Abstract
This paper introduces a basic study on how to improve the volatile organic compound (VOC) adsorption performance of charcoals made from natural cypress wood and plywood. The study investigated the influence of carbonization temperature and the type of VOC on the adsorption capacity of charcoal for VOCs, typical indoor air pollutants. Single and multi-component mixtures of VOCs and charcoal were put into a 3L glass container. VOC concentrations were monitored by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS). VOC concentrations hardly decreased when charcoal carbonized at 400°C was used. On the other hand, more VOCs were adsorbed as the carbonization temperatures of the charcoal were increased to 600°C, 800°C, and 1000°C. The adsorption amount differed for each type of VOC. It was noticed that the presence of other VOCs influenced the adsorption amount for single VOCs. Adsorption characteristics of plywood and natural wood charcoals were similar for the multi-component VOCs mixture.
