Fraunhofer Institute for Building Physics IBPPhotos: Environment, Hygiene and Sensor Technology
The business unit “Combustion and Environmental Technology” at Fraunhofer IBP operates an accredited testing, monitoring and certification center for fireplaces and exhaust systems and also carries out applied research.
It might not be the only collection in Germany but it is unique. This is partly because it consists of both photosynthetically active organisms (algae) and photosynthetically inactive ones (fungi and bacteria). It is also because of the “work” carried out by the microorganisms: they infest components. The scientists originally isolated the organisms from samples of building damage and have now compiled a so-called “live database”.
In the filter test facility at Fraunhofer IBP, a large number of different and often special-purpose tests are carried out. In this way, extreme thermodynamic boundary conditions can be created, for example. For test purposes, a wide variety of organic and inorganic test substances and aerosols can be introduced into the stream of test gas by the scientists, where they are then measured with online analyzers or transferred for laboratory analysis.
Biocides present in building products, waters and aqueous extracts are identified and quantified with ultra-high performance liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry.
Liquid chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry is used to analyze volatile organic compounds in solvent extracts. Typical substances which are analyzed include organyl phosphates (e.g. TCP, TEP), wood preservatives (PCP, Lindane) and lubricating oils.
Quantifying water-soluble amines by means of ultra-high performance liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry.