Effects of time, temperature, and humidity on acetaldehyde emission from wood-based materials

• Published in: Journal of wood science Vol. 60; no. 3; pp. 207 - 214
• Main Authors: Suzuki, Masaki, Akitsu, Hiroshi, Miyamoto, Kohta, Tohmura, Shin-ichiro, Inoue, Akio
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Tokyo Springer-Verlag 2014; Springer Japan; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Acetaldehyde; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Characterization and Evaluation of Materials; Emission analysis; emissions; Empirical equations; equations; Exponential functions; Fiberboard; fiberboards; High performance liquid chromatography; Humidity; Life Sciences; Linear equations; Materials Science; Original Article; Particle board; particleboards; Plywood; Relative humidity; Temperature; Temperature effects; Time dependence; Wood Science & Technology; Relative humidity; Wood-based materials; Temperature; Long-term emission; Acetaldehyde
• ISSN: 1435-0211; 1611-4663
• DOI: 10.1007/s10086-014-1397-z

Acetaldehyde emissions from particleboard, fiberboard, and plywood were studied using the small chamber method and high-performance liquid chromatography analysis. The chamber tests were conducted for 1 month to examine the time dependence of acetaldehyde emission. Effects of temperature and relative humidity were also examined. Acetaldehyde emissions from these wood-based materials decreased rapidly and their behavior could be described by an exponential function or by the sum of two exponential functions. This result suggests that in an adequately ventilated atmosphere, the acetaldehyde emission factor decreases quickly following the board’s production. Under fixed absolute humidity conditions, the initial acetaldehyde emission factor was larger under higher temperature conditions, but tended to show almost the same value after 14 days. This suggests that higher temperatures promote higher initial concentrations and a faster decline of acetaldehyde. A semi-empirical linear equation was obtained for the early stage relationship between the emission factor and temperature. Under fixed temperature conditions, higher relative humidity caused a larger acetaldehyde emission factor throughout the testing period, and it did not result in a significantly faster decline in emissions. The relationship between acetaldehyde emission and relative humidity can be described using an exponential function.