NSF Award
0637787
This Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) Phase I Project focuses on the development of a monitor for volatile organic compounds released during wood processing. A MEMS detector system that can continuously monitor pollutants during wood processing will be developed. The program proposed here will provide a real time continuous monitor with an overall significant cost reduction when compared to traditional monitoring methods. <br/><br/>Plywood and composite wood products release major sources of hazardous air pollutants during processing, including, acetaldehyde, acrolein, formaldehyde, methanol, phenol, propionaldehyde and others. These pollutants are associated with a variety of adverse health effects including damage to nasal membranes, gastrointestinal irritation, irritation of eyes, throat, and mucous membranes, dizziness, headache, and nausea. The chemicapacitive sensor technology being developed has a broad relevance in the wood processing as well as a number of commercial applications. These sensors are ideal for monitoring a variety of chemical and physical targets in a distributed system where a premium is placed on early detection of problems.
