EMICODE is a labelling system that compares and evaluates building products according to their emission behaviour. This includes sealants, fillers, adhesives and masking tapes. The corresponding environmental seal has been awarded by the Gemeinschaft emissionskontrollierte Verlegewerkstoffe, Klebstoffe und Bauprodukte e.V. (GEV) since 1997. In the meantime, around 10,000 products have been tested and certified.
This test procedure is primarily concerned with volatile organic compounds (VOC) such as formaldehyde. They can escape from the building material into the indoor air and, in higher concentrations, lead to health complaints. For this reason, adhesives and sealants with a low emission value should be used indoors. The seal provides crafters with a means of orientation when choosing the right material.
The seal classes
To obtain an EMICODE seal of quality, manufacturers must have their products analysed by accredited testing institutes. The tested building products can then be classified into three categories based on specific measurement data.
EMICODE®
EC1 PLUS
The EMICODE® EC1 PLUS seal is the premium class. This is awarded to building materials whose emissions are in the barely measurable range – less than 750 μg/m³.
EMICODE®
EC1
Very low-emitting materials are awarded EMICODE® EC1. The measured values are below 1,000 μg/m³. According to GEV, products in this class meet particularly high environmental and health requirements.
EMICODE®
EC2
EMICODE® EC2 is awarded to low-emitting building products whose pollutant values are below 3,000 μg/m³.
The EMICODE criteria
In order for a product to be awarded one of the three EMICODE seals of quality, it must fulfil stringent basic requirements:
- The product must be free of solvents. Surface agents for parquet are an exception.
- The product must have a safety data sheet.
- The product must not have any mutagenic, carcinogenic or fertility impairing ingredients.
- The product must not be classified as either toxic or very toxic.
- The test must be carried out in a qualified laboratory according to the structure defined by GEV.
Ramsauer products with EMICODE seal of quality
Of course, Ramsauer also offers adhesives and sealants that have been awarded an EMICODE seal of quality and is thus committed to producing products in a quality-assured and controlled manner. A total of 32 Ramsauer products bear EC1 PLUS seals of quality. Four products meet the requirements of Emicode EC1.
(Source: GEV, 2022)
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Folder: Durchatmen mit EMICODE
Fachartikel: Spezial Wohngesundheit
Fachartikel: Beitrag der Verlegewerkstoffe zum nachhaltigen Gebäude
