Comparison of rapid testing systems for determining VOC-emissions from wood products with the chamber method

The objective of this study is to evaluate rapid testing methods suitable for the assessment of VOC-emissions from wood products. In Europe, mainly the emission test chamber method according to ISO 16000-9 is used for emission testing of wood products. This method is elaborate and time-consuming, therefore rapid testing methods are desirable alternatives for process control as well as for screening purposes during the development of new products. - Three different materials made from pine wood (Pinus sylvestris L. or Pinus ssp.) were tested: solid timber, OSB, and fibre board. For rapid testing, a slightly modified gas analysis instrument was applied, originally designed for formaldehyde testing according to EN 7 17-2, and a commercially available thermoextractor. The chamber method (ISO 16000-9) was used as reference method. Sampling and sample analysis were always carried out according to ISO 16000-6. - Irrespective of the method, timber had the highest emissions rates of terpenes, and OSB had the highest rates for aldehydes. The absolute values of the emission rates could not be compared between the different methods. However, the ratio of the sum of emitted terpenes to the sum of emitted aldehydes was similar and typical for each wood product, and can be used as valid characteristic for comparative tests. The reproducibility of the tests depended highly on the homogeneity of the sample and its size. Further work is needed to relate the results of rapid testing to the results from emission chamber testing. lt is especially important to determine which point in time during chamber testing can be simulated by rapid testing. While terpene emissions can easily be accelerated with increasing the temperature, this seems not to be possible for aldehyde emissions due to their complex formation process