Evaluation of VOC Emissions from Building Finishing Materials Using a Small Chamber and VOC Analyser

Abstract

A test chamber method was developed to provide a small and simple emission testing facility capable of testing construction products over a range of climatic parameters, such as temperature, ventilation rate and air velocity, that could be varied independently around typical indoor values. Volatile organic compounds (VOCs), specifically the aromatic hydrocarbons fraction, were measured using a “VOC analyser”. This portable measuring equipment is a simple gas-chromatograph which is designed to measure certain aromatic compounds in indoor air. Compounds separated through the column are detected by a semiconductor gas sensor and the concentration of the target compounds automatically calculated and shown. Correlation of the results from this analyser with those from GC/MS was greater than 99%. We have examined the compounds emitted from various building materials, such as medium density fibreboard, particleboard (PB) and wood-based flooring (laminate flooring and engineered flooring), using test methods with a desiccator and 20L small chamber for analysis of VOCs and formaldehyde emission levels. Over 2 and 7 days, we tested the change of VOC emissions with time and compared the results for each material.