Black-Hearted Panel in Office Chairs
The 'black-hearted panel' in office chairs refers to inferior panels made by manufacturers to reduce costs, using waste, rotten, or burned wood fragments that are polished and renovated before being cold-pressed with glue. The following provides an explanation from three aspects: definition, hazards, and cases:
Definition and Production Method
The core characteristics of black-hearted panels are inferior raw materials and rough craftsmanship. To cut costs, manufacturers collect wood fragments from construction waste and discarded furniture, even using rotten or burned wood. After simple polishing to remove surface stains, these materials are infused with a large amount of glue (which may contain harmful substances like formaldehyde and benzene) and forcibly bonded through cold pressing. Due to the loose structure and numerous impurities in the raw materials, the resulting panels have low density and poor strength, with surfaces prone to cracking or shedding. For example, a man in Zhejiang purchased an office chair for 96 yuan, whose internal panel was composed of glue-bonded scraps that fell apart at the slightest touch.
Health and Safety Hazards
The hazards of black-hearted panels are mainly reflected in two aspects:
- Release of Harmful Substances: The glue contains volatile organic compounds (VOCs) such as formaldehyde and benzene, which continuously release into the air. Long-term exposure may cause respiratory diseases, skin allergies, and even increase the risk of cancer.
- Poor Structural Stability: Insufficient panel strength leads to a reduced load-bearing capacity of the office chair, which may suddenly break or deform during use, causing the user to fall or get injured. For example, in the aforementioned case, the user experienced physical discomfort due to the use of an office chair with a black-hearted panel.
Typical Case Warning
In 2023, a consumer in Zhejiang purchased a low-priced office chair online. After disassembly, it was found that the interior was filled with a large amount of black wood fragments, and the base panel was simply bonded with glue and broke easily. Tests revealed that the formaldehyde emission from the panel exceeded standards by several times, and it had no quality certification marks. Such cases expose the behavior of some manufacturers who, in pursuit of profit, ignore consumer health and safety by cutting corners to reduce costs.
It is recommended that consumers prioritize products with quality certifications (such as SGS and CQC) when purchasing office chairs, avoid buying products with abnormally low prices, and request the merchant to provide panel test reports.
