Diffusion studies of VOC mixtures in a building material

Meininghaus, R.
Uhde, E.

¹Air Quality Unit, Environment Institute, Joint Research Center, Italy
²Wilhelm-Klauditz-Institut, Fraunhofer Institut für Holzforschung, Braunschweig, Germany

E. Uhde, Wilhelm-Klauditz-Institut, Fraunhofer Institut für Holzforschung, Bienroder Weg 54e, 38108 Braunschweig, Germany. Tel: +49 531 215 5369, Fax: +49 351 587, e-mail: [email protected]

^*Present address: INERIS, Verneuil-en-Halatte, France

Received for review 21 April 2001. Accepted for publication 27 May 2002.

Indoor Air 12(4):p 215-222, December 2002.

Volatile organic compound (VOC) adsorption by indoor materials will reduce peak concentrations, and subsequent desorption will prolong the presence of a compound indoors. Diffusion within materials plays an important role in this context. The purpose of this paper is to present two experimental set-ups to study VOC diffusion, and to show corresponding experimental results. The Field and Laboratory Emission Cell (FLEC) is in both cases an integral part of the set-up. The mass flow of VOC mixtures across gypsum board is studied. Diffusion of less polar VOCs in gypsum board can be fast (diffusion coefficients of 0.001–0.003 m²/h). Diffusion coefficients of chlorinated compounds are correlated with boiling points and molecular areas. Different compounds show similar diffusion properties.