Adsorption/Desorption in Building Materials

Indoor pollutants such as VOCs (Volatile Organic Compounds) are suspected to cause health problems. Adsorption and desorption of VOCs can change and in som cases be decisive for the dynamic spreading and removal of organic compounds in the indoor air. Consequently, the sorption properties of building materials should be considered when planning building operations. This means that the sorption processes and their dependence on the surroundings must be known. Theoretical and experimental work is performed according to this research plan:
Lab size experiments for investigation of sorption mechanisms and dynamics for carefully selected building matials and VOCs. In addition, the influence of indoor air temperature, humidity, velocity, VOC concentrations and ozone content is studied.
The lab size experiments are tested by means of full scale experiments for the same materials and VOCs.
Sensory evaluation of air quality: In addition to the measurement of concentrations during the experiments, it is also planned to perform sensory evaluation of air quality in the test chambers by means of a panel of judges. This supplements the experimentally determined VOC concentrations, since at present the chemical analysis is not sufficient for prediction of the perceived air quality.
Development of mathematical models for the sorption processes and their influence on VOC concentrations in the air.
Development of a test method for the characterization of sorption properties of indoor materials.