbaric chamber where pressure, temperature, humidity and gas composition can be controlled and monitored. Available analyses from chamber off-gas testing include:

  • Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC)
  • Carbon monoxide (CO)
  • Carbon dioxide (CO2)
  • Oxygen (O2)
  • Hydrogen (H2)
  • Nitrogen (N2)
  • Argon (Ar)
  • Helium (He)
  • Hydrogen sulfide (H2S)
  • Oil (C11+)
  • Amines (N-R1,2,3)

Umbilical off-gas testing

Breathing umbilicals for diving shall be off-gas tested to ensure diver safety. At NUI, we are equipped to perform off-gas testing from all types of umbilicals.