Risk analysis of formaldehyde emission mechanisms in urea-formaldehyde-bonded wood products with interval type-2 fuzzy hybrid modeling
Wood Material Science and Engineering, 2026 (SCI-Expanded, Scopus)
- Publication Type: Article / Article
- Publication Date: 2026
- Doi Number: 10.1080/17480272.2026.2695912
- Journal Name: Wood Material Science and Engineering
- Journal Indexes: Science Citation Index Expanded (SCI-EXPANDED), Scopus, Applied Science & Technology Source, CAB Abstracts, Compendex, Natural Science Collection (ProQuest), Engineering Source (EBSCO), Materials Science & Engineering Collection (ProQuest), Technology Collection (ProQuest)
- Keywords: Formaldehyde emission, fuzzy logic, multicriteria decision-making, risk assessment, timber
- Karadeniz Technical University Affiliated: Yes
Abstract
Formaldehyde emissions from urea-formaldehyde-bonded wood products represent a major environmental and indoor air quality concern due to their adverse effects on human health. Identifying and prioritizing the failure modes contributing to these emissions is essential for effective risk management and emission control. This study proposed an interval type-2 fuzzy (IT2F) decision-making framework that combines the analytic hierarchy process (AHP), failure modes and effects analysis (FMEA), and the evaluation based on distance from average solution (EDAS) to examine failure modes contributing to formaldehyde emissions in urea-formaldehyde-bonded wood products. The proposed framework utilized expert evaluations to analyze and rank the decision elements of the model. According to the results, the highest-priority failure modes were “exposed surfaces after cutting, drilling, or mechanical processing”, “missing or improperly applied edge banding”, “insufficient post-production ventilation”, “low air exchange rate”, and “high relative humidity”. The findings also indicate that “severity” was the most influential FMEA risk factor in the assessment process. This study introduced a comprehensive, uncertainty-aware risk analysis framework for formaldehyde emissions in wood products by integrating multiple IT2F methods. The proposed framework provides a roadmap to guide manufacturers, quality-control specialists, policymakers, and researchers in identifying critical emission sources.