Binding and release of odor compounds from textiles: Changing fiber selection for apparel

Understanding odor volatiles known to constitute those emanating from the human body and how these interact with textiles is relevant to diverse interested parties because of changing fiber use, a better understanding of apparel life cycles including cleaning and the potential for fiber/textile re-use. This paper extends the application of our proton transfer reaction-mass spectrometry model system on adsorption and release behavior of fiber types typical of next-to-skin uses to include both viscose and other volatile organic compounds in body odor for which release has not previously been studied (hexanoic acid, acetone, cyclohexanone, hexanal, methyl butanoate, ethyl benzene, 1-octanol, decanal, butanoic acid). The current findings confirmed release patterns of different fiber types found in our earlier studies – low release of volatile organic compounds from cotton and wool, but higher release from polyester – and made a new finding of low release from viscose. Adsorption characteristics were different given the different volatile organic compounds analyzed. Viscose showed better adsorption characteristics for primarily polar volatile organic compounds, but was otherwise very similar to cotton.