# Formaldehyde

A simple, reactive methanol derivative whose resins glue most of the world's particleboard, MDF and plywood; also a known human carcinogen.

Source page: https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/formaldehyde/

Commodity chemicals · Methanol & oxygenates · No. 32

- Single chemical
- Feedstock: Oil, gas or coal
- about 23 Mt (2022)
- 3.1 t CO₂e per t
- HS 291211
 Commodity chemicals · Methanol & oxygenates · Foundation · Matter

The glue holding your flat-pack wardrobe together is mostly formaldehyde, a chemical classed as a known human carcinogen.

Chart: Illustration: Formaldehyde

##### Where it comes from

Chart: Map of where it comes from

Methanol vapour and air pass over a silver catalyst at 600-720 C or a metal oxide at 250-400 C. The gas is soaked up in water to make formalin.

##### Three things to know

1. About 38% of the world's 23 Mt of formaldehyde became urea-formaldehyde resin for wood panels in 2022.
2. Formalin is mostly water and degrades in storage, so plants are built beside the resin makers and very little crosses borders.
3. From August 2026 the EU caps emissions from furniture and wood products at 0.062 mg per cubic metre of air.

##### The journey

1. 1 **Methanol**About 1.13-1.2 t per tonne
2. 2 **Oxidation**Silver or metal oxide catalyst, hot air
3. 3 **Formalin**Absorbed in water to 37-55% solution
4. 4 **Resin**Mixed with urea, phenol or melamine
5. 5 **Panels**Hot-pressed into particleboard, MDF, plywood
 Covered in [The chemical industry: what it makes and how it is organisedChemicals](https://www.materialinsights.org/learn/chemicals/chem-industry-map/)[From crude oil and natural gas to the C1-C4 building blocksChemicals](https://www.materialinsights.org/learn/chemicals/oil-gas-to-building-blocks/)

##### Go deeper pick a tab to open it in full

## Other sections

- [Overview](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/formaldehyde/overview/index.md)
- [Correlation](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/formaldehyde/correlation/index.md)
- [Production route](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/formaldehyde/routes/index.md)
- [Production](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/formaldehyde/production/index.md)
- [Feedstocks](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/formaldehyde/feedstocks/index.md)
- [Cycles](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/formaldehyde/cycles/index.md)
- [Trading](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/formaldehyde/trading/index.md)
- [Movement](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/formaldehyde/movement/index.md)
- [Regulation](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/formaldehyde/regulation/index.md)
- [Characteristics](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/formaldehyde/characteristics/index.md)
- [Emissions](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/formaldehyde/emissions/index.md)
- [Relationships](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/formaldehyde/links/index.md)