Characteristics of Volatile Organic Compounds Released from Various Types of Decorative Particleboards

Abstract Surface finishes change the characteristics of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) released from wood-based panels. This research studied the effects of different finishes on the VOCs released from particleboard (18 mm thick). Various materials, such as polyvinyl chloride (PVC), melamine paper, and water-based paint, were compared with unfinished particleboard. A 1-m3 climate chamber and gas chromatography–mass spectroscopy were used to examine the types and rates of release and the percentages of various VOCs released by decorative particleboard over 28 days. By comparing the characteristics of VOCs released from unfinished particleboard, the effects of different surface finishes were determined. The VOC substances of concern released from particleboards were analyzed by their type and concentration until they reached a state of equilibrium on day 28. Results showed that none of the surface finishes changed the variety of total VOC (TVOC) released from particleboard, but they had a prominent influence on the rate of TVOC released, especially in the early stages. Acrylic water-based paint increased the TVOC release rate from the particleboard, whereas the PVC and melamine finishes decreased the rate. Surface finishing greatly influences the concentration of various VOCs. Although the same types of VOCs were released by the various finished particleboards, they each had different release rates and different variations in their release-rate tendencies. Surface finishing can change the percentages of various VOC components, so that the amounts were different depending on the finish, and different types of VOCs were controlled better by certain types of finishes.