ENF Eco Standard Sounds the Horn: How Yihang Leads the Formaldehyde-Free Battle

The “Healthy China 2030” outline shows the nation elevating the health industry to unprecedented strategic heights, and public attention to health keeps growing. Driven by the twin wheels of health and environmental protection, industries of every kind are accelerating their green transformation, striving to make “green” their base color.

For the furniture industry, the 2021 national standard grades formaldehyde emissions of indoor wood-based panels and finished products into three levels by limit: E1 (≤0.124 mg/m³), E0 (≤0.050 mg/m³), and ENF (≤0.025 mg/m³) — with ENF instantly becoming the strictest formaldehyde limit standard in the world. The new standard raises the bar for companies and marks the official start of the second half of the formaldehyde-free battle. Yihang Technology, as the leading brand in office furniture, positioned itself early and is already showing initial results.

First move: natural, eco-friendly materials — controlling formaldehyde at the root

Scientific estimates suggest that 90% of the formaldehyde in an office comes from office furniture. Yihang Technology has long taken “bringing nature into the office” as its core development philosophy — and has genuinely made it the rule in product manufacturing practice. To tackle formaldehyde in furniture at the root, Yihang insists on using no-added-formaldehyde green boards.

These innovative formaldehyde-free boards are strictly controlled from raw material selection through processing and gluing, leaving formaldehyde no opening. At the selection stage, Yihang insists on 100% virgin wood of diameter ≥10 cm, removes over 98% of the bark, and strips out impurities like mud, grit, dust, and metal, guaranteeing the purity and fineness of the raw material. At the chipping stage, more than 20 fine-screening steps further remove impurities, bringing every particle to uniform size, thickness, and length. Never using matchstick material — that is Yihang's guarantee to the industry and its customers! In gluing, the use of medical-grade MDI eco-adhesive implants a safety gene into the boards; advantages like moisture resistance, durability, and eco-friendly health make a “forest breath” in the office possible. Beyond the formaldehyde-free boards, Yihang's zero-solvent eco-leather is another secret weapon. Using internationally leading high technology, it achieves stain-proof, easy-to-clean performance, providing the space with a comprehensive, long-lasting clean solution. Its outstanding physical properties — wear and scratch resistance, acid and alkali resistance, yellowing and hydrolysis resistance — make the office more comfortable, healthier, and more stylish.

Staying ahead: fine craftsmanship — formaldehyde-free and formaldehyde-capturing at once

If naturally eco-friendly material selection is the first step that lets Yihang lead from the starting line, then advanced processing technology is the second step in keeping that lead — guiding the green production revolution of the office furniture industry.

Surface finishing is an important means of enhancing a product's decoration and protection — but is it the finishing touch, or a sugar-coated shell? In production, colored lacquers often require heavy metals such as benzene and formaldehyde, releasing VOCs and other toxic fumes. On October 27, 2017, the WHO's cancer research agency published its list of carcinogens — and paint was on it.

Yihang's 7Plus water-based paint abandons the organic solvents of traditional paint, using water as the thinner instead, effectively reducing harmful substances. More remarkably, the water-based paint is not only formaldehyde-free but also purifies the air, keeping the space fresh.

In addition, industry-leading ABS laser edge banding and ultrasonic welding technology further reinforce health and environmental protection. Traditional furniture edge banding and upholstery fixing inevitably use glue — but as the saying goes, “no formaldehyde, no glue,” so the root of the problem lies in avoiding glue altogether. Yihang's laser edge banding uses top German equipment, with a special laser polymer creating a permanent, seamless bond between the edge band and the board; ultrasonic welding, meanwhile, uses pressure to fuse two objects at the molecular layer. A chemical, not physical, bond guarantees high mechanical strength while eliminating the health risks that glue brings.

Winning the market: formaldehyde-free space monitoring leaves formaldehyde nowhere to hide

“Becoming the office ecosystem service provider trusted by users worldwide” is Yihang Technology's corporate vision — and it expresses the company's breadth of ambition: not just a producer of office furniture, but a creator of the office ecosystem. Yihang Technology always stays ahead of its times.

In this battle against formaldehyde, Yihang focuses not only on products but on the entire office space, challenging the narrow market view of “checking the formaldehyde content of a single board while ignoring the room's overall formaldehyde situation.” Yihang also sharply points out a common misconception: that “if you can't smell it, there's no formaldehyde.” In fact, for the average person's sense of smell, formaldehyde must exceed the limit by three times before any odor is detectable. Intelligent technology is therefore essential.

Yihang Technology uses intelligent sensors to monitor levels of TVOC, CO2, formaldehyde, and other harmful substances in the environment in real time and predict trends, visualizing air quality so enterprises and employees understand environmental conditions and can respond promptly — building a healthy office environment.

Looking at Yihang's performance across the formaldehyde-free battle, it treats green development not only as the internal driving force of the company's long-term growth, but also as an active response to the nation's call and a social responsibility — committed to sustainable development and the unity of economic and social value.