Non-volatile Determination


BS EN ISO 3251:BS 3900-B18

IS0 3251

 non-volatile determination

Scope and Field of Application

BS EN ISO 3251, BS 3900-B18 and ISO 3251 are alternative names for the same method which is used to determine the mass of dry coating obtained from a given mass of liquid coating. It is used as a QC check and as a way of establishing if a coating has been excessively thinned prior to use.

The non-volatile content of a sample is not an absolute quantity but depends on the temperature and period of heating used for the test as well as the surface area to volume ratio of that portion of the sample under test.

There are no pass/fail criteria defined in the standard. This is a matter of agreement between the parties concerned.

The actual standard is a copyright-protected document and we are not able to provide you with a copy. If required however, you can easily obtain a copy from the British Standards Institution.

Summary of Method

A specified amount of the liquid sample is weighed into a pre-weighed flat bottomed pan of defined dimensions. After about 15 minutes, the pan is transferred to an oven. The standard defines different temperatures and heating periods for different classes of sample. The parties concerned can also agree on a heating schedule.

When the heating period is completed, the pan is transferred to a desiccator, allowed to cool then re-weighed. The mass of non-volatile residue can then be expressed as a percentage of the mass of the original sample.

Sample Requirements

We require no more than 100 g of sample.

Accreditation

PRA is accredited to ISO 17025 by the United Kingdom Accreditation Service (UKAS) to carry out this test.

 

Please contact Peter Collins for further details.

 

Back to Paint Testing Laboratory Page

Back to Testing Paints Prior to Application Page

Back to top of page