INSTITUT FÜR BAUBIOLOGIE ROSENHEIM GMBH Expert Report No. 3010 - 411
with reference to the seal of approval
"Tested and Recommended by the IBR"
For the test item
Heat-Retaining Fireplaces
Applicant: Tulikivi Oyj FIN 83900 Juuka Phone: +358 (0) 403 063 100 www.tulikivi.de Samples: Taken under official supervision on February 17, 2010 on the ordering party's premises and confirmed by the official stamp of the local authorities of Juuka. The sampling protocols were available to us in their original version. Staff members of the aforementioned body July 2012
Executing tester: Term of validity:
This expert report may only be reproduced and published in unabridged and unaltered form. Any other use, even of excerpts or quotations, must be explicitly approved by the IBR. _____________________________________________________________________________________________ IBR Institut für Baubiologie GmbH D-83022 Rosenheim Heilig-Geist-Str. 54 Fon +49(0)8031 3675-0 Fax -3675-30 Managing Director: Reimut Hentschel Commercial Register: HRB Traunstein 5362 VAT ID: DE 131182830 Email: info@baubiologie-ibr.de Website: www.baubiologie-ibr.de
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It is the objective of the IBR to identify non-polluting building products for healthy living for the consumer by awarding the seal of approval "TESTED AND APPROVED BY THE IBR".
The seal of approval was created by the Institut für Baubiologie Rosenheim GmbH in 1982 to enable consumers with an awareness for health and ecological matters to protect themselves against health hazards caused by building materials and furniture in their residential environment. The seal of approval is awarded to products which ensure healthy living with respect to building biology and at the same time protect the environment. When awarding the seal of approval, we only use scientific and technical analysis methods which are based on normative regulations as well as the current state-of-the-art of laboratory analytics so that they should be understood both by third-party experts and by end consumers. The aim of awarding the seal of approval "TESTED AND RECOMMENDED BY THE IBR" to as many products as possible is to enable an increasing number of consumers and end users to make criteria related to building biology a critical part of their decision when purchasing products for building and furnishing their homes. The tests listed in our expert reports are not supposed to supersede the requirements in terms of building physics, supervision, legal regulations, or safety. They are merely a complementary set of tests related to health, physiology, building biology, and ecology aspects which have been neglected. The seal of approval "TESTED AND APPROVED BY THE IBR" is based on a holistic perspective. Besides its focus on the tests that determine the potential physiological impact of the products on human beings and/or the environment, the expert report associated with granting the seal also honours any product whose production, processing, use, and ecological recycling have no or only a limited, tolerable adverse effect on the environment. The emission of harmful substances, e.g. with a carcinogenic and/or mutagenic potential, is always to be considered as a criterion for exclusion. The seal of approval will under no circumstances be awarded to such products. Any names of companies, products or brands mentioned in our expert reports are protected by copyright. The fact that we mention them is neither to be construed as a valuation nor as a recommendation.
© Institut für Baubiologie Rosenheim GmbH
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Table of Contents
1. 2. Product description .................................................................................................4 Test Results............................................................................................................5
2.1 Radioactivity................................................................................................................................... 5 2.2 Biocides, PCB, Pyrethroids, Phtalates........................................................................................... 7 2.2.1 Biocides .................................................................................................................................. 7 2.2.2 Polychlorinated biphenyls ....................................................................................................... 8 2.2.3 Pyrethroides............................................................................................................................ 8 2.2.4 Phtalates ................................................................................................................................. 8 2.3 Solvents and odiferous substances (VOC).................................................................................... 9 2.3.1.1 Alkanes ............................................................................................................................ 9 2.3.1.2 Aromatics....................................................................................................................... 10 2.3.1.3 Alkenes .......................................................................................................................... 10 2.3.1.4 Chlorinated hydrocarbons ............................................................................................. 10 2.3.1.5 Terpenes........................................................................................................................ 11 2.3.1.6 Monovalent alcohols...................................................................................................... 11 2.3.1.7 Polyvalent alcohols and their ethers.............................................................................. 12 2.3.1.8 Esters of polyvalent alcohols and their ethers............................................................... 12 2.3.1.9 Esters of carboxylic acids .............................................................................................. 12 2.3.1.10 Ketons............................................................................................................................ 13 2.3.1.11 Aldehydes ...................................................................................................................... 13 2.3.1.12 Carboxylic acids ............................................................................................................ 13 2.4 Heavy metals ............................................................................................................................... 14 2.4.1 Determination in the original substance ............................................................................... 15 2.4.2 Determination in the eluate................................................................................................... 15 2.5 Fine dusts..................................................................................................................................... 16
3.
Notice on awarding and using the seal of approval ..............................................18
© Institut für Baubiologie Rosenheim GmbH
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1. Product description
We were charged by the company to examine their products for harmlessness with respect to building biology. The products submitted for testing include the various components of heat-retaining fireplaces made of Finnish soapstone (geological name: steatite). Steatite consists of 40 to 50% talc and magnesite each, and of 5 to 10% chlorite. The technical properties of this natural stone are clearly better than those of industrially produced chamotte and therefore it is well-suited as a fireplace construction material. The functional principle of these soapstone fireplaces is based on the masonry stove construction. It uses a brick-lined firebox and a flue system. The flue system works according to the counterflow principle. Thus, the energy generated in the combustion process is used efficiently. In terms of materials, the construction of such a fireplace essentially consists of the following components:
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The actual soapstone slab material Water glass as a binding agent (glassy potassium and sodium silicates solidified from the melt flow) Mineral wool for thermal insulation Stove gaskets for sealing moveable parts
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The following test results apply to all components mentioned above. According to our seal of approval guidelines, the seal of approval is only awarded for products where all components meet the requirements. The need to use personal protective equipment when processing the material within the scope of the standards stipulated by the employer's liability insurance associations is pointed out explicitly. A variety of aids is provided to persons charged with processing these materials. For instance, comprehensive product information and processing regulations can be viewed on the manufacturer's Internet site or can be found in the product-specific printed documentation. The production is subject to continuous internal and external monitoring. Any further examinations exclusively refer to the materials mentioned above and the products manufactured therefrom. The local application of additives or coating which might be necessary is not part of the examination. The safety data sheets were available for reference. There are no issues with respect to safe disposal. There are no hazardous components to be disclosed. Furthermore, a complete declaration of the component materials was available. For more detailed specifications, please contact the manufacturer. In the next part of the expert report, the products are examined for harmlessness with respect to building biology. The results disclosed below are valid for all products mentioned above, if not explicitly stated otherwise.
© Institut für Baubiologie Rosenheim GmbH
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