ISO 22516:2019

Overview

ISO 22516:2019 - "Paints and varnishes - Practical determination of non‑volatile and volatile matter content during application" - defines a practical test method to measure the non‑volatile (NV) and volatile (VM) matter content of coatings immediately after application or after intermediate/final drying. The standard is intended for use in production and laboratory spray‑booth environments to assess coating application quality, solvent emission, and drying efficiency. Results are relative and depend on the specific application and drying conditions (solvent retention, thermal decomposition and low‑molecular evaporation can affect results).

Key topics and requirements

• Test principle: Measure mass changes on a carrier before application, after the process step, and after defined drying; calculate NV from mass differences and derive VM (volatile matter) from NV.
• Two test methods:
  • Method A (aluminium foil) - soft aluminium foil (≈30 µm, e.g. 90 × 130 mm) attached with a magnetic fixture frame; suitable for production and lab booths.
  • Method B (test panels) - prepared test panels (≈200 × 100 mm) following ISO 1514; intended for laboratory spray‑booth testing.
• Apparatus: precision balance (to 0.1 mg for foil, 1 mg for panels), laboratory drying box with controlled temperature and ventilation, application device/coating unit and fixtures.
• Sampling and preparation: follow ISO 15528 (sampling) and ISO 1513 (sample prep). Test in duplicate under agreed conditions.
• Evaluation and precision: NV calculated from mass of uncoated substrate (m0), mass after process (mP) and mass after drying (mT). The standard provides repeatability (r) and reproducibility (R) limits derived from inter‑laboratory trials:
  • Directly after application (mean ~24.9% NV): r = 1.7% (absolute), R = 2.4% (absolute)
  • After pre‑drying (mean ~86.9% NV): r = 1.7% (absolute), R = 1.9% (absolute)
• Reporting: test report must identify product, method, process parameters, environmental conditions during coating, drying conditions, results (single values and mean), and any deviations.

Applications and users

ISO 22516:2019 is practical for:

• Quality control labs and production QC in paint and varnish manufacturing
• R&D teams optimizing formulations, application parameters, or drying processes
• Applicators and contractors assessing re‑coat readiness (especially for water‑thinnable coatings)
• Environmental and regulatory assessments of solvent emissions during application

Benefits include quick comparative assessment of application/drying efficiency, monitoring solvent retention and verifying intermediate drying before recoating.

Related standards

• ISO 1513 - Examination and preparation of test samples
• ISO 1514 - Standard panels for testing
• ISO 4618 - Terms and definitions (paints and varnishes)
• ISO 15528 - Sampling of paints, varnishes and raw materials

Keywords: ISO 22516:2019, paints and varnishes, non‑volatile matter, volatile matter, coating application, aluminium foil method, test panels, drying efficiency, solvent emission, quality control.