Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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A DEODORIZER
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a deodorizer. Specifically, the present
invention
relates to a placement type deodorizer.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
There are many types of malodors in society. Especially, there are many
uncomfortable malodors at home. For example, when foods are rotten, amine type
or
hydrogen sulfide type malodors may cause kitchens or refrigerators to smell
unpleasant.
Also, ammonium type or mercaptan type malodors may take toilets smell
unpleasant. In
order to deodorize or remove these malodors, many types of deodorizers have
been
developed and sold in the market.
These deodorizers have deodorant actives. One of the typical deodorant actives
is
plant extracts, for example, catechin or flavonoid. It is believed that plant
extracts veil
malodor molecules and as a result, malodors are removed. Another type of
deodorant
actives is a chemical compound which reacts with malodor molecules, such as
chlorine
dioxide, hypo chloride or ozone. These chemical compounds decompose malodor
molecules by oxidization or reduction and thus, malodors are removed. In
addition, some
deodorant actives use a neutralizing reaction with malodors and as a result,
malodors are
removed.
These deodorizer actives are incorporated into deodorizer packages and provide
malodor removal performance. These deodorizer packages are, mainly divided
into two
categories: a spray type and a placement type. Spray type generally contains
liquid type
deodorant actives. When users detect malodors, they spray it onto the air. In
contrast,
placement type generally contains gel or solid type deodorant actives and
users put these
deodorizers at places where malodors smell and/or are released such as
kitchens or toilets.
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However, these deodorizers do not always meet users' need because of
insufficient malodor removal performance or too slow malodor removal. Some
placement type deodorizers contain fan devices to create agitation of air for
better
malodor removal. However, fan devices increase the cost of the product and
users need
to change batteries which cause inconvenience and increased cost.
Therefore, there is a need to provide a deodorizer which solves these
problems.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a placement type deodorizer having a malodor
removing material. The deodorizer has Malodor Accessibility Factor (MAF) of
more
than about 5 x 104 ppm2em2/(g*min), preferably, from about 5 x 104 PPM2CM2/(g*
min) to
x107 ppm2em2/(g*min)
The MAF consists of the parameters: Effective Open Surface Area (EOSA),
Absorption Rate (AR) and Absorption Capacity (AC). The malodor removing
material
15 comprises a malodor removing active and can further comprise a carrier.
The present invention can provide an improved placement type deodorizer.
Current placement type deodorizers without a battery are not always able to
provide
sufficient malodor performance because these deodorizers cannot provide air
agitation.
Thus, it is a common to use a fan device to create agitation of air for
obtaining better
malodor removal. However, fan devices increase the cost of the product and the
user
needs to change a battery which causes them inconvenience. To solve the
problem, the
present invention tries to increase the malodor removal performance of the
deodorizer and
finally reaches at focusing on parameters of ESOA, AR and AC. Thus, the
present
invention provides a placement type deodorizer having sufficient malodor
removal
performance without requiring battery-powered air agitation. As a result,
users can enjoy
the improved malodor performance without changing batteries.
Also, the deodorizer of the present invention provides such performance much
more quickly than other products. For example, once users put the deodorizer
at any
place where malodors smell unpleasant, users typically notice malodor removal
performance within the initial 10 minutes, a result which previous products
cannot
achieve.
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DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
All percentages, ratios and proportions herein are by weight of the
composition,
unless otherwise specified. All temperatures are in degrees Celsius ( C)
unless otherwise
specified.
As used herein, the term "comprising" and its derivatives means are intended
to be
open ended terms that specify the presence of the stated features, elements,
components,
groups, integers, and/or steps, but do not exclude the presence of other,
unstated features,
elements, components, groups, integers, and/or steps. This definition also
applies to
words of similar meaning, for example, the term "have", "include", "be
provided with"
and their derivatives. This term encompasses the terms "consisting of' and
"consisting
essentially of'.
As used herein, the term "MAF (Malodor Accessibility Factor)" means a
multiplication of factors consisting of EOSA (Effective Open Surface Area), AR
(Absorption Rate) and AC (Absorption Capacity of the malodor removing active).
As used herein, the term "ESOA (Effective Open Surface Area)" means a factor
which is decided by the effective open surface area of the malodor removing
material
(cm2). This factor can be varied by different means such as overall. area of
the device,
partition or layers. However, EOSA is the area in which the malodor removing
material
may or can be accessible to an air.
In the absorption type, malodor molecules need to come in contact with the
malodor removing material. This means that the more the absorption surface
area, the
more will be the malodor molecules come in contact with the surface and
thereby
increasing the efficacy of the deodorizer product. However, a large surface
area means a
large device which may be difficult to handle it as a home deodorizing device.
In the
present invention a design of the device which gives optimum surface area is
defined.
However, placement type deodorizers usually include a tray which contains a
malodor removing material and is covered with a lid. The lid is either a flat
one which is
in level with the tray mouth and has some holes or slits to ensure air
circulation. In some
other type, the lid is like a cap with certain height from the tray open area.
The sides of
the cap as well as the top may have some holes or slits for allowing air
circulation. This
does not effectively allow the air come to contact with the malodor removing
material as
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much as having a complete open surface (without any lid- only opened tray).
The EOSA
is taken as follows: if the package lid open area is smaller than the tray
open area, then
the package lid open area is considered as EOSA. This is because the package
lid open
area is the limiting factor in the access of air on to the deodorizer. If both
are equal or the
package lid open area is higher than the tray open area, then the tray open
area is
considered as EOSA. This is because, in this case even though the package lid
open area
has very high area opened, the maximum area of deodorizer coming to contact
with air is
the tray open area.
In some cases in addition to the net or cap containing holes and attached to
the
tray, there may be a roof for the purpose of overall decoration of the device.
In such
cases the package lid open area is estimated without considering the roof.
As used herein, the term "AR" means the factor which is defined as a rate at
which an ammonia gas (NH3) is absorbed by the malodor removal material
(ppm/min). A
method for measuring AR is explained hereinafter.
As used herein, the term "AC" means a factor which is defined as a total
amount
of ammonia (NH3) gas absorbed by a gram of the malodor removal material
(ppmlg). A
method for measuring AC is explained hereinafter.
The deodorizer of the present invention comprises a malodor removing material.
Also, the deodorizer of the present invention has Malodor Accessibility Factor
(MAF) of
more than about 5x 104 ppm2 cm2 /(g*min) The malodor removing material
comprises a
malodor removing active and preferably comprises a carrier.
(1) Malodor removing material
The malodor removing material comprises a malodor removing active as an
essential ingredient and preferably comprises a carrier. The malodor removing
material
can further comprise other ingredients such as perfume, dye, stabilizer,
water, organic
solvent, preservatives etc.
(a) Malodor removing active
The malodor removing active of the present invention is not limited and can be
any materials as long as it provides the MAF of the present invention to the
deodorizer.
The malodor removing active is preferably selected from the group consisting
of a
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polymer, a chlorine dioxide, a cyclodextrin, a titanium dioxide, a
phtalocyanine, a zinc
chloride, a copper compound, an iron compound, a reactive aldehyde, a plant
extract, an
activated carbon, a zeolite and a mixture thereof.
5
Polymer
The polymer which can be used as the malodor removing active needs to have at
least one functional group. The functional group has an ability to adsorb
polar substances,
for example, hydrophilic groups, cationically dissociating groups, or
anionically
dissociating groups. Preferably, the polymer for the malodor removing active
of the
present invention has more than one functional group selected from the group
consisting
of hydrophilic groups, cationically dissociating groups, anionically
dissociating groups
and a mixture thereof.
The polymer of the present invention is effective for malodor removal. It is
believed that the backbone of the polymer where the functional group attaches
onto
provides an open structure for the functional group. As a result, these
polymers ensure
easy accessibility to a malodor molecule. This type of structure
differentiates it from
other polymers with similar functional groups.
Examples of such hydrophilic groups include a hydroxyl group, a hydroxyalkyl
group, an amino group and a pyrrolidonyl group. Preferred hydrophilic groups
include a
hydroxyl group, a C2-C10 hydroxyalkyl group and a pyrrolidonyl group. One or
more
hydrophilic group may be introduced into the polymer.
The term "cationically dissociating groups" as used herein means that their
ion-
exchange groups whose counter ion is a cation. A typical cationically
dissociating group
is an acid group. Cationically dissociating groups have the ability to adsorb
polar
substances and are capable of releasing a proton (hydrogen ion) to enter into
neutralizing
reaction with basic substances, such as ammonia or amines. As a result, the
basic
substances can be removed. One or more cationically dissociating groups may be
introduced into the polymer.
Examples of such cationically dissociating groups include a carboxyl group, a
sulfate group, a phosphate group, a sulfoethyl group, a phosphomethyl group
and a
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carbomethyl group. Preferred cationically dissociating groups include 'a
sulfate group and
a carboxyl group.
The term "anionically dissociating groups" as used herein means that those ion-
exchange groups whose counter ion is an anion. Therefore, anionically
dissociating
groups have the ability to absorb polar substances and are capable of entering
into
neutralizing reaction with acidic substances, such as, hydrogen sulfide or
mercaptans. As
a result, the acidic substances can be removed. One or more kinds of
anionically
dissociating substances may be introduced into the polymer.
Examples of such anionically dissociating groups include a quaternary ammonium
group and amino groups. The amino groups include primary, secondary and
tertiary
amino groups, for example, an amino group, a methylamino group, a
dimethylamino
group and a diethylamino group. Preferred anionically dissociating groups
include a
quaternary ammonium group and an amino group. Amino groups are classified as a
hydrophilic group hereinabove. In the present invention, amino groups can be
classified
in both the hydrophilic and the anionically dissociating groups.
More preferable polymers of the present invention are, polymers having at
least
one carboxy group and at least one sulfate group, polymers having at least one
quaternary
ammonium group and at least one hydroxyethyl group, polymers having at least
one
quaternary ammonium group and at least one pyrrollidonyl group.
One of the most preferable polymers is described in the Japanese Patent
Publication No. Heisei 6-327969 A to Ogawara, et. al, published on November
29, 1994,
and filed by Yugen Kaisha Angel Sogo Kenkyusho and the Japanese Patent
Publication
No. Tokkai 2003-88755 A to Shiraishi, et. al, published on March 25, 2003, and
filed by
Kabushiki Kaisha Kankyo Joka Kenkyusho.
The polymer of the present invention preferably has a molecular weight of from
about 3,000 to about 40,000, more preferably from about 4,000 to about 10,000.
When polymer is used as a malodor removing active, the level of the polymer is
from about 0.1 % to about 40%, preferably from about 1 % to about 20% by
weight of the
malodor removing material.
Other malodor removing actives
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Other malodor removing actives can be organic or inorganic materials, for
example, chlorine dioxide, a cyclodextrin, a titanium dioxide, a
phtalocyanine, a zinc
chloride, a copper compound, an iron compound, a reactive aldehyde, a plant
extract, an
activated carbon, a zeolite and a mixture thereof
"Cyclodextrin" specifically includes a-, (3-, and y-cyclodextrins, a modified
cyclodexrin, a cyclodextrin derivative and a cyclodextrin complex. Preferable
cylodextrin is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,593,670 to Trinh, et al., issued
Jan. 14, 1997.
Hydroxy-alkyl cyclodextrins and other alkyl-modified cyclodextrins are
especially
preferred.
A preferred copper compound includes copper pthalocyanine and/or copper
chloride. A preferred iron compound includes ferrous sulphate, iron
phthalocyanate etc.
A preferred reactive aldehyde is 2-Methyl-3-(4-tert-butylphenyl)propane.
A preferred plant extract includes, for example, a catechin and/or a
polyphenol.
A preferred activated carbon is provided by, for example, Japan
EiviroChemicals
LTD., (Osaka, Japan).
A preferred zeolite includes, Zeolite A (Sodium Aluminosilicate), Zeolite MAP,
and other commercially-available zeolites which may capture odors.
When the malodor removing actives other than polymers are used as a malodor
removing active, the level of them is from about I% to about 30%, preferably
from about
20% to about 30% by weight of the malodor removing material.
N carrier
The malodor removing material of the present invention optionally, but
preferably
comprises a carrier. The carrier can be any material as long as it can
preserve the
malodor removing material substantially and sufficiently. The carrier is
preferably
selected from the group consisting of a gel, beads, a fabric, a nonwoven
absorbent
material and a mixture thereof. Preferable nonwoven absorbent material is, for
example,
cellulose, cottons or wood pulp.
More preferably, the carrier of the present invention is a gel. A gel is
typically
considered to be a colloid in which the disperse phase has combined with the
dispersion
medium to produce a semisolid material, such as a jelly. The preferable gel
can be
natural or synthetic gels. Preferred natural gels can be xanthan gum, guar
gum, carboxy
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methyl cellulose or agars. Preferred synthetic gels can be cross-linked
polymers such as
acrylic based polymers. The gel can be made by combining a dispersion medium
such as
water, solvent, a solution of active ingredients or mixture of ingredients
with the disperse
phase such as naturally occurring materials xanthum, agar, alginate, wood
pulp, guar or
synthetic absorbent polymer such as cross-linked or non cross-linked or
partially cross-
linked poly acrylic acid, poly acrylamide, poly(ethylene oxide), poly(vinyl
alcohol),
carboxy methyl cellulose (CMC) and the like. Many more such examples can be
found
in, for example, Modern Superabsorbent Polymer Technology (Wiley-VCH, 1997),
Fredric L. Buchholz and Andrew T. Graham editors.
Gels used for carrier of the present invention can be chemically cross-linked
type
or physically cross-linked type. Examples of cross-linked type polymers are
cross-linked
acrylic acid, acrylamide, polyethylene oxide etc. Preferable physically cross-
linked type
polymers are polyethylene oxides.
It is preferable to use more than one gel. Preferable combination is a
combination
of gels having a block form and gels having a granule or particle form.
Preferable
example of the gel having a block form is a polyalkylene oxide such as
polyethylene
oxide and the gel having a particle form is cross-linked poly acrylic acid.
It is believed that if only from about 4% to about 8 % of the block form gel
is used,
the water absorption capacity may not always be sufficient and the gel may
become
watery. Watery gels are not very user friendly as water may come out during
storage,
transportation and/or use. In contrast, a higher percentage of block form gel
usage is not
economical as well as the gel product may look denser (less transparent and
aesthetics is
not good). In addition, higher use of the particle form gel may destroy the
block form
aesthetics of the malodor removing material.
Based on the two forms gel combination, a non watery property and stable block
shape is provided.
Considering these, it is preferable that a combination of block form gel and
particle form gel is used. The preferred range of block form gel is from about
4 % to
about 8 % by weight of the malodor removing material and the range of the
particle form
gel is from about 0.2 % to about 1.5 % by weight of the malodor removing
material.
It is to note that in the gel used for carrier in the present invention can be
the same
as long as such a gel has the functional groups described hereinabove.
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(c) Other ingredients
The malodor removing material of the present invention can further comprise
perfume, dye, stabilizer, water, organic solvent (i.e. alcohol, ketone etc.)
and/or
preservatives.
A highly preferred ingredient in the present invention is a UV protector which
is
used herein to describe a material which absorbs, blocks and/or reflects UV
light so as to
reduce UV damage. Specifically, polymer molecules in the gel material may
degrade
and/or break when exposed to light energy. Many light wavelengths, especially
in the
UV spectrum are known to affect polymer molecules by breaking and/or weakening
the
internal chemical bonds between monomers. In the case of gel materials, this
may in
some cases cause the shape of the gel to become deformed. In the case of gels
which are
formed into a specific regular shape, such as a block, a circle, a sphere, a
star, etc., it may
appear that the gel is melting over time. In an extreme case, the shape may be
destroyed
if excessive breaking of molecules occurring because of exposure to light
during
manufacture, shipping, storage, and/or use.
The possible detrimental effects of light are even stronger when a transparent
or
translucent package is used. In a highly preferred embodiment herein current
product, a
transparent package is used so that the regular shape of the gel material is
observable
from the outside of the package.
Thus, useful UV protectors include the UV absorber SEESORBTM 101, available
from Shipro Kasei Kaisha, Osaka, , Japan, which can be absorbed or otherwise
incorporated into the gel. SEESORBTM 101 is a benzophenone based UV absorber.
Also
useful herein are benzo triazole based UV absorbers such as SEESORB 701, also
available from Shipro.
Other examples of UV protectors which can be used alone or as a mixture with
another UV protectors or with an anti-oxidant include the CYASORB UV series
from
American Cyanamid Co. (Wayne, New Jersey, USA) and the Tinogard TL series from
Ciba Specialty Cehmicals Co. (Basel, Switzerland). Such UV protectors may be
incorporated into any relevant portion of the product, for example, in to the
packaging,
into or onto the gel, etc.
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Anti-oxidants known in the art may also be useful herein to prevent
degradation
and/or damage to the gel, perfume, and/or other ingredients in the product.
While such
anti-oxidants are well-known in the art, an example of a preferred anti-
oxidant is
SEENOX-BCS available from Shipro.
5 In order to improve UV, perfume, gel, and/or dye stability, it is preferred
that the
pH of any liquid component be from about 1.5 to about 5, preferably from about
2 to
about 4, and more preferably from about 2.5 to about 3.5.
(d) Form
10 The malodor removing material of the present invention can be formed as a
block,
liquid, bead chip or sheet. Preferably, the malodor removing material of the
present
invention has a block form. Preferably the block form is selected from the
group
consisting of a cube, a sphere, a cone, a triangle, a rectangle, a
parallelepiped, a star and a
mixture thereof.
When the malodor removing material of the present invention has a block form,
the malodor removing material preferably has air between the gel particles,
and especially
if they are in block form. Air can be incorporated between the gel, and
especially block
forms by any method, but preferably, vibrations are employed to achieve this
outcome. If
the air is incorporated between the gel particles, especially for block forms,
then light
may reflect on the air and may cause a desirable shining effect. Air between
the gel
particles may also significantly increase the overall MAF. Detailed methods or
effects of
the air between block forms are described in the Japanese Patent Publication
No. Tokkai
2000-212354 A to Misumi et al., published on August 2, 2000 and filed by
Kobayashi
Seiyaku Kabushiki Kaisha.
(e) Color and light absorbance
The malodor removing material of the present invention can be colored in any
color which can be adjusted by adding a pigment and/or dye to the malodor
removing
material. In addition, the malodor removing material may be transparent,
translucent or
opaque as desired. However, the malodor removing material preferably is either
transparent or translucent. If the color of the malodor removing material is
transparent or
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translucent, light may reflect on the malodor removing material and may
enhance the
desirable shiny effect described above.
(2) Malodor Accessibility Factor (MAF)
The deodorizer of the present invention has MAF of more than about 5x 104
ppm2cm2/(g*min), preferably from about 5 x 104 ppm2cmz/(g*min) to about 15 x
107
ppm2cmz/(g*min). MAF is, as defined hereinabove, a multiplication of factors
consisting
of EOSA, AR and AC. Specifically, MAF follows the formula, below:
MAF = (EOSA) * (AR) * (AC)
If the deodorizer has MAF of less than 5x 104 ppm2cmz/(g*min), the malodor
removing performance may not be sufficient and users may not be able to enjoy
the
malodor removing benefit. On the other hand, while higher MAF helps in better
and
faster removal of malodor, the components required to increase the MAF would
be highly
expensive and would not be commercially feasible to market as a placement type
deodorizer product.
(a) EOSA (Effective Open Surface Area of the malodor removing material)
The deodorizer of the present invention has EOSA of from about 60 cm2 to about
250 cm2, preferably from about 65 cm2 to about 200 cm2. While high open
surface area
increases the malodor removal efficacy, the device size may become very large,
which
could be inconvenient to use as a placement type deodorizer. On the other
hand, smaller
EOSA may not be able to deliver sufficient malodor removal efficacy.
(b) AR (Absorption Rate of the malodor removing material)
As the air circulation in a room keep changing, the malodor type and intensity
coming to the room also change. Thus, in order to maximize users' benefit, the
deodorizer needs to absorb the malodor at a faster rate than the air
circulation rate.
Especially, AR for first 10 minutes from when the deodorizer is placed is an
important
parameter in deciding how fast the malodor can be removed.
The deodorizer of the present invention has the malodor removing material
having
AR of more than about 0.35 ppm/min, preferably from about 0.35 ppm/min to
about 7
ppm/min, more preferably from about 0.4 ppm/min to about 6 ppm/min.
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Measuring AR comprises two steps: preparing ammonia gas for the measurement
and measuring AR of the malodor removing material.
Preparinj ammonia.-as
First an air stock with desired ammonia concentration is prepared as follows.
A single cock 10 liter Tedlar Bag (Shibao Shoten, Osaka, Japan) is used for
making a
stock solution. The Tedlar Bag is fitted with an open/close valve through
which gas can
be injected and taken out.
The 10 liter Tedlar bag is filled with clean air using an air-pump. To make
sure
that the bag has 10 liters air in it, the air is filled until the bag becomes
full and the walls
are just tight without any pressure being built in the bag. A gas meter can
also be used to
confirm the accuracy of the measurement of 10 liters air.
Ammonia gas is obtained from a head space of ammonia solution bottle (500 ml
bottle of 30 % ammonia solution supplied by Sigma-Aldrich, Japan by using a
syringe
(Termo Corporation, Tokyo, Japan). Once the headspace of the bottle has
equilibriated at
room temperature (i.e., after about 24 hours), the syringe is inserted into a
mouth of the
ammonia bottle and approximately 5- 20 ml air above the ammonia solution in
the bottle
is sucked into the gas syringe.
Ammonia gas is then injected using gas syringe to the Tedlar Bag in steps of
small volumes to achieve a desired initial concentration through the valve.
After adding
each small volume of ammonia gas, check the concentration with Gastec's
standard
ammonia (NH3) detector tube system (Model 1M 003MJ1, supplied by Gastec
Corporation, Kanagawa, Japan). The standard system consists of Model GV-100
gas
sampling pump and Gastec standard ammonia detector tube.
The measurement is conducted as follows: Break off both end of the detector
tube
using the built-in tip breaker in the sampling pump. Insert the detector tube
in to the
sampling pump with the marked side into the sampling pump and align the handle
with
the mark showing 100 ml, then, insert the other open end of the detector tube
into the
Tedlar Bag valve (if the size doesn't fit, then a connecting tube of length 3
cm can be
used). Then, opening the Tedlar @ Bag valve and pulling the gas sampler handle
fully.
After waiting for 1 min, read the concentration from the detector tube.
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After that, shake the bag well and keep injecting ammonia until the
concentration
reaches 300 ppm. Then, shake it well and leave it for 5 min and again confirm
the
concentration using the NH3 detection tube. For initial concentration of 300
ppm,
appropriate NH3 (ammonia) detector tube needs to be used. For example, for
adjusting
300 ppm initial concentration, 1-30 ppm range gas tube which is Gastec No 3L
may be
used.
Measuring AR of the malodor removing material
A I liter Tedlar Bag is prepared and one corner of the bag is cut and opened.
0.30g of malodor removing material sample is prepared and completely spread on
a small glass Petri dish. Then, the Petri dish is placed inside the Tedlar
Pak. Any air is
pressed out of the bag before sealing.
The cut-opened corner is then sealed completely without any substantial
leakage
using a heat sealer. Preferable heat sealer is Handy Sealer Manufactured by
luchi Model
200.
The 1 liter Tedlar Bag with the sample is filled with NH3 (concentration 300
ppm) from the 10 liter Tedlar Bag through a connection tube with a valve.
Remove the
10 liter Tedlar Bag connection and immediately seal the 1 liter Tedlar Bag
by closing
the valve.
Leave the bag for 30 seconds and measure the initial concentration of ammonia
by
NH3 detector tube gas analyzer (Model 1M 003MJ1, Gastec Corporation, Kanagawa,
Japan). A detector tube with 1-30 ppm range is used. Ammonia concentration is
measured as a function of time (10 min, 20 min, 30 min and 60 min) using
detector tube
mentioned above. The absorption rate is taken as the slope of the steepest
portion of the
curve. Repeat the test three times and take an average of these tests as AR.
A blank (without deodorizer) is also run in the same way. The difference
between
the blank ammonia concentration data for each data point and that of the
corresponding
one with the deodorizer is taken as the ammonia concentration data of the
deodorizer for
each data point.
(c) AC (Absorption Capacity) of the malodor removing material
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As explained before, the malodor absorbing molecules needs to be included in
to
the malodor removing material. While AR helps remove the malodor faster, the
malodor
removing material capacity is also important in keeping the performance for
longer usage
times. If the capacity of the malodor removing material gets saturated, then
no more
malodor can be absorbed into the material and the efficacy will be reduced
significantly.
Thus, higher capacity is also important in keeping the faster removal rate as
more
absorbing sites are available for malodor molecules to get absorbed.
The malodor removing material of the present invention has AC of more than
about 2500 ppm/g of material, preferably from about 2500 ppmlg to about 90,000
ppm/g,
more preferably from about 2800 ppmlg to about 40,000 ppmlg.
AC measurement method is as follows:
Preparing ammonia gas
First an air stock with desired ammonia concentration is prepared as follows.
A single cock 20 liter Tedlar Bag is used for making the stock solution. The
Tedlar
Bag is fitted with an open/close cock /valve through which gas can be injected
and taken
out.
liter Tedlar bag is filled with clean air using an air-pump. To make sure
that
the bag has 20 liters air in it, the air is filled until the bag becomes full
and the walls are
20 just tight without any pressure being built in the bag. A gas meter can
also be used to
confirm the accuracy of the measurement of 20 liters air.
Ammonia gas is obtained from a head space of ammonia solution bottle (500 ml
bottle of 30 % ammonia solution supplied by Sigma-Aldrich, Japan by using a 60
ml
syringe (Termo). The syringe is inserted into a mouth of the ammonia bottle
and
approximately 20-40 ml air above the ammonia solution in the bottle is sucked
into the
gas syringe and is then injected to the Tedlar Bag.
Ammonia gas is then injected by gas syringe to the bag in steps of small
volumes
to achieve desired initial concentration through the valve. After adding each
small
volume of ammonia gas, check the concentration with Gastec's NH3 detector tube
(Model
IM 003MJ1. In this case detector tube Gastec No 3 M is used with 50 ml
suction. The
readings are then multiplied by 2 to get the concentration.
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Then, shake the bag well and keep injecting ammonia until the concentration is
1000 ppm. Shake well and leave it for 5 min and again confirm the
concentration by the
NH3 detection tube.
5 Measuring AC of the malodor removinj material
A 1 liter Tedlar Bag is used for AC measurement. One corner of the bag is cut
and opened.
0.30g of malodor removing material sample is prepared and completely spread on
a small glass Petri dish. Then, the Petri dish is placed inside the bag
through the cut open
10 area.
The cut-opened corner is then sealed completely without any substantial
leakage
using a heat sealer, Iuchi Model 200. Any air is pressed out of the bag before
sealing.
The 1 liter Tedlar Bag with the sample is filled with NH3 (concentration 1000
ppm) from the 20L Tedlar Bag through a connecting tube with a valve. Remove
the 20
15, liter Tedlar Bag connection and immediately seal the 1 liter Tedlar Bag
by closing the
valve. A blank is also run in the same way as above. Measure the concentration
of
ammonia in the bag after 1 hour by the same method for AR. Blank reading is
also
measured in the same way. The absolute amount of ammonia absorbed by the
malodor
removing material is estimated as the difference between removed ammonia
concentration in the bag with deodorizer and the removed ammonia concentration
in the
blank.
The remaining air (with ammonia) is then completely removed from the bag and
fresh air with 1000 ppm ammonia is filled in from the same stock gas. The
measurements
are then taken after 1 hour and the same procedure is followed until there is
no difference
between the ammonia removed by blank and the deodorizer bag.
Total ammonia absorbed by the deodorizer is taken as the sum of all expressed
in
ppmlg=
In case if all of the 1000 ppm ammonia is absorbed by the deodorizer in less
or
near 1 hour time, then either the ammonia concentration should be increased to
higher
level or the amount of malodor removing material should be decreased so that
the
remaining ammonia concentration should be + 20 % of the blank reading. Repeat
the test
at least two times and take an average of these tests as AC.
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16
To obtain much better malodor removing efficacy, the malodor removing material
of the present invention may have a multiplication of AR and AC is more. than
about 875
ppm2/(g*min), more preferably from about 875 ppm2/(g*min), to about 50,000
ppm2/(g*min), and more preferably from about 1,000 ppm2/(g*min) to about
10,000
ppm2/(g*min).
EXAMPLE
(1) Preparation for the malodor removing material
A malodor removing active having a carboxylic and an amino group (molecular
weight is about 6,000) is prepared. The malodor removing active is mixed with
phenoxy
ethanol (preservative) in de-ionized water and the pre-mixture is then added
to a block
type polyethylene oxide (Sumitomo Seika Corporation, Osaka, Japan). Formula is
shown
in TABLE 1. The mixture is kept for 6 hrs for gel formation. Then, the product
is placed
on a rectangular tray with 10.75 cm x 6.8 cm (73 cm2) open area. The malodor
removing
material has a cube form and they are prepared to have air between each cube
form. The
color and light absorbency of the malodor removing material is transparent
green.
Also, one marketed product (Marketed product A) is prepared. For measuring AR
and AC, 0.30 g of the malodor removing active is taken from the Marketed
product and
placed on the tray in the same way.
(2) Measurement of EOSA
Based on the definition above, EOSA is measured. The malodor removing
material of the present invention has 60 cm2 of EOSA, while the Market product
A has 56
2
cm .
(2) Measurement of AR
According to the method described hereinabove, the malodor removing material
of the present invention has AR of 0.4 ppm/min. In contract, the market
product A has
AR of 0.34 ppm/min
(3) Measurement of AC
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According to the method described hereinabove, the malodor removing material
of the present invention has AC of 3000 ppm/g of AC, while the market product
A has
AC of 2400 ppm/g.
(4) Calculation of MAF
In the above examples, the deodorizer of the present invention has MAF of 7.2
x
104 ppm2em2/(g*min), whereas the Market Product A has MAF of 4.57 x 104
ppm2em2/(g*min). The malodor removing material of the present invention has
MAF of
from about 5 x 104 ppm2em2/(g*min) to about 1.5 x 108 ppm2em2/(g*min), while
the
sampled currently marketed product has a MAF of about 2.3 x 104 PPM2CM2/(g*
min) to
about 4.6 x 104 ppm2cm /(g*min).
(5) Odor removal Efficacy
Odor removal efficacy is also measured using ammonia as the model malodor gas.
An odor evaluation room of size 3.3 meters x 3.3 meters x 2.4 meters is
selected at the
Toyobo Research Centre, Katata, Japan for the measurement. The temperature of
the
room is set at 20 degrees C and at 65% of room humidity. The odor evaluation
room is
completely secured without any external air or odor entering the room.
Thorough
cleaning system is used for cleaning the room of any odor after each test.
Inlets which
can be closed completely after injecting odor are provided at each side.
The Market product A (EOSA of 56 cm2) and the malodor removing material of
the present invention with a package (EOSA of 73 cm2) are used. Ammonia gas is
injected (ammonia gas collected in syringe as described above) in to the room
using a
syringe through the inlet. Two small fans are running for 3 minutes to make
sure the
ammonia is mixed well in the room. The initial concentration of the ammonia in
the
room is adjusted to 10 ppm by measuring and readjusting as required (ammonia
measurement method was described before using Gastec's odor detector tube
system).
After adjusting the initial concentration to 10 ppm, the fans are switched-off
and
the test material is placed in the middle of the room on the floor. Ammonia
concentration
is measured after 3 hours using the same method as described above. A blank is
run in
the same way without any deodorizer product in it. The ammonia concentration
difference between with Market product A, and the malodor removing material of
the
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18
present invention and blank is taken as the ammonia removal efficacy data.
Then, the
difference between Market product A and Blank, and the difference between
current
invented product and blank have been taken as the ammonia removing efficacy.
The result is shown in TABLE 2. According to TABLE 2, the present invention
clearly shows improved malodor removing performance than market products.
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19
TABLE 1
Ingredients Ratio (weight percent of the malodor removing material
(%))
Polymer 10
Water 80
Gel 9
Preservative I
Total 100
TABLE 2
Product EOSA AR AC MAF Odor
(cm2) (ppm/min) (ppm/g) (EOSA)*(AR)*(AC) Removal
Efficacy
Present 73 0.4 3,000 87,600 300*
Invention
Market 56 0.34 2,400 45,696 t00**
Product-A
*The odor removal efficacy of the Market Product-A is used as a standard
(100).
**For the odor removal efficacy assessment at consumer homes, malodor removal
material from the market product was transferred to a tray of EOSA of 73 cm2.
All documents cited in the Detailed Description of the Invention are
not to be construed
as an admission that it is prior art with respect to the present invention. To
the extent that
any meaning or definition of a term in this written document conflicts with
any meaning
or definition of the term in a document, the meaning or
definition assigned to the term in this written document shall govern.
While particular embodiments of the present invention have been illustrated
and
described, it would be obvious to those skilled in the art that various other
changes and
modifications can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the
invention.
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It is therefore intended to cover in the appended claims all such changes and
modifications that are within the scope of this invention.
