Evaluation of impact factors on VOC emissions and concentrations from wooden flooring based on chamber tests

Chi Chi Lin*, Kuo Pin Yu, Ping Zhao, Grace Whei-May Lee

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

133 Scopus citations

Abstract

In this study, the impact factors of temperature, relative humidity (RH), air exchange rate, and volatile organic compound (VOC) properties on the VOC (toluene, n-butyl acetate, ethylbenzene, and m,p-xylene) specific emission rates (SERs) and concentrations from wooden flooring were investigated by chamber test for 8 days. The tested wood in this study is not common solid wood, but composite wood made of combined wood fibers. The experiments were conducted in a stainless-steel environmental test chamber coated with Teflon. The experimental results within 8 days of testing showed that, when the temperature increased from 15 to 30 °C, the VOC SERs and concentrations increased 1.5-129 times. When the RH increased from 50% to 80%, the VOC concentrations and SERs increased 1-32 times. When the air change rate increased from 1 to 2 h-1, the VOC concentrations decreased 9-40%, while the VOC SERs increased 6-98%. The relations between the boiling points of the VOCs and each of the normalized VOC SERs and concentrations were linear with negative slopes. The relations between the vapor pressures of the VOCs and each of the normalized VOC SERs and concentrations were linear with positive slopes. At 15 °C, RH50%, the relations between the diffusivities of VOCs and each of the normalized VOC equilibrium SERs and concentrations were linear with a positive slope.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)525-533
Number of pages9
JournalBuilding and Environment
Volume44
Issue number3
DOIs
StatePublished - Mar 2009

Keywords

  • Air exchange rate
  • Environmental test chamber
  • Relative humidity
  • Temperature
  • Wooden flooring

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