A general analytical model for formaldehyde and VOC emission/sorption in single-layer building materials and its application in determining the characteristic parameters

A general analytical model for characterizing emission and sorption of formaldehyde and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in single-layer building materials is developed. Compared with traditional models, the present model can be applicable for four kinds of typical physical processes, i.e., emission in ventilated and airtight chambers, and sorption in these two types of chambers. Based on the general analytical model, a novel method is proposed to determine the characteristic parameters (the diffusion coefficient, Dm, and the material/air partition coefficient, K) of formaldehyde and VOC sorption in ventilated and airtight chambers. It establishes a linear relationship between the logarithm of dimensionless excess concentration and sorption time, and the Dm and K can be conveniently obtained from the slope and intercept of the regression line. The results of applying the present model are compared with the experimental data in the literature. The good agreement between them not only validates the model but also demonstrates that the measured characteristic parameters are accurate and reliable. The general analytical model should prove useful for unified characterization and prediction of emission/sorption in building materials as well as for parameter measurement.

► A general analytical model for formaldehyde and VOC emission/sorption is developed.
► A novel method is proposed to determine the characteristic parameters of sorption.
► The model and the parameter measurement method are validated with experimental data.