Panel formaldehyde emission test

The formaldehyde emission test on the plywood panels was carried out according to the specification prescribed in European norm EN-210, by the perforator method [26]. 

Standard practice for the determination of VOCs (excluding formaldehyde) emissions from wood-based panels using small environmental chambers under defined test conditions... 

In China, formaldehyde emission of the pressed-wood products sold is generally high. A test showed that the average formaldehyde release rates of four kinds of typical wood-based panels, i.e., particle board, medium-density... 

Product tests. Clearly, the best product test is full-scale testing of finished panels under actual use conditions. This has been done (27,38) but is expensive, because several full-sized panels of each product must be pre-conditioned at constant temperature and humidity for at least a week. The next best approach is to test product samples in air chambers under standardized conditions. A summary of such methods is contained in Table I. A very large effort has been made over the last three decades world-wide to develop quick, reliable and meaningful product tests. Wittmann (16), Zartl (20), Plath (17), Verbestel (1, Neusser (21,22), Roffael (25), HUD, the U.S. Forest Products Industry (39,40), many standaraization organizations (41-43) and others have published many viable methods, but the testing involves a combination of complex factors and there is simply no single test that fulfills everybody s specific needs. Table I list some of the currently accepted test methods for formaldehyde emission from particleboard, plywood and medium density fiberboard. 

G. Gramp, W. Groah. "Evaluation of the relationship between formaldehyde emission from particleboard mobile home decking and hardwood plywood wall paneling as determined by product test methods and formaldehyde levels in experimental mobile homes." U.S. Dept. of Housing and Urban Development, 1982. 

Since Nestler s review was published, some additional information on formaldehyde emissions from phenolic panels has appeared in the literature. Information obtained using dynamic test chambers is summarized in Table I. Perforator and two-hour desiccator data are summarized in Table II. 

Formaldehyde as a pollutant in the indoor air is usually connected with the use of formaldehyde based resins in e.g. building materials and in furniture. This article presents measurements of the formaldehyde emission from various products containing urea-formaldehyde (UF) or phenol-formaldehyde (PF) resins. The emission from all test objects have been measured in a ventilated test chamber at the standardized testing atmosphere 23 C, 50 % RH according to the International Organization for Standardization (ISO). The emission from woodbased panels and other materials have been measured at a loading factor of 1.0 m /m and at an air change rate of 1.0 h . ... 

In Denmark, Finland, Norway, Sweden and in West Germany the content of formaldehyde in woodbased panels are regulated by perforator values. In Denmark and West Germany these rules furthermore are based upon requirements of the formaldehyde emission to the air in ventilated test chambers. The regulations in Sweden include at the moment only UF-bonded particle boards. The boards should not exceed a perforatorvalue of 40 mg free formaldehyde per 100 gram dry board. 

The U.S.Department for Housing and Urban Development s rule 3280.308 established formaldehyde emission standards for particleboard and hardwood plywood paneling used in mobile homes. These standards took effect February 11, 1985. The certification program under this rule requires each manufacturer to develop a quality control in-plant testing program that relates to tests conducted in a large scale environmental chamber. 

Determining Formaldehyde Emission from Wood Products" FTM-2 - 1983 (16). In this method, particleboard and hardwood plywood paneling are tested under the following conditions ... 

Singh Walcott, J. St. Pierre, C. Ferrel, T. Garrison, S. Groah, w. "Evaluation of the Relationship Between Formaldehyde Emissions from Particleboard Mobile Home Decking and Hardwood Plywood Wall Paneling Determined by Product Test Methods and Formaldehyde Levels in Experimental Mobile Homes" Clayton Environmental Consultants, Inc., Report, Prepared on Contract No. AC-5222, H.U.D., March, 1982. 

Within the frame of a project focused on the reduction of formaldehyde emissions from wood-based panels a number of M-DME and U-DME derived resins have been tested [5, 12]. The aim of the project was the development of... 

The tannin/hexamine binders alone produced panels with zero formaldehyde emission when tested by the desiccator method [33]. 

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