Controlling Air Emissions from Composite Mills Using Chemical Additives, 1999 Environmental Conference Proceedings

Laura S. Williams, Gary D. McGinnis, Gregory T. Kleinheinz & Brett A. Niemi

Michigan Technological University

A series of new air regulations in the 1990s a well as anticipated new regulations in the future, have made it critical for the wood composite industry to develop better and more efficient methods to handle air emissions. Many of the technologies currently being used are expensive to install and operate. This project was undertaken to determine the feasibility of using various chemical compounds during pressing or drying of wood to minimize/reduce volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions from wood composite plants. And more specifically undertaken to develop chemical treatment systems to be used during the oriented strandboard (OSB) manufacturing process to reduce the VOCs emitted from presses and dryers. A series of acids, bases, oxidizing agents and nucleophiles were evaluated in this study. The initial model air stream system consisted of furfural, and a series of mono-terpenes. The first year results showed that several of the chemicals did destroy the VOCs; in some cases, the destruction observed was as high as 75 percent. The first year of this study was conducted in the laboratory, while the second and third years will be a combination of laboratory and plant site studies.