In modern life, plastic is everywhere, from daily food packaging, to the shell of electronic products, to various parts of car interior, it has brought great convenience to our lives. However, plastic sometimes emits unpleasant odors, which not only affects the user experience, but may also cause practical troubles in some scenarios. Plastic deodorant is the key to solving this problem.
There are many sources of plastic odor. First, the monomers of synthetic plastics are a common source of odor. Take the monomer vinyl chloride of polyvinyl chloride (PVC) as an example. It has a unique odor itself. If the polymerization process is not properly controlled, the residual monomer will make the plastic have an odor. Some plastics made of natural polymers, such as cellulose-based plastics, may also inherit odors from their plant raw materials. Second, various additives added to improve the performance of plastics, such as plasticizers, flame retardants, antioxidants and colorants, may also become odor makers. Third, during long-term use, plastics are degraded by factors such as light, heat, and oxygen, and the polymer chains break, releasing volatile unpleasant substances. For example, polyethylene (PE) and polypropylene (PP) plastics emit a pungent odor when they are oxidatively degraded.
So, how do plastic deodorants work? There are three main ways. The first is the adsorption principle, and the typical representative is the deodorant containing activated carbon. Activated carbon has a huge specific surface area and rich micropores. It can adsorb odor molecules on the surface through van der Waals force, reducing the concentration of odorous substances inside the plastic and in the surrounding air. In food plastic packaging, activated carbon deodorants can effectively absorb the odor emitted by food and prevent cross-flavor. The second is the chemical reaction mechanism. Some deodorants contain compounds that can react with odorous substances.
Plastic deodorants are widely used in many fields. In the packaging industry, whether it is food packaging that needs to ensure that it does not affect the flavor of food, or drug packaging that needs to maintain an odorless state to avoid affecting the quality of drugs and consumer perception, or cosmetic packaging that needs to keep the product aroma undisturbed, plastic deodorants are crucial. In the automotive industry, deodorants can be used to remove the “new car smell” produced by the mixture of plastic parts, adhesives and fabrics in the interior of new cars, and to reduce the odor caused by the thermal degradation of plastic parts in the engine compartment. The electronics industry is also inseparable from it. The plastic shells and insulating parts of devices such as smartphones and laptops can prevent odors from interfering with the user experience, and can also prevent odor substances from corroding or affecting the functions of electronic components.
In short, although plastic deodorants seem inconspicuous, they play an indispensable role in improving the quality of plastic products and optimizing the user experience. As technology continues to advance, it will help plastics better serve our lives.
