Formaldehyde Emission from Particleboard and Plywood Paneling: Measurement, Mechanism, and Product Standards

A number of commercial pane products, primarily particleboard and hardwood plywood, were tested for their formaldehyde emission behavior using desiccator, perforator, and dynamic chamber methods. The results were analyzed in terms of the source of formaldehyde observed in the tests (free vs. hydrolytically produced) and the potential utility, of the tests as product standards for boards in mobile homes. A greater than tenfold range of formaldehyde emissions was observed, well above and below levels that would be acceptable for proposed mobile home air levels. It was demonstrated that observed maxima in dynamic-concentration-time curves were due to depletion of initial board free formaldehyde (as measured by perforator) and emission of hydrolytically produced formaldehyde at a lower rate. The 2-hour desiccator test measures less than 0.5 percent of the boards’ initial free formaldehyde content and therefore does not necessarily reflect resin hydrolytic stability. Approximate linear correlations were observed between desiccator or perforator values and dynamic chamber.. concentrations. However, large deviations occurred from the linear regressions. It was concluded that without large safety factors and/or much more testing to clarify those deviations neither the desiccator nor perforator test could provide reliable product standards for board emission.

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