In order to achieve the objective of the project, we initially systematically identify the odor emissions from wood-based materials made from fresh pinewood for insulating purposes (fiber insulation boards) and for constructive building (oriented strand board [OSB] and coarse particle board). Based on these results, we develop process engineering methods, coupled with chemical-physical modification procedures, for the prevention and/or reduction of irritating or detrimental odor-relevant individual substances.
The execution of the experiment is focused crucially on the reduction of odor emissions which result from the material composition of the raw material in conjunction with unavoidable procedural process steps such as heat-drying or hot-pressing.
The individual objectives of the project are:
- quantitative and qualitative identification of the emissions of volatile organic compounds, taking into consideration the odor-relevant substances from pinewood, intermediate products in the material production and the manufactured materials with the aid of test chamber measurements based on mass spectrometry (GC/MS) and gas chromatography/olfactometry (GC-O/FID),
- determination of the influence of procedure-related process steps (drying of the strands/coarse particles, thermomechanical pulping for the production of the fibrous materials, hot-pressing of particle and fiber mats to form wood-based material) on the VOC and odor emissions from OSB/coarse particle boards and fiber insulation boards,
- identification of a suitable and industrially-feasible procedure for the reduction and/or prevention of off-odors in wood-based materials, for example through
- reduction of the temperature loading during the drying of the wood particles and hot-pressing,
- modification of the surface of the strands/coarse particles,
- chemical modification of the fibrous material during pulping,
- subsequent treatment of the strands/coarse particles and fibers,
- application of additives for odor absorption as well as the prevention of secondary reactions.