Currently, the Vietnamese market offers various types of engineered wood panels used for furniture, including fiberboard (MDF), particleboard, plywood, and laminated wood. Among these, fiberboard products are the focus of significant investment from domestic enterprises and have a large market with many applications in furniture such as beds, wardrobes, tables, chairs, and flooring.
Urea-formaldehyde (UF) and phenol-formaldehyde (PF) adhesives are the most commonly used binders in the wood processing industry for manufacturing engineered wood products, especially in the production of fiberboard (MDF). However, in practical production and usage, UF and PF adhesives often have high levels of free formaldehyde. Under favorable conditions such as high humidity and temperature, engineered wood panels and products made from them can emit formaldehyde into the environment. When exposed to and absorbed by the human body, formaldehyde can cause various health issues, including eye, nose, and throat irritation, dermatitis, and even cancer. Therefore, it is essential to control the formaldehyde content in these products.
Several methods are used to measure emission concentrations, including the 1m³ chamber method, desiccator method, test chamber method, gas analysis method, and extraction method. In Vietnam, the emission levels from engineered wood products are controlled, classified, and regulated under QCVN 16:2023/BXD and determined using the 1m³ chamber method according to TCVN 11899-1:2018 (ISO 12460-1). This method is considered the most accurate for evaluating real-world environmental conditions and is widely used worldwide to classify formaldehyde emission levels.
The testing principle of the method is summarized as follows: The sample, with a known surface area and pre-stabilized, is placed in a 1m³ chamber where temperature, relative humidity, air speed, and air exchange rate are adjusted to specified values. Formaldehyde emitted from the sample mixes with the air in the chamber. This air mixture is periodically sampled at defined intervals. Formaldehyde concentration is determined by transferring air from the chamber into a bubbling flask containing water to absorb the formaldehyde. The formaldehyde concentration in the water is measured. The formaldehyde concentration in the chamber is calculated based on the formaldehyde concentration in the water and the volume of air sampled. This concentration is expressed in milligrams per cubic meter (mg/m³). Sampling continues periodically until the formaldehyde concentration in the chamber stabilizes.
The Center for Organic Materials and Construction Chemicals at the Vietnam Institute for Building Materials (VIBM) is a leading research and testing facility in Vietnam for engineered wood products, gypsum boards, paints, sealants, composite materials, plastics, and rubber. Currently, the Center is conducting evaluations of formaldehyde emission levels in accordance with standards such as TCVN 11899-1:2018, ISO 12460-1, EN 717-1, ASTM D6007-02, and others.
Contact details:
Center for Organic Materials and Construcion Chemicals - VIBM
Address: 235 Nguyen Trai Street, Thanh Xuan Trung Ward, Thanh Xuan District, Hanoi, Vietnam
Phone: +84 243 858 2912; +84 912 280 980; +84 983 373 827; +84 972 214 472
Email: trungtam.vlhc@gmail.com; vatlieuhuuco@vibm.vn
Website: http://vibm.vn
Center for Organic Materials and Construction Chemicals