Field and laboratory emission cell automation and control system for investigating surface chemistry reactions.

ABSTRACT

A novel system [field and laboratory emission cell (FLEC) automation and control system] has been developed to deliver ozone to a surface utilizing the FLEC to simulate indoor surface chemistry. Ozone, humidity, and air flow rate to the surface were continuously monitored using an ultraviolet ozone monitor, humidity, and flow sensors. Data from these sensors were used as feedback for system control to maintain predetermined experimental parameters. The system was used to investigate the chemistry of ozone with alpha-terpineol on a vinyl surface over 72 h. Keeping all other experimental parameters the same, volatile organic compound emissions from the vinyl tile with alpha-terpineol were collected from both zero and 100 ppb (parts per 10(9)) ozone exposures. System stability profiles collected from sensor data indicated experimental parameters were maintained to within a few percent of initial settings. Ozone data from eight experiments at 100 ppb (over 339 h) provided a pooled standard deviation of 1.65 ppb and a 95% tolerance of 3.3 ppb. Humidity data from 17 experiments at 50% relative humidity (over 664 h) provided a pooled standard deviation of 1.38% and a 95% tolerance of 2.77%. Data of the flow rate of air flowing through the FLEC from 14 experiments at 300 ml/min (over 548 h) provided a pooled standard deviation of 3.02 ml/min and a 95% tolerance range of 6.03 ml/min. Initial experimental results yielded long term emissions of ozone/alpha-terpineol reaction products, suggesting that surface chemistry could play an important role in indoor environments.