Adsorption and Removal of Volatile Organic Compounds from Fabrics with β-Cyclodextrin Finish

Abstract

Clothes that retain and emanate body odor feel uncomfortable and unclean; subsequently, the adsorption, desorption and removal amounts of malodorous compounds from fabrics with different polarities were examined. 1-Octen-3-one, octanal and isovaleric acid, which are important malodor compounds from the body, were used as volatile organic compounds (VOC). Samples were prepared with unfinished and β-CD finished cotton, nylon and PET fabrics. The amounts of VOCs retained on the fabrics were measured using headspace GC-MS; in addition, the odor intensity of the samples were evaluated by 10 trained panelists. The amounts adsorbed were estimated by weight gain; however, moisture was found to have a larger effect on the increase in weight than VOCs. The polarity of the VOCs decreased in the order of isovaleric acid, octanal and 1-octen-3-one. Despite the exceptionally large amounts of octanal adsorbed on the nylon sample, the amounts of malodorous compounds adsorbed on fabrics increased with the decreasing VOC molecular weight. The unfinished PET sample adsorbed more VOCs than the unfinished-fabric samples. The odor intensity was mostly weaker in the β-CD finished fabrics than in the unfinished fabrics. The odor intensity of the β-CD finished fabrics was lower than unfinished fabrics. The amount of VOCs that remained on the soiled fabric samples after storing in air for 24 hrs decreased with the increasing VOC vapor pressure. Most VOCs were removed by washing; however, more VOCs were left on the β-CD finished fabrics than unfinished fabrics. The intensity of the odor from the unfinished PET and β-CD finished fabrics was stronger and weaker, respectively, than that of other fabrics, even when the same amounts of VOCs remained.