A new model for analyzing the influence of initial concentration in building materials on VOC emission characteristics

A new generally applicable model for calculating the surface emissions of VOCs (volatileorganic compounds) from the building materials and the VOC instantaneous distributions inthe materials is developed. Different from the mass transfer based models in the literature, thenew model does not neglect the mass transfer resistance through the air phase boundary layerand does not assume that the initial VOC concentration distribution C0 in building materials isuniform. And this paper provides an exact analytical solution for this model. For the specificcase that C0 is uniform, the proposed model is validated with experimental data. By usingdifferent distribution of initial VOC concentration in building materials, the influence ofinitial VOC concentration on VOC emission characteristics is clarified.