Odour neutralisers. Do you know which one to use?

Odour neutralisers. Do you know which one to use?

Thursday, 28 April, 2022

Use the right odour neutraliser and avoid unpleasant odours

In our daily lives we are constantly exposed to many different odours, some of which are more pleasant than others. Fortunately, there are many methods we can use to treat the ones that are bothering us and therefore achieve a more pleasant environment.

But, before discussing methods for dealing with bad odours, it is important to understand what bad odours are and what their characteristics are.

How are bad odours formed?

Let's start by explaining what odour is.

Odour is the sensation that we perceive when certain molecules reach our nose and are processed by our olfactory system.

Therefore, in order to know how to treat bad odours it is necessary to pay attention to how our sense of smell perceives the molecules that cause them. This is something we can find out by analysing their chemical structure.

The molecules best known for their bad odour contain:

Nitrogen-containing groups (ammonia, amines…) that produce odours such as spoiled fish or urine.
Sulphur-containing groups (sulphides, thiols…), typified by the smell of rotten egg or garlic, for example.
Acetaldehyde group, responsible for the odour of tobacco smoke, among others

How does an odour neutraliser work?

Once we know the chemical structure of an odour, what do we do to fight it?

The answer is simple: use an odour neutraliser that eliminates the bad odour in the environment.

There are many products that can be used as neutralisers, but today we are going to focus on one in particular: zinc ricinoleate.

An effective odour neutraliser: zinc ricinoleate

Zinc ricinoleate is derived from ricinoleic acid, a fatty acid found in castor oil.

Its structure consists of a central zinc ion binded with two ricinoleate molecules. The zinc ion is responsible for binding with the bad odours, in particular with nitrogen and sulphur, thus deactivating the molecule that causes the bad odour.

So, why not simply use zinc?

Zinc, as an ion, is surrounded by water molecules when in an aqueous medium and this prevents it from binding with the molecules causing the bad odour.

On the other hand, the ricinoleate complex with the zinc ion acts as a tensioactive agent, by being located at the water-air interface, and can bind with bad odours

Figure 1: Zinc ricinoleate in the water-air interface

Activating the odour neutraliser

However, we need to activate our odour neutraliser so that it can carry out its function. This is due to the steric hindrance exerted by the ricinoleate chains around the zinc ion, which make coordination with the molecules causing the bad odours difficult.

To achieve this, we include activating binders that open the molecule conformationally, facilitating binding with the molecules that cause bad odours.

Therefore, by using these activators, we obtain effective products.

Select the activator that is suitable for your formulation

However, not all activators are equally effective in all cases and it is necessary to correctly select the activated zinc ricinoleate that is most suitable for each formulation.

This is because each one of them functions in a different pH range, making it possible for us to use zinc ricinoleate in a wide range of applications. Thus, we have a large selection of products for every situation, thanks to the different activators.

Furthermore, the range of CAMDsorb neutralisers is available in liquid, solid, powder or wax form, so that you can easily incorporate them in your formulations according to your requirements.

Figure 2: Graph of ammonia absorption with zinc ricinoleate-based products

Uses for an odour neutraliser

Air fresheners are surely the first thing that comes to mind when thinking about this type of product.

However, odour neutralisers have many more applications in everyday products and activities:

detergents
cosmetic products
fabric softeners
laundry
kitchen spray cleaners
surface cleaners
water treatment
textiles
pet care
agriculture
fish processing

As you can see, odour neutralisers can be present in many of the detergency products that we use every day, improving them and adding functionalities, both in domestic and industrial use, so it is important to use the suitable one in each case to always be able to enjoy a pleasant environment that is free from bad odours.

Do you now know which odour neutraliser you are going to use?

Now you know what bad odours are and how they function, and you are also now aware of some tools to free yourself from them.

You only need to contact our technical advisory team who will be delighted to help you choose the most appropriate odour neutraliser for your formulation.

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Odour neutralisers. Do you know which one to use?

Odour neutralisers. Do you know which one to use?

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