Particleboard manufacturing with low formaldehyde content for indoor applications

ABSTRACT

The aim of this study is to obtain the allowable formaldehyde emission value for E1 class boards by reducing the formaldehyde content of the most preferred particleboards. For this purpose, a Formaldehyde Scavenger Solution (FS) was synthesized by using Mono Ethanol Amine (MEA), Ammonium Chloride (AC) and Distilled Water (DW) mixture. Urea formaldehyde resin was used as a virgin adhesive. Three-layer particleboards were produced and their mechanical and physical properties were determined in accordance with the relevant standards. Formaldehyde contents were specified per the EN 120 perforator method. As a result of this study, FS was successfully synthesized and has been successful in reducing formaldehyde content values in the manufactured particleboards. The lowest formaldehyde content was observed in the FS5 boards, which reduced the formaldehyde content by 51.57% compared to the control group. However, the usage of FS negatively affected the mechanical and physical properties. Considering all the mechanical and physical properties of the particleboard with low formaldehyde content, it is possible to say that the best results are achieved with the usage of FS at the lowest rates (2.5% and 5%). As a result, Formaldehyde Scavenger Solution might be utilized during particleboard manufacturing with the virgin Urea Formaldehyde resin.

KEYWORDS:

• Formaldehyde emission
• formaldehyde scavenger
• perforator method
• particleboard
• mechanical and physical properties

Acknowledgement

Special thanks to Kastamonu Integrated Adana MDF Facility for providing Urea Formaldehyde (UF) resin and chips.

Disclosure statement

The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper.