Correlation between the Desiccator Method and 1 m³ Climate Chamber Method for Measuring Formaldehyde Emissions from Veneered Particleboard

Abstract

To shorten the measuring time of formaldehyde emissions from wood-based panels and reduce the costs of quality control processes during industrial furniture production, more efficient methods for measuring formaldehyde emissions from wood-based panels need to be developed. In this study, the formaldehyde emissions from 18-mm-thick veneered particleboard were measured using the desiccator method and the 1 m3 climate chamber method according to Chinese national standard GB/T17657-2013, and the correlation between these two methods was determined. Through a correlation analysis of 60 groups of data, the results indicated that the linear correlation coefficient (R) between two methods was 0.718, and the regression model was established, which by F and P values demonstrated a significant correlation at the 0.01 level of significance. As long as the quality of materials and the production processes remained consistent, the desiccator method was reliable enough for conducting routine quality control measurements of formaldehyde emissions from veneered boards of 18 mm thickness. In case of dispute, the results can be verified using the 1 m3 climate chamber method for accuracy.