What is Formaldehyde?
Formaldehyde is a common building block for the synthesis of more complex compounds and materials. In approximate order of decreasing consumption, products generated from formaldehyde include urea formaldehyde resin, melamine resin, phenol formaldehyde resin, polyoxymethylene plastics, 1,4-butanediol, and methylene diphenyl diisocyanate. The textile industry uses formaldehyde-based resins as finishers to make fabrics crease-resistant. Formaldehyde-based materials are key to the manufacture of automobiles, and used to make components for the transmission, electrical system, engine block, door panels, axles and brake shoes
Formaldehyde Around Us
Formaldehyde, when reacted with phenol, urea, or melamine formaldehyde produces, respectively, hard thermoset phenol formaldehyde resin a constituent of resins such as Urea Formaldehyde, Phenol Formaldehyde or Melamine Formaldehyde are used to make Plywood and MDF. These are the most common material base for home furniture and home furnishing item. The sofa, kitchen cabinets, wardrobe and other wood based furnishing item that you bought home all contain Formaldehyde.
Danger of Formaldehyde
Formaldehyde can be toxic, allergenic and carcinogenic as it is a highly reactive chemical that causes indoor air quality problems in the home or offices from furniture and home furnishing item. At concentrations above 0.1 ppm in air, formaldehyde can irritate the eyes and mucous membranes, resulting in watery eyes. If inhaled, formaldehyde at this concentration may cause headaches, a burning sensation in the throat, and difficulty breathing, as well as triggering or aggravating asthma symptoms.
European EN 622-1
Values under The European Standard EN 622-1 refers to Class E1 boards with a formaldehyde content not exceeding average value 8mg/100g and highest value of 10 mg/100 g and Class E2 boards with an upper limit of 30mg/100g. European E1 standard also refers to different test methods for determination of formaldehyde emission and its permissible limits at 0.1ppm by Chamber test method. The test results obtained by the Chamber test method when compared to results by desiccators test do not stand on the same matrix. It would thus be evident that JAS (F**) or Japanese E1 is different than European E1 class. On this basis, JAS E1 (F**) does not conform to European E1 (EN-622-1). However, JAS F*** or E0 would be the right class to conform European class E1. This explanation is rendered to remove doubts or notions in the mind of the consumer that all E1 grades are equal or comparable.
Advantages of Low Formaldehyde Emission
Low Formaldehyde Emission is not only your guarantee of healthy indoor air quality; it also saves on your day to day budget of air-conditioning cost incurred in maintaining your home and offices. You need a highly accelerated rate of ventilation over 8 - 10 times of Air Replacement (Exchange of indoor air) rate every hour to keep indoor air fresh where Low Formaldehyde Emission products are not used. The normal Air replacement rate with Low Formaldehyde Emission product is 5 - 6 times every hour. A low emission product may seem to be costlier initially, but when adjusted for savings in the cost of energy, it eventually proves much cheaper than ordinary products commonly available in the market
