United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
Research and Development
Air and Energy Engineering
Research Laboratory
Research Triangle Park, NC 27711
EPA/600/SR-93/213 February 1994
EPA Project Summary
Emissions From Burning
Cabinet Making Scraps
Michael Tufts and David Natschke
The object of this project was to make
an initial determination of differences
in emissions when burning ordinary
cordwood compared to kitchen cabinet
making scraps. The tests were per-
formed in an instrumented woodstove
testing laboratory on a stove which
simulated units observed in use at a
kitchen cabinet manufacturer's facility.
Three test burns were made using a
stove made from a 55 gal. (0.208 m3)
drum and a kit sold for that purpose.
Test burn 1 used seasoned oak
cordwood fuel, Test burn 2 used par-
ticle board scraps, and Test burn 3
used Formica®-faced particle board
scraps. The scraps for tests 2 and 3
were obtained from a kitchen cabinet
manufacturer in Vermont. In general the
cordwood produced higher emissions
of carbon monoxide and total hydro-
carbons, while the composite woods
produced higher emissions of the
heavier molecular weight organic com-
pounds. There were significant differ-
ences in burnrate between the tests,
which introduced some uncertainty in
interpreting the analytical results.
This Project Summary was developed
by EPA's Air and Energy Engineering
Research Laboratory, Research Tri-
angle Park, NC, to announce key find-
ings of the research project that is fully
documented in a separate report of the
same title (see Project Report ordering
information at back).
Introduction
Emissions generated by the combus-
tion of scrap wood composite products at
small cabinet manufacturing companies in
Vermont were characterized. The scrap is
burned to heat the facilities and reduce
the companies' waste disposal costs. The
state of Vermont asked for assistance af-
ter receiving citizens' complaints about vis-
ible emissions and odors emanating from
two facilities.
One of the Vermont facilities (facility A)
specializes in manufacturing countertops.
The laminated-surface composite wood
material is received ready-to-use and then
cut to specifications. Four simple steel
furnaces with 10 ft3 (0.283 m3)combustion
chambers are used for burning scrap. Draft
on the furnaces is regulated manually and
the fuel is fed manually as needed. The
smoke has an odor of burning plastic,
which is stronger at startup and refueling.'
Complaints have come mainly from pass-
ersby.
Scrap produced by the other facility (fa-
cility B) consists of saw dust, small pieces
of particle board, and plywood. The fur-
naces have primary and secondary air
controls. Scrap chunks are fed by hand,
but saw dust is fed automatically.
Composite woods contain several typed
of phenolic resins including phenol-form-
aldehyde resin and melamine resin. The
chief components of phenolic resins are
formaldehyde, acetaldehyde, and phenol.
Characteristics of these resins are resis-
tance to moisture, solvents, and heat up
to 200° C. They are also dimensionally
stable, sound absorbent, and noncombus-
tible. Chief components of melamine resin
are formaldehydes, phenols, and cyano-
benzenes.
Experimental Approach
This project's goal was to characterize
emissions from the burning of common
kitchen countertop scrap material (plain
Printed on Recycled Paper
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particle board and particle board laminated
with Formica). The conditions at Vermont
facility A were emulated. To reduce ex-
penditures, sampling was performed in the
woodstove testing laboratory of EPA's Air
and Energy Engineering Research Labo-
ratory in North Carolina. Three varieties of
wood were burned: cordwood (virgin
wood), particle board, and Formica® board
(Formicas-covered particle board).
Cordwood was sampled for comparison
purposes. Both composite woods were
provided by Vermont facility A. Only one
test was performed per day, lasting 2-5.3
hours. Again, to reduce expenditures, only
one sample was planned for each fuel.
Acurex Environmental performed all sam-
pling, and prepared and analyzed all filter
and XAD-2 samples. Nonvolatile organic
compounds (NVOCs) were analyzed by
gravimetric (GRAV) methodologies . Semi-
volatile organic compounds (SVOCs) were
analyzed by gas chromatograph/flame ion-
ization detection (GC/FID) and gas chro-
matograph/mass spectroscopy (GC/MS).
Samples for volatile organic compounds
(VOCs) were transferred to EPA/AREAL
for analysis.
Summary and Conclusions
This study determined a number of dif-
ferences between the combustion of com-
posite woods and cordwood. The com-
posite woods burned faster than cordwood
because of the higher surface area of the
former, which are burned as scraps, rela-
tive to the same mass of cordwood. Higher
stack temperatures and oxygen concen-
trations, and lower carbon monoxide and
total hydrocarbons (mass/mass basis)
were observed during composite wood vs.
cordwood combustion.
M. Tufts and D. Natschke are with Acurex Environmental Corp. P O Box 13109
Research Triangle Park, NC 27709.
Robert C. McCrillis is the EPA Project Officer (see below).
The complete report, entitled "Emissions from Burning Cabinet Making Scraps "
(Order No. PB94-130408/AS; Cost: $27.00, subject to change) will be available
only from:
National Technical Information Service
5285 Port Royal Road
Springfield, VA 22161
Telephone: 703-487-4650
The EPA Project Officer can be contacted at:
Air and Energy Engineering Research Laboratory
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Research Triangle Park, NC 27711
VOC levels were much higher during
composite wood combustion, with the ma-
jor components in the C4-C6 region. Total
emission levels (based on the total cap-
ture value) were also higher for the com-
posite woods. The higher total capture
results were due, in large part, to higher
NVOC levels. SVOC levels, on the other
hand, were equivalent (Formica10) to or
even lower (particle board) than those gen-
erated by cordwood. There was a trend
towards larger molecular weight compo-
nents for these emissions. The composite
wood fitter extracts showed higher con-
centrations of higher retention time
analytes during the GC/MS analysis. These
components were primarily straight-chain
hydrocarbons.
Significant differences were observed
in the compounds identified from the ex-
tractable organics. Most PAHs were asso-
ciated with the cordwood rather than the
composite wood combustion. For example,
isocyano-benzene was identified from the
Formica10 samples and 4-hydroxyl-
benzenesuffonic acid was found in the
composite wood samples.
No aldehydes were detected from any
of the samples collected during this study.
What this means is not clear. Based on
airtight woodstove studies, aldehydes were
expected for at least the cordwood
samples. However, the combustion condi-
tions during this study were probably closer
to those of a fireplace than a woodstove.
No significance can be attached to these
aldehyde results without further testing.
•U.S. Government Printing Office: 1994—550-067/80196
United States
Environmental Protection Agency
Center for Environmental Research Information
Cincinnati, OH 45268
Official Business
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EPA
PERMIT No. G-35
EPA/600/SR-93/213
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