Odor control performance of carbon‐loaded rayon monofilaments

Abstract

AbstractThe odor control performance of carbon‐loaded rayon monofilaments depends on the type and proportion of activated carbon used. The filter efficiency in turn determines the rate of odor reduction in a closed space and the ultimate or equilibrium concentration when odorant generation and removal occur simultaneously. Four types of filters were evaluated: rayon loaded with air‐ or water‐purification carbon, granular air‐purification carbon, and open‐lattice commercial filters. Air laden with synthetic tobacco malodor was streamed through successive increments of adsorbent bed. Sensory odor judgments were made before and after each adsorption stage by matching the effluent odors with those from mixtures of known concentrations. It was thus possible to estimate adsorption efficiencies and, by repeating the measurements after various degrees of carbon saturation, to construct adsorption waves. It was found that airpurification carbon was superior to water‐purification carbon for loading in the rayon filaments, and that all the rayon‐carbon compositions were much superior to the commercial open‐lattice filters. The rayon‐carbon filters showed efficiencies up to 70% for one pass at 0.1 sec. detention time through a 3/4‐in. bed packed at 0.096 g./ml. with a filament comprising 20% rayon and 80% carbon.