Installations and Assembly

Essential Adhesive Product Component
Nearly equal in importance to wood fiber is the
adhesive used to bond the wood fiber or particles.
Because of their versatility, relatively low cost, and
outstanding ability as adhesives for interior
applications, urea-formaldehyde (UF) adhesives
contributed to the rapid worldwide growth of
both the particleboard and MDF industries
during the last half of the 20th century. UFs have
been improved in recent years and remain the most
widely used adhesives for manufacturing composite
wood products around the world.
Important Finish Component
Finished composite wood panels are the principal
components of household and office furniture,
kitchen and bath cabinetry, millwork and fixtures.
These products consist of a core material such as
particleboard, MDF, or hardboard that is finished
or laminated to achieve the desired aesthetic and
functional properties. Designers should select a
surfacing option that meets functional and
aesthetic requirements, and acts as an effective
emission barrier. Additionally, designers can
specify a core material certified to meet low
emission standards. The Composite Panel
Association certifies both particleboard and MDF
to low emission ANSI standards for those products.
Formaldehyde, VOCS and Indoor Air
Many familiar odors in everyday life are actually
volatile organic compounds (VOCs). They
include the smell of baking bread, flowers and
perfumes as well as decomposing vegetables and
skunks. VOCs, including formaldehyde, are also
naturally emitted from wood.
VOCs comprise thousands of compounds, many of
which may be at higher concentrations indoors than
outdoors. Well-designed scientific experiments can
help determine what VOCs are present and if the
concentrations exceed levels that may affect health
or comfort. However, measuring and understanding
VOCs presents some important challenges because
of multiple definitions for VOCs, the lack of a
standardized test methodology, and the absence of a
uniform procedure for calculating VOCs.
The VOC formaldehyde is a simple hydrocarbon
(HCHO) that is produced by plants, animals and
humans during normal metabolic processes. Most
people produce 1 1/2 ounces daily. It is also a by-
product of combustion and is a commonly used
compound in many practical applications, for
example in adhesives, paints, and personal hygiene
products. Its use has been prevalent in a variety of
industrial products for 100 years. Because of its
widespread application in adhesives, it is found in
many building products such as particleboard and
MDF. The long-standing knowledge of this VOC
has led to the development of testing procedures for
assessing formaldehyde product emissions, which
has contributed to the significant reduction of
formaldehyde emissions from particleboard and
MDF of 80% or greater since the late 1970s and
early 1980s.
Emission Standards and the Importance of
Finishes
American National Standards Institute (ANSI)
A208.1 (Particleboard) and A208.2 (MDF) are the
North American industry standards for physical
properties and formaldehyde emissions. There are
no ANSI standards for other VOC emissions from
either product, whether unfinished or finished.
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The information in this
document is believed to be
reliable. However, the
determination of suitability of
this information for any use
or application remains the
sole responsibility of the user.
No guarantees,
representations or express or
implied warranties are made
regarding the accuracy and
completeness of this
information, and the
Composite Panel Association
(CPA) assumes no
responsibility or liability for
any loss or damage through
reliance upon it.
Copyright 2003
Composite
Panel Association
All rights reserved.
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