Evaluation of formaldehyde emissions from composite wood products

Abstract Regarding undesired effects of formaldehyde on the health of people and enviroment, it is desired to evaluate the amount of emission of this gas from a wood composite product in order to introduce a practical method for evaluating the amount of it,s emission from any other wood product. To do this, particleboards of Haloxyon persicum were prepared in three different moisture levels using urea-formaldehyde adhesive. Formaldehyde emissions were evaluated as p.p.m using desciccator method ASTM D 5582-00.The results show that formaldehyde emission is reduced by raising moisture gradient such as emission values were determined as 8.946 ppm, 6.312 ppm and 4.172 ppm for the particleboards with moisture gradients of 0, 2 and 4 percent, respectively. Increasing moisture gradient from 0 to 2 percent resulted in 29 percent and increasing moisture gradient from 2 to 4 percent resulted in 34 percent less formaldehyde emissions, respectively. In addition, comparison these amounts with standard values show that these particleboards should be only used in the outdoors and not be used in the indoors at any way.