Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are organic chemicals that have a high vapor pressure at ordinary room temperature. Their high vapor pressure results from a low boiling point, which causes large numbers of molecules to evaporate or sublimate from the liquid or solid form of the compound and enter the surrounding air, a trait known as volatility. For example, formaldehyde, which evaporates from paint and releases from materials like quartz, has a boiling point of only –19 °C (–2 °F).
As indicated above, clearly being an organic compound or hydrocarbon is not the only reason to be volatile.Low boiling point or high vapour density makes compounds volatile.