Surface emission monitoring of pressed-wood products containing urea-formaldehyde resins

T.G Matthews,K.W Fung,B.J Tromberg,A.R Hawthorne

doi:10.1016/0160-4120(86)90043-7

Abstract

A survey of formaldehyde (CH 2O) emission rates from U.S.-manufactured particleboard, hardwood plywood paneling, and medium density fiberboard products has been performed using a Formaldehyde Surface Emission Monitor (FSEM). The results indicate approximately two orders of magnitude variation in CH 2O emission rates between weakly emitting paneling and strongly emitting fiberboard products. The measured CH 2O emission rates for particleboard, paneling, and fiberboard products averaged 0.30, 0.17 and 1.5 mg/m 2 h, respectively. Sources of variation in CH 2O emission rate data among the survey boards are investigated. The relative intraboard, interboard, and intermanufacturer variation observed in the test data varies strongly between particleboard, paneling, and fiberboard product categories. The FSEM has also been used to determine the CH 2O emission rate of carpet-covered particleboard underlayment in two unfurnished research homes. Measurements were conducted at 16 different temperature and relative humidity (RH) conditions ranging from 17–29 °C and 41%–88% RH to field-test the response of the ESEM to varying CH 2O emission strength resulting from the variable environmental conditions. Substituting the FSEM CH 2O emission rate data into a simple steady-state, CH 2O concentration model (that does not account for variation in temperature and RH conditions) gave good agreement between FSEM-modeled and measured CH 2O concentrations.

Highlights

Formaldehyde (CH,O) is an important indoor air pollutant (Gough et al, 1983) that is emitted by a variety of formaldehyde resin-containing products in indoor environments (Calvert, 1981)
Approximate 1-to-l, intermethod correlations between CH20 emission rates measured with the Formaldehyde Surface Emission Monitor (FSEM) and small-scale chamber tests have been observed, for pressed-wood products and urea-formaldehYde foam insulation encased in simulated wall panels (Matthews et ai., 1984, 1986b)
The results are evaluated by substituting the CH20 emission rate data into a steadystate CH20 concentration model to compare against measured CH20 levels

Summary

0160-4120/86S3.00 + .OO Copyright Q 1986 Pergamon Journals Ltd. SURFACE EMISSION MONITORING OF PRESSED=WOOD PRODUCTS CONTAINING UREA=FORMALDEHYDE RESINS. A survey of formaldehyde (CH*O) emission rates from U.S.-manufactured particleboard, hardwood plywood paneling, and medium density fiberboard products has been performed using a Formaldehyde Surface Emission Monitor (FSEM). The results indicate approximately two orders of magnitude variation in CHsO emission rates between weakly emitting paneling and strongly emitting fiberboard products. Interboard, and intermanufacturer variation observed in the test data varies strongly between particleboard, paneling, and fiberboard product categories. Measurements were conducted at 16 different temperature and relative humidity (RH) conditions ranging from 17-29 “C and 41%-88% RH to field-test the response of the FSEM to varying CH20 emission strength resulting from the variable environmental conditions. Substituting the FSEM CHsO emission rate data into a simple steady-state, CH20 concentration model (that does not account for variation in temperature and RH conditions) gave good agreement between FSEM-modeled and measured CH,O concentrations

Introduction

Experimental Designs and Methods

Results and Discussion

Model Mean Squares and

Medium Density

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