Temperature-sensitive microcapsules modification treatment to reduce formaldehyde emission from wood-based panels

ABSTRACT

The formaldehyde emission performance of wood-based panels treated with temperature-sensitive microcapsules was evaluated in this study. Formaldehyde scavenger-filled microcapsules were synthesized by the emulsion-solvent method using ethylcellulose and poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAM) as shell materials containing urea. The results demonstrated that the temperature-sensitive microcapsules exhibited perfect core–shell structures at a core/shell/PNIPAM ratio of 2:2:1. The loading capacity and loading efficiency of the functional core material of the microcapsules reached 33% and 59%, respectively. Compared with untreated panels, panels based on the temperature-sensitive microcapsule scavenger had better performance in controlling free formaldehyde emissions, the formaldehyde emission of treated panels decreased by 42% and 41% at room temperature and 40°C, respectively. The results indicated that the reason why the wood-based panels had a long-term low-level emission was that the microcapsules showed different release behaviour at different temperature, so they have different release paths and release principles.

KEYWORDS:

• Formaldehyde emission
• formaldehyde scavenger
• microcapsule
• plywood
• temperature-sensitive polymer

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

The authors are grateful for the financial support provided by the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities under [grant number 2572020BB01].