CChES’s ‘new car smell’ analysis supports the launch of the new Nissan LEAF
Experts at CChES have used advanced chemical analysis techniques to help Nissan ensure the air inside its new LEAF meets safety standards for volatile organic compounds (VOCs), supporting its smooth launch to market.
The ‘new car smell’ is caused by the release of VOCs from materials such as solvents and plastics used in the car’s manufacture. As part of the approval process for the new LEAF, Nissan accessed CChES’s specialist chromatography-mass spectrometry expertise and advanced instrumentation to ensure concentration levels of VOCs inside the car were within the company’s exacting standards.
Bespoke analytical assays
Professor Geraint (Taff) Morgan and colleagues Dr Julie Herniman and Dr Celia Lourenco, from the Chromatography & Mass Spectrometry Facility in the School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, developed, optimised and validated bespoke analytical assays to ‘sniff’ specific chemical compounds in air taken from the interior of a brand new LEAF.
The findings validated Dr Sonia García-Alcega’s work at Nissan Technical Centre Europe to mitigate VOC emissions, with concentration levels found to be within the company’s stringent standards.
Read more about the project
As well as providing scientific rigour, working with CChES has removed the logistical challenges that Nissan has encountered with previous test houses, as Mark Ellis, Manager – Materials Design and Test at Nissan Technical Centre Europe, explains:
“It has always been a challenge to get this type of analysis done within a quick turnaround time, and Taff and his colleagues at CChES have enabled that.”
“Our working relationship with Taff and the CChES team is excellent. We’re very pleased with the results and we look forward to moving forward with them for future investigations.”
Mark Ellis, Manager – Materials Design and Test, Nissan Technical Centre Europe
Contributing to the University’s knowledge exchange and enterprise strategy
Professor Nicci Cambell, Associate Dean (Knowledge Exchange and Enterprise) at the University of Southampton, adds: “The recent launch of CChES is the latest initiative from the Faculty of Engineering and Physical Sciences, at the University of Southampton, to connect our world-class research expertise with the needs of industry.
“We are delighted that such a large global manufacturer, such as Nissan, has strategically selected Professor Morgan and his team to provide the analytical capabilities that have allowed them to release the latest LEAF and any future models in the years to come.”