Measurements of VOC Emission from Polyurethane Varnish for Interior Use

Abstract

The emission of volatile organic compounds (VOC) from single-component polyurethane varnish applied to beech plywood at two temperatures (33°C, 43°C) has been investigated in a small environmental chamber. The experimental results indicated that the concentration of each compound, as well as the total volatile organic compounds (TVOC), increased rapidly after the start of experiment, and attained their maximum values at 0.5 h. The concentrations decreased rapidly after 0.5 h, and then decreased more slowly in the period 2 – 24 h. The concentrations of isopropylbenzene, n-decane and TVOC were higher in the 43°C test than in the 33°C test within the first 1.5 h. The influences of temperature on the concentrations of these pollutants were different during the period 1.5 – 24 h.