Formaldehyde and TVOC Emission of Bio-Composites with Attached Fancy Veneer

This study assesses the formaldehyde and TVOC emissions from bio-composites with attached fancy veneer manufactured using wood flour and polypropylene (PP) measured using the Field and Laboratory Emission Cell (FLEC) method and 20 L small chamber method. To determine and compare the effects of the adhesive, samples were prepared with different manufacturing methods. In the FLEC result, the formaldehyde emission level of the bio-composites with attached veneer by hot-press was the lowest than pure bio-composite and bio-composite attached veneer using adhesive. The TVOC emission levels are similar to the formaldehyde emission. The TVOC emission level is very low in all of the samples except fancy veneer that is attached with bio-composites using adhesive. The TVOC emission varies depending on how attaching fancy veneer. The results of the 20 L small chamber method were very similar to those obtained with the FLEC, but the correlation was not perfect. However, the FLEC method requires a shorter time than the 20 L small chamber method to measure the formaldehyde and TVOC emissions. The internal bonding strength exceeded the minimum value of $0.4N/mm^2$ specified by the KS standard. All of the bio-composites with attached veneer satisfied the KS standard.