Formaldehyde emission and VOCs from LVLs produced with three grades of urea-formaldehyde resin modified with nanocellulose

Three grades of liquid urea-formaldehyde (UF) resins with different formaldehyde emission (HCHO) levels such as super E0 (SE0), E0 and E1 were modified by adding different amounts of microfibrillated cellulose (MFC, 5 wt%). The laminated veneer lumbers (LVLs) were produced from the unmodified and modified SE0, E0, and E1 grade resins. The total volatile organic compounds (TVOC) and HCHO of the LVLs were determined at 25 °C, 35 °C, and 45 °C for 30 min using a thermal extractor. The highest VOC emitted from the LVLs was found to be toluene, followed by xylene, benzene, and ethyl-benzene, respectively. Styrene, however, was not detected at all in any of the systems. The incorporation of the MFC into the SE0 up to 30 wt% significantly decreased the formaldehyde emission from of the UF resin while this not observed for E0 and E1 grade resins. The TVOC from the LVLs considerably decreased with increasing MFC content at 25 °C and 35 °C. The use of MFC in the UF resin can be environmentally friendly solution for reducing the TVOC from the wood-based panels, in particular for indoor furniture at 25 °C and 35 °C.