3.1 Limitations have been established on formaldehyde emission levels for wood panel building products made with urea-formaldehyde adhesives and permanently installed in homes or used as components in kitchen cabinets and for similar industrial products. This test method is used in conjunction with the test method referenced by HUD Rules and Regulations 24 CFR 3280 for manufactured housing, California Air Resources Board (CARB) regulation 93120, and by Minnesota Statutes Section 144.495 for housing units and building materials. This test method provides a means of testing small-size samples to determine formaldehyde emission potential.

3.2 This test method incorporates a desiccator, with the desiccant removed, having a 250-mm (10-in.) inside diameter and a volume of approximately 10.5 L (641 in.³) with the desiccator lid in place. Conditions controlled in the procedure are as follows:

3.2.1 Conditioning of panel products prior to testing,

3.2.2 Specified number, size, and edge sealing of wood specimens to be placed in the desiccator,

3.2.3 Test desiccator temperature, and

3.2.4 Samples from the 25-mL distilled water collection medium in the petri dish bottom are analyzed for formaldehyde at the end of a 2-h period in the closed desiccator.

3.3 This test method employs a single set of environmental conditions to assess formaldehyde emission potential from certain wood products. When the relationship between desiccator test values and large-chamber test values are to be determined, the values for the specific wood panel product type shall be plotted. This test method does allow a comparison of formaldehyde levels from different products for the same use.

Note 2: Care must be exercised in the extension of the results to actual formaldehyde emission from products under actual use conditions.

1.1 This test method covers a small scale procedure for measuring formaldehyde emission potential from wood products under defined test conditions. The formaldehyde level is determined by collecting air-borne formaldehyde in a small distilled water reservoir within a closed desiccator. The quantity of formaldehyde is determined by a modification of the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) 3500 chromotropic acid test procedure. Other analytical procedures may be used to determine formaldehyde emission potential provided that such methods give similar results to the chromotropic acid procedure. However, the test results and test report must be properly qualified and the analytical procedure employed must be noted. Procedures based on acetylacetone and pararosaniline have been found to give similar results to chromotropic acid in other test methods used in determining formaldehyde emission potential from wood products (see Test Method E1333).

1.2 Wood products typically evaluated by this test method are made with urea-formaldehyde adhesives and include particleboard, hardwood, plywood, and medium-density fiberboard. This test method is used for product quality control and is a small bench test method that correlates with the large-scale acceptance test for determining formaldehyde levels from wood products, Test Method E1333. The general desiccator testing procedure may be modified for different conditioning times to accommodate its use in manufacturing quality control. However, the test results must be properly qualified and the conditioning time employed must be noted.

Note 1: If modifications are made to the conditioning period for quality control purposes, it is important that the modification is consistently applied. Otherwise, the results may not be comparable.

1.3 The values stated in SI units are to be regarded as the standard. The values given in parentheses are for information only.

1.4 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety and health practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use. For specific hazard statements, see Section 6 and 8.2.5.