Month: January 2022

Reduce malodours from chronic wounds by 78%

using non-woven dressings with new AqFresh™ technology

– free odour test report

New AqFresh™ odour elimination technology has been proven to reduce malodours from chronic wounds (eg. putrescene and cadaverine) when dry impregnated into non-wovens.

AqFresh™ consists of Cucurbiturils – barrel-shaped molecules with a hollow hydrophobic cavity and polar portals. This unique structure enables it to capture & hold the malodours with extremely tight binding. Therefore they are virtually undetectable to the typical patient. Unlike existing anti-odour solutions, AqFresh™ works in wet environments like chronic wound dressings and does not rely on to which bacteria are becoming increasingly resistant.

In these studies, a section of the AqFresh™-treated nonwoven was placed in a Gas Chromatography headspace (HS-GC) vial. Putrescene was added to the nonwoven. The headspace was evaluated and compared to control and untreated nonwoven. The results showed that the level of malodour was reduced by 78% in the non-woven with AqFresh™ compared to the non-woven without AqFresh™.

For your free odour test report of AqFresh™ added to your non-woven, please complete the contact us form below adding “NON-WOVEN ODOUR TEST” to the message.

(This offer is limited to the first 4 non-woven manufacturers with £100M+ turnover.)

Other enquirers will receive our free Non-Woven Wound Care Odour Testing White Paper, comparing a range of malodour emissions from non-wovens with and without AqFresh™.

(This offer is unlimited.)

Reduce malodours from Chronic Wounds

Tackling malodours from chronic wounds is a key priority for healthcare workers, carers and patients in the medical sector of the non-wovens industry. A key objective is to help patients overcome social embarrassment & isolation due to the smell.

Current odour technologies such as charcoal only work when dry whilst silver is relatively ineffective and relies on antimicrobial action to which bacterial resistance is increasing.

As well as for advanced wound care, non-wovens are widely used in the medical & healthcare sector. For example, hospitals use them for surgical gowns & face masks, bed linen, underpads, ostomy bag liners, PICO dressings and sterilisation wraps. In wound care, non-woven bandages are used to provide a moist wound healing environment, with controlled vapour transmission, absorbency and low skin adhesion. Hydrocolloid dressings are often used provide a moist and insulating healing environment with gel-forming agents, a waterproof backing and gauze.

Odour Test

The odour test is run by Aqdot using trained assessors selected according to ISO 8586 for their ability to discriminate and describe malodours. They undergo training and a quarterly assessment using validated polymeric standards provided by a qualified supplier.

The panel carry out the odour tests to evaluate the impact of our counteractant. The panellists evaluate the odour intensity based on the scale from 0 to 6 (not detectable to extremely strong odour) and the hedonic tone from -4 extremely unpleasant to +4 extremely pleasant.

AqFresh™ odour capture technology

AqFresh™ odour capture technology can be dry impregnated into non-woven materials. As a result, it can capture malodours, such as those arising from chronic wound dressings.

This patented technology consists of cucurbiturils, which are barrel-shaped molecules with a hydrophobic cavity and polar portal. Most importantly, their unique structure enables exceptionally tight capture & binding of unwanted molecules.

We have proven that AqFresh™ can capture a wide range of malodours relevant to broader non-woven applications. Some examples include: putrescene & cadaverine (wounds), isovaleric acid (sweat), trimethylamine (urine) and skatole (faeces).

In conclusion, AqFresh™ is available as powder which has been successfully demonstrated to reduce malodours when dry impregnated into non-woven materials.

A nice alternative for AqFresh^TM powder impregnation: Fibroline technology

Fibroline is an engineering company which developed and patented innovative dry impregnation technologies. Those cleantechs enable to impregnate powder form materials into porous structures thanks to high intensity alternating electric fields.

AqFresh™ technology eliminates a broader range of household smells, including 10 common complex malodours.

– free sensory odour test report of YOUR formula.*

Instantly effective in solid or liquid formats, it keeps working when both wet and dry. Formulation flexible, it works in aerosol, aqueous or alcohol-based solutions, and is compatible with common cleaning product ingredients.

Our unique patented odour capture technology consists of cucurbiturils – barrel-shaped molecules with a hydrophobic cavity and polar portals that powerfully attract and capture VOCs. They act rapidly and keep on working for lasting freshness. AqFresh™ contains a mixture of cucurbit[n]urils (n =6, 7, 8) and each homologue has affinity for a variety of molecules. Thus, AqFresh™ has exceptional capability to bind a wide spectrum of molecules with different sizes and functional groups.

For a free sensory odour test report of AqFresh™ added to your formula*, please complete the contact us form below adding “HOME CARE ODOUR TEST” to the message.

(This offer is limited to the first 4 home care product manufacturers with £100M+ turnover.) Other enquirers will receive our free Home Care Odour Testing White Paper. (This offer is unlimited.)

Common Household Malodours

Bad household smells trigger negative emotions, such as irritation, stress & anxiety, or a bad mood, according to the Aqdot 2021 survey of over 500 consumers in North America, Europe and Asia. Rotting food smells (fish, rotten egg, milk, cheese, cooking fat) for example, are particularly associated with triggering feelings of being distracted or nauseous.

Many household cleaning products use strong chemicals with even stronger smells. Fragrance is often added to mask the product smell and to give a signal of ‘freshness’ post-cleaning. However, as fragrances are highly volatile, they quickly dissipate, so the malodour can remain distinctly noticeable.

The fact that bad smells are annoying creates a negative emotional experience which becomes associated with using that household cleaning product. However, consumers don’t think that using a strong fragrance to mask the product is a good solution either. For example, 51% prefer an air freshener spray that is fragrance-free or only lightly fragranced and just 14% prefer a strongly fragranced one.

AqFresh™ outperforms benchmarks for a broader range of malodours

We have selected some of the most common household smells, and of these we outperform two leading competitor technologies substantially.  In each case the performance is benchmarked against the next best product – which varies between them depending on the odour, highlighting that competing technologies struggle at removing this breadth of odours, as well as some specific ones. In conclusion, AqFresh™ technology eliminates a broader range of household smells.

Sensory Odour Test

Aqdot has its own externally-validated trained expert panel of assessors who follow a standard sensory odour test protocol to evaluate the intensity of residual malodour after treatment with the test formulation vs a control. The panel uses trained assessors selected according to ISO 8586 for their ability to discriminate and describe malodour. Aqdot train & assess them quarterly using validated polymeric standards provided by a well-known multi-national olfactory company.

Analytical GC-HS Test

The analytical testing is run by Aqdot using gas chromatography to analyse the amount of residual malodour molecules present in the headspace after treatment with the test formulation vs a control. Gas chromatography (GC) is an analytical technique that helps to separate and analyse a mixture of compounds that can be vaporized without their decomposition. Headspace (HS) analysis is a technique for analysing volatile organic compounds (VOCs) by collecting the gaseous headspace for introduction into the GC.

Improving indoor air quality

AqFresh™ is a revolutionary new 5-in-1 molecular capture and release technology that removes odours, pollutants, allergens & viruses whilst delivering prolonged fragrance release, to improve indoor air quality.

AqFresh™ is non-toxic, works in more formulations and environmental conditions, faster, for longer. It has been proven in sensory, gas chromatography, consumer & clinical testing to remove a broader range of pollutants, viruses, odours & allergens and give longer-lasting fragrance release.

AqFresh™ technology eliminates a broader range of household smells.

3D video explaining the unique AqFresh™ chemistry