Impacts of Process Parameters on VOC Emissions from Treated Poplar Wood with Low Molecular Weight Urea-Formaldehyde Resin

Jun Shen, Jingxian Wang, Qi Fe

Abstract

Poplar wood was usually impregnated with low molecular weight thermosetting resins to improve its physical and mechanical properties. However, volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and formaldehyde emitted from treated wood have leaded to poor indoor air quality (IAQ). The trends of VOC emissions as a function of the pressing time and pressure factors were mainly investigated in this work. Aldehydes, alkanes and terpenes were the predominant compositions identified in the VOC emissions, although low amounts of ketones and alcohols were also found. With increasing of the pressing time and pressure, weight percent gain (WPG) clearly increased, whereas VOC concentrations increased considerably at the first stage and then began to decrease after a pressing time of 2.5 h at the 43.36 WP level, and after a pressure of 0.95 MPa at the 44.41 WPG level. This showed that VOC emissions from poplar wood impregnated by UF resin were directly influenced by WPG that was affected by process parameters. Therefore, it may be possible to reduce VOC emissions by optimizing the parameters investigated in this work.