Formaldehyde sorption and desorption characteristics of gypsum wallboard

Conference · Wed Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 1986

OSTI ID:5564804

Matthews, T G; Hawthorne, A R; Thompson, C V

The sorption and subsequent desorption of formaldehyde (CH/sub 2/O) vapor from unpainted gypsum wallboard has been investigated in environmental chamber experiments conducted at 23/sup 0/C, 50% relative humidity, an air exchange to board loading ratio of 0.43 m/h, and CH/sub 2/O concentrations ranging from 0 to 0.50 mg/m/sup 3/. Both CH/sub 2/O sorption and desorption processes are described using a three-parameter, single-exponential model with an exponential lifetime of 2.9 +- 0.1 days. The storage capacity of gypsum board for CH/sub 2/O vapor results in a time-dependent buffer to changes in CH/sub 2/O vapor concentration surrounding the board, but appears to cause only a weak, permanent loss mechanism for CH/sub 2/O vapor. Short-term CH/sub 2/O desorption rates from CH/sub 2/O-exposed gypsum board (prior to significant depletion of sorbed CH/sub 2/O) exhibit a linear dependence with negative slope on CH/sub 2/O vapor concentration analogous to CH/sub 2/O emissions from pressed-wood products bonded with urea-formaldehyde resins.

• Research Organization: Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (USA)
• DOE Contract Number: AC05-84OR21400
• OSTI ID: 5564804
• Report Number(s): CONF-860606-9; ON: DE86012632
• Resource Relation: Conference: Air Pollution Control Association annual meeting and exhibition, Minneapolis, MN, USA, 22 Jun 1986
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
FORMALDEHYDE
SORPTIVE PROPERTIES
GYPSUM
HUMIDITY
INDOOR AIR POLLUTION
PAINTS
VAPORS
VENTILATION
AIR POLLUTION
ALDEHYDES
ALKALINE EARTH METAL COMPOUNDS
CALCIUM COMPOUNDS
CALCIUM SULFATES
COATINGS
FLUIDS
GASES
MINERALS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
POLLUTION
SULFATE MINERALS
SULFATES
SULFUR COMPOUNDS
SURFACE PROPERTIES
500200* - Environment
Atmospheric- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport- (-1989)