FR2845919A1 - Odorizing or deodorizing a gas, especially air, comprises circulating the gas through an enclosure containing alumina impregnated with one or more essential oils and/or synthetic oils - Google Patents

Abstract

Odorizing or deodorizing a gas comprises circulating the gas through an enclosure containing alumina impregnated with one or more essential oils and/or synthetic oils. Independent claims are also included for: (1) device comprising a cassette, receptacle or refill through which a gas or air to be (de)odorized can be circulated and which contains alumina impregnated with an essential or synthetic oil or oil solution; (2) composition comprising alumina impregnated with an essential or synthetic oil or oil solution and optionally another mineral or vegetable support containing a (de)odorizing agent.

Description

The applicant develops products in the field of perfumery in

  base of essential and synthetic oils, olfactory supports, gas treatment and in particular air (ambient air for example), and more generally products that use the sense of smell

  In public or private places, on behalf of companies or industrial applications.

  The basic principle is the use of alumina and preferably activated alumina as a basic olfactory support. Indeed, activated alumina, when it is impregnated with an odorous solution of essential oils and / or syntheses and subjected or not to the effect of a hot or cold fluid, acts as a harmful olfactory support and efficient in order to diffuse the aromas of the said solution into the ambient air, considering the imperatives of

odor persistence.

  The object of the present invention is an important improvement of a principle described in the European patent of the applicant EP-A O1 402 461 6 of September 26, 2001 (French priority of August 21, 2001) - This patent concerns the depollution of air and air odoriflcation at

  by means of a support containing a depollution agent or an odorification agent.

  It can be said that activated alumina is an intelligent olfactory support in the sense that it can adapt to different modes of diffusion of odors and allow controlled evaporation of

the impregnated odor solution.

  Several types of activated aluminas are necessary to meet various applications.

  The aluminas concerned are, for example, activated alumina 2-5 grade A, activated alumina 2.5-5 grade D, activated alumina DR8-13, activated alumina 3-6 EXT, alumina activated 4-8 grade D, activated alumina 4-8 grade A, activated alumina CR / SU 4-8, Alumina ALCOA F200 1/8 ", Alumina Spherite 513, Alumina ALCOA DD431-3 / 16. This list commercial alumina is not limiting Activated alumina is a support which is in the form of pearls or extrudates or any other form, micro and macro porous, on which one impregnates all or part of its porous volume by at least one essential oil or at least one odorous solution of oils

essentials and / or summaries.

  The odorous solution which is used for the impregnation may contain bactericidal, fungicidal, and / or anti-mite active agents, by the addition of pyrethrin or equivalent compound,

  pheromones known to date, and / or essential oils in the formulation of the solution.

  The activated alumina support is first impregnated with an odorous solution. Then, conditioned

  or not, it is subject or not to the effect of a hot or cold fluid, the fluid being gas or air, it is there that it truly releases the aromas of said solution; it is in this that we can consider that the activated alumina support is an olfactory support and that it is ideal for all devices for odorization, deodorization, and purification of a gas or air, ambient air 45 for example.

  The activated alumina support can be combined with one or more other supports, of mineral or vegetable types, also impregnated with an odorous solution, in order to serve a

  special odorizing function.

  41- The impregnated activated alumina support can be packaged in specific cassettes or refills or be accommodated simply in bulk in the receptacle of a device

aroma diffuser type.

  The object of the present invention is to place in the gas or in the circulating air, suitable devices which contain olfactory supports of the impregnated activated alumina type, associated or not with other odorous supports and whose function and give or give a smell to the ambient air The invention therefore consists in circulating said gas (air in particular), hot or cold, through an enclosure containing a support containing alumina (activated preferably, impregnated an odorous solution based on at least one essential oil and / or at least

a synthetic oil.

  The following description relates to air and activated alumina (by way of non-limiting example).

  L. For odorization and deodorization This involves obtaining a micro or macro porous support of the activated alumina type on which all or part of its porous volume is impregnated with at least one essential oil or at least one odorous solution d essential and / or synthetic oils, called the olfactory support 25 The pore volume is preferably between 20 and 70 cm3 per 100 grams of activated alumina, preferably with a specific surface ranging from 200 to 500 m2 / grams (and more particularly 200 to 300 m2 / grams); the porous volume can be occupied so that the essential oils of the impregnated solution diffuse slowly. 30 In order to dose and / or balance the quantities of essential oils emitted into the air to be odourized, the rheology of the support / oil system is acted on by special methods and / or treatments, for example of the type of coating or gelling agents which will limit and / or control

  the emission of odorous molecules from the oil.

  If the air circulating through the olfactory medium is humid, the time during which the odor is extracted will be longer. On the contrary, if the air is dry, we can imagine a device allowing

  to re-impregnate the support in or ex situ or a recharging device.

  Thus, if we immerse in a container containing water, activated alumina impregnated with an essential oil, we notice that alumina has more affinity for water than it has for essential oil, the latter is ejected (released) and will float on the surface of the water. This essential oil, supernatant, is analyzed by gas chromatography, coupled with a mass spectrometer; in the case of activated alumina, the two spectra of the initial phase and of the desorbed phase are substantially identical. We can therefore say that activated alumina is characterized by its great neutrality with respect to essential oils, which is not the case with porous bodies such as atapulgite (based

  magnesium) or sepiolite (magnesium silicate) or any equivalent porous body.

  The present invention also relates to the composition containing an activated alumina impregnated with at least one essential and / or synthetic oil with a view to its use as a support.

  olfactory having the role of odorant and deodorant agent.

  -To -precise more -the specificities -of-activated alumina, -we will add -that-preferably the porosity of this activated alumina support (in whatever form it is) consists of

  - pores of a few hundred A-of average diameter.

  This porosity is preferably bi-modal, that is to say that it is made up of "streets" which open-in- "-avenues": 1- of micropores of average diameter between 10 and 90A ( let's call them "the streets")

  which give the alumina support its specific surface greater than 300 m2 per gram in particular. The approximate percentage of micropores is between 60 and 80%, - more-or-less-depending on the type of alumina chosen.

  2- Macropores with an average diameter of around 1000A (let's call them "avenues") which give the alumina support their macroporosity - (-about -60 cm3 per 100 grams). The approximate percentage of macropores is approximately

  -15o%, more or less depending on the type of alumina chosen.

  3- On the basis of these characteristics, you can incorporate up to approximately 60 grams of natural and / or synthetic essential oils per 100 grams of activated alumina

  as is, i.e. about 37.5% of the weight.

  In other cases this percentage can go up to 45%.

  All the pores communicate with each other because they are open at their two ends; this network-of micropores -or- "-streets"> -which flow into macropores or "- avenues-" -may be

  filled with synthetic fragrance solutions and / or with essential oils.

  The activated alumina support is very solid and stable over time, that is to say it has a very high resistance to crushing and attrition.

  Indeed, - the impregnation - of a synthetic perfume solution and / or essential oils can deteriorate the olfactory support having regard to the "corrosive" properties of the impregnated solutions. Furthermore, the alummine support is an extremely inert support which does not modify the

  chemical nature of the fragrance bases of syntheses and / or essential oils.

  In fact, we can fill the porosity of these activated alumina pearls with perfuming bases - of syntheses - and / or essential oils - and the passage of an air flow - through a bed of these porous pearls created by temperature difference or natural convection, or even using 40 ventilation - controlled - will allow gradual evaporation - of fragrance bases

  and thus reodorize the ambient air in complete control.

  If - a --analysis - by chromatography - in gas phase - coupled - to a mass spectrometer, we always find the same molecular spectrum either in the starting liquid or in the gas phase evaporated as described below.

  There is, in fact, no physico-chemical interaction between the support which consists of activated alumina in the form of porous pearls for example and the perfume bases of syntheses and / or essential oils which are incorporated therein. 50 It. Conditioning of the activated alumina support:

  This alumina takes place in an enclosure also called here "device".

  As we have seen, we can say that the impregnated activated alumina is an olfactory support which offers a great persistence (persistence of the odor) and which restores the most

  precisely all the initial molecular spectrum.

  Once impregnated, the activated alumina support must most often be packaged in a tamper-evident, so-called breathable envelope, for example: nonwoven, perforated cardboard, mesh plastics, hemp, fabrics, etc. Packaging that leaves as much as possible

  pass the gas, air, hot or cold fluid over the impregnated activated alumina support.

  For the use of the bulk alumina olfactory support, an airtight packaging is

  essential before fitting the support.

  Conditioned according to a specific application model, the activated alumina olfactory support is integrated into a device or not. The device can then "attach" to any mouthpiece in the passage of an air or gas fluid, hot or cold, such as by

example a standalone filter.

  The-conditioning of the olfactory-support determines a mode of diffuser: of the cassette type or refill in a specially designed box and which can be placed in front of an integrated-ventitlation-system, - of the multiple hook type, autonomous filter to hang from proximity to any existing ventilation system - (vacuum cleaner, computer, air conditioner, ventilator, ventilation, etc.), - loose type in an odor diffuser receptacle or any container in contact with ambient air -and ventilated by natural convection. 30 IU. Impregnated activated alumina combined with other impregnated supports: The composition of the alumina-based olfactory support consists of 100% -activated alumina

  impregnated: this composition is suitable for long-term odorizing devices.

  But the support may contain, in addition to alumina, another type of mineral (other than alumina) or vegetable support, for example from 50 to 100% of alumina (by weight) and from 0 to 50% of

- mineral or vegetable support.

  For example, the composition of the olfactory support consists of 50% (by weight) of impregnated activated alumina and - at 50% - (by weight) - of impregnated pumice stone: - this composition is

  suitable for rapid but short-term odorization.

  -45 We can mix-with activated-impregnated alumina, a-product-based on mineral or vegetable support in order to create a so-called olfactory effect ("shock". Indeed, activated alumina absorbs the -solution - of impregnation right into his heart, while any other support, for example pumice stone absorbs the impregnation solution superficially on the surface. Thus in contact with a fluid, it is the support -pumice-pumice which will release the --aromas first - hence the 50 "shock" effect, while the impregnated alumina support will release its aromas over time. The pumice pumice or any other support , will therefore have released all of its aromas, while the

  alumina support will continue to release its own over time.

  Examples of minerals include pumice, sand, clays, silicas, etc. Examples of plants include the corncob, cracked wheat, wood, etc. This mineral or vegetable support therefore also contains an odorification or deodorification agent which can be a perfuming complex of essential oils and / or synthetic oils or any other suitable agent IV. About perfumed solutions used for the impregnation of activated alumina: It is possible to impregnate on the alumina support fragrant oils (perfumed solutions) from 15 syntheses and / or essential oils of first cold pressing Some oils are better tolerate impregnation, because of their physicochemical properties. We will then proceed to an impregnation in stages or monolayers while respecting

  an impregnation order according to the solutions to be impregnated.

  Below are some examples of formulations based on essential oils: À Per 100 ml of perfumed solution based on essential oils: - 20 ml of rosemary + 20 ml of camphor + 30 ml of lavender + 30 ml of orange, 25 ml of eucalyptus + 20 mi of peppermint + 30 ml of camphor,

  - 30 ml of grapefruit, 10 ml of ravensara, 20 ml of lemon, 40 ml of orange.

  Synthetic oils can be impregnated, i.e. solutions that restore all kinds of aromas, for example sweet smells, such as: chocolate, honey, cinnamon, etc. Synthetic oils have a tendency to "sweeten" fragrances which contain pure essential oils. Besides the olfactory qualities of essential oils, most of them have

  bactericidal and / or anti viral properties o their purifying and depolluting character.

  If the synthetic and / or essential oil constitutes the basis of the perfumed solution to be incorporated into the activated alumina, it is possible to add to this solution certain active principles in order to respond to a specific application, for example, without this list being limited to:

  To fungicides and / or anti-mites, by the addition of pyrethrin or equivalent compound 40 and / or specific essential oils in the formulation of the solution.

  * various non-toxic chemical active ingredients of depolluting types.

  * pheromones known to date, pheromonale complex.

  V. Conclusions: The use of activated alumina as a basic olfactory support responds to: - greater olfactory persistence (duration of the odor), - olfactory neutrality of the virgin support, - packaging of the a la carte support , - an adaptation of the support to all types of fluids, flexibility in terms of odorizing devices, - flexibility in terms of (ecological) manufacturing, - hygiene of the support, whether or not conditioned, - an economic advantage in different applications,

  - an- aesthetic of the support by different colors and forms, - a perfect restitution of the impregnated perfumed solution.

6 '

Claims (9)

  1- Method of odorizing or deodorizing a gas consisting in circulating said gas, hot or cold, through an enclosure containing a support containing alumina, said alumina being impregnated with at least one essential oil and / or synthesis. 2- The method of claim 1 wherein said gas is air and the alumina is activated alumina.   3- The method of claim 2 wherein the activated alumina has a surface   specific between 200 and 500 m2 per gram and a pore volume between 20 and 70 cm3 / g.   4- Method according to one of claims 1 to 3 wherein is added to said support to   minus a bactericidal or fungicidal, anti-mite, or pheromone product.   5- Method according to one of claims 2 to 4 wherein said activated alumina   has a bi-modal porosity made up of medium diameter micropores   between 10 and 90 A 'and macropores with an average diameter of about 1000A'.   6- A method according to one of claims 1 to 5 wherein a product is added to the support allowing the rheology of the agent to be modified so as to dose and / or control   the quantities of odorous molecules derived from essential or synthetic oil   emitted into the air to odor or deodorize.   7- Method according to one of claims 1 to 6 wherein said support contains, in addition to alumina, a product based on mineral or vegetable support.   8- Device or enclosure through which or which one circulates a gas or air (hot or cold) to odorize or deodorize, having a form of cassette type, receptacle or refill and containing a support defined as in claims 1 to 7, 35 and containing alumina impregnated with oil or an essential oil solution or of synthesis.   9- Device or enclosure according to claim 8 wherein more particularly said support is contained in a cassette or refill type packaging placed in a housing, multiple hook type, type "in bulk" arranged in a receptacle. 40 10 Composition based on a support containing (a) activated alumina impregnated with   less an oil or a solution of an essential or synthetic oil, this activated alumina being capable of gradually diffusing the oil which it contains and (b) optionally a mineral or vegetable support, other than alumina, containing an odorification or deodorization agent, this mineral or vegetable support rapidly diffusing the agent that it contains.   Il-Composition according to claim 10 wherein said mineral support is of pumice.