Study on formaldehyde and total volatile organic compound (TVOC) release from negative ion engineered wood panels

Authors: Peng You1, Liu Mengmeng2, Peng Lizheng3

Organizations: 1. Yucheng Furunde Wood Industry Co., Ltd.; 2. Shandong Provincial Institute of Product Quality Inspection; 3. National Center for Quality Supervision and Inspection of Decoration and Building Materials

Source: China Wood-based Panels, Issue 5, 2018

Introduction

Using methods specified by national standards to test the formaldehyde and total volatile organic compound (TVOC) emissions from negative ion decorative panels, it was found that using negative ion catalysis technology to release negative ions from the decorative engineered wood panels can effectively reduce the release of formaldehyde and TVOCs. Furthermore, it was found that as the concentration of negative ions in the decorative panels increases, the release of formaldehyde and TVOCs decreases.

Scientific research has confirmed that negative ions improve air quality and benefit human health. With increasing consumer awareness of environmental and health concerns, negative ion decorative panels, as a new type of environmentally friendly material, are increasingly being used in interior decoration. Negative ion engineered wood panels are generally made by micronizing natural minerals that generate negative ions, producing micron- or nano-sized ultrafine powders, and then blending, impregnating, grafting, or coating them with the constituent units of engineered wood panels. Currently, there are two main manufacturing processes for negative ion engineered wood panels in my country: one involves adding negative ion additives to the engineered wood substrate and producing the panel through blending and impregnation; the other uses catalyst technology to change the electric field of wood molecules, creating a potential difference that causes water molecules in the wood to electrolyze, releasing negative ions into the air through the pores of the panel's surface layer.

Currently, there is considerable research on the preparation process of negative ion engineered wood panels, but relatively few reports on the impact of adding negative ion materials on the performance of engineered wood panels and on the testing of negative ion release performance. Therefore, this paper, in accordance with GB 18580-2017 "Formaldehyde Emission Limits in Engineered Wood Panels and Their Products for Interior Decoration and Renovation" and HJ 571-2010 "Technical Requirements for Environmental Labeling Products: Engineered Wood Panels and Their Products", tested formaldehyde and total volatile organic compounds (TVOC) in ordinary engineered wood panels and negative ion engineered wood panels to study the influence of negative ions on the formaldehyde and TVOC release of these panels.

The main conclusions drawn are as follows:

1) Negative ions are effective in reducing the release of formaldehyde, benzene, TVOC and other substances from decorative panels.

2) The higher the negative ion concentration of the decorative panel, the lower the formaldehyde and TVOC emissions of the board. However, further experiments are needed to quantify the relationship between negative ion concentration and formaldehyde and TVOC emissions to find the inflection point between negative ion concentration and formaldehyde and TVOC emissions, so as to determine the negative ion concentration at which the formaldehyde and TVOC emissions are at their lowest.

3) In the future, while pursuing high concentrations of negative ions released by the boards, we must also consider the safety of the materials and further determine whether the negative ion catalyst, while playing a role in purifying pollutants, has any negative effects on human health due to excessive radon levels.