Board environmental protection grade
author: Eric
2025-09-01
The environmental protection grades of sheet materials are mainly divided into E1 grade, E0 grade and ENF grade. Among them, the ENF grade (≤ 0.025 mg/m³) is the highest environmental protection grade in the current national standards of China and is suitable for scenarios with extremely high requirements for air quality.
China's current environmental protection standards for sheet materials
E1 grade (formaldehyde emission ≤ 0.124 mg/m³).
Mandatory standard: All artificial board products directly used indoors must reach this level.
Applicable scenarios: Ordinary home decoration, such as furniture for living rooms and bedrooms. 1
2
E0 grade (formaldehyde emission ≤ 0.050 mg/m³).
Mandatory standard: The new national standard GB 18580-2025, which will come into effect on June 1, 2026, requires that all artificial board products must reach this level.
Applicable scenarios: Maternity wards, elderly care rooms, and other spaces with high environmental protection requirements. 1
2
ENF grade (formaldehyde emission ≤ 0.025 mg/m³).
Recommendation standard: The highest level as stipulated in GB/T 39600-2021, which is nearly five times lower than the most stringent international standards (such as the F4 star standard in Japan).
Applicable scenarios: Hospitals, kindergartens, and areas with dense custom cabinet installations throughout the house. 3
4
Analysis of Other Environmental Grades
F4 grade (≤ 0.3 mg/L): According to the Japanese JIS standard, it is tested using the drying method. It differs from the national standard testing method and cannot be directly compared with the ENF grade. 5
CARB NAF grade (≤ 0.020 mg/m³): This is the certification standard for California without formaldehyde addition. It requires no formaldehyde addition during the production process, but it is less commonly used in the market.
China's current environmental protection standards for sheet materials
E1 grade (formaldehyde emission ≤ 0.124 mg/m³).
Mandatory standard: All artificial board products directly used indoors must reach this level.
Applicable scenarios: Ordinary home decoration, such as furniture for living rooms and bedrooms. 1
2
E0 grade (formaldehyde emission ≤ 0.050 mg/m³).
Mandatory standard: The new national standard GB 18580-2025, which will come into effect on June 1, 2026, requires that all artificial board products must reach this level.
Applicable scenarios: Maternity wards, elderly care rooms, and other spaces with high environmental protection requirements. 1
2
ENF grade (formaldehyde emission ≤ 0.025 mg/m³).
Recommendation standard: The highest level as stipulated in GB/T 39600-2021, which is nearly five times lower than the most stringent international standards (such as the F4 star standard in Japan).
Applicable scenarios: Hospitals, kindergartens, and areas with dense custom cabinet installations throughout the house. 3
4
Analysis of Other Environmental Grades
F4 grade (≤ 0.3 mg/L): According to the Japanese JIS standard, it is tested using the drying method. It differs from the national standard testing method and cannot be directly compared with the ENF grade. 5
CARB NAF grade (≤ 0.020 mg/m³): This is the certification standard for California without formaldehyde addition. It requires no formaldehyde addition during the production process, but it is less commonly used in the market.
Furniture boards
Production Process of Particleboard
