(a) At least 1 hour before the test, place each filter in a closed (to eliminate dust contamination) but unsealed (to permit humidity exchange) petri dish and place in a weighing chamber meeting the specifications of §92.110(a) of this section for stabilization.

(b) At the end of the stabilization period, weigh each filter on the microbalance. This reading is the tare weight and must be recorded.

(c) The filter shall then be stored in a covered petri dish or a sealed filter holder until needed for testing. If the filters are transported to a remote test location, the filter pairs, stored in individual petri dishes, should be transported in sealed plastic bags to prevent contamination. At the conclusion of a test run, the filters should be removed from the filter holder, and placed face to face in a covered but unsealed petri dish, with the primary filter placed face up in the dish. The filters shall be weighed as a pair. If the filters need to be transported from a remote test site, back to the weighing chamber, the petri dishes should be placed in a sealed plastic bag to prevent contamination. Care should be taken in transporting the used filters such that they are not exposed to excessive, sustained direct sunlight, or excessive handling.

(d) After the emissions test, and after the sample and back-up filters have been returned to the weighing room after being used, they must be conditioned for at least 1 hour but not more than 80 hours and then weighed. This reading is the gross weight of the filter and must be recorded.

(e) The net weight of each filter is its gross weight minus its tare weight. Should the sample on the filter contact the petri dish or any other surface, the test is void and must be rerun.

(f) The particulate filter weight (Pf) is the sum of the net weight of the primary filter plus the net weight of the backup filter.

(g) The following optional weighting procedure is permitted:

(1) At the end of the stabilization period, weigh both the primary and back-up filters as a pair. This reading is the tare weight and must be recorded.

(2) After the emissions test, in removing the filters from the filter holder, the back-up filter is inverted on top of the primary filter. They must then be conditioned in the weighing chamber for at least 1 hour but not more than 80 hours. The filters are then weighed as a pair. This reading is the gross weight of the filters (Pf) and must be recorded.

(3) Paragraphs (a), (c), and (e) of this section apply to this option, except that the word “filter” is replaced by “filters”.