TECHNOLOGY | ODOUR REDUCTION


Analytical improvement SepSolve Analytical and Markes International, now part of the Velaris family of lab-automation brands, have developed advanced methods for characterising the volatile compounds responsible for odours, supporting vehicle interior air quality (VIAQ) testing and analysis of emissions from materials. The companies presented a new approach that builds on conventional gas chroma- tography coupled with mass spectrometry (GC–MS) by incorporating thermal desorption (TD) with two-dimensional gas chromatography and time-of- flight MS (GCxGC–TOF MS). This enhanced technique delivers substantially


Above: Sandwich specimen with a core of recyclate (brown) and a skin material without odour barrier additives during sensory evaluations. Right: This was compared to a specimen with an odor barrier skin


masterbatch for extrusion, injection, and blow moulding in HDPE, PP, and other olefins is an azo-free and formamide-free technology that avoids this problem, said McCleskey. “Furniture and durable-goods moulders evaluat- ing foaming often cite decomposition odour from conventional azo systems as an EHS [environmental health and safety] and shop-floor issue. We’re in active trial discussions with a major US furniture moulder on HDPE blow moulding,” he said. HPF The Mineral Engineers, a division of Quarzwerke group, said that its Rescofil functional mineral odour absorbers use a combination of physical and chemical adsorption mechanisms to reduce odour-causing substances. In recent trials with recycled PP, the mineral filler was found to successfully reduce odour levels to an acceptable level according to the VDA 270 German automo- tive industry standard for odour. Concentrate producer Chroma Color Corporation


introduced its ChromaFresh product line, which incorporates scent additives in colour concentrates. The company said that the scent can be used to counteract unpleasant odours, including any lingering odours from PCR. The concentrates are intended for applications such as packaging, toys, household goods and personal care items.


24 COMPOUNDING WORLD | July 2026


greater sensitivity and chromatographic resolution, allowing trace odourants to be separated from more abundant matrix components, such as aliphatics, which can obscure their detection in traditional one-dimensional GC methods, said Laura McGregor, Senior Product Marketing Manager, Separation Technologies, at SepSolve. To accelerate data interpretation, the companies also demonstrated the Smart Subtract tool within ChromCompare+ software, which automatically highlights chemical differences between “good” and “bad” samples, allowing analysts to quickly identify problematic odour-causing compounds and other chemical markers associated with sample failures. Furthermore, the comparative data can also be used to develop predictive classifica- tion models for screening and classifying future samples, supporting more efficient odour evalua- tion and quality control workflows, she reported.


Odour barrier The Fraunhofer Cluster of Excellence Circular Plastics Economy (CCPE) brings together multiple Fraunhofer Institutes in Germany to conduct research in processes and products focusing on the lifecycle of plastic products to help the industry transform from a linear to a circular economy. This work includes developing concepts to minimise odours and emissions from plastic recyclates. In a project called SIMBA, for Demonstration of the Barrier Layer in Materials and Components, the researchers investigated odour-barrier technology for recycled plastics in furniture applications. Using a patented multilayer concept, odour scavengers based on modified zeolites are concentrated in a dedicated barrier layer instead of being directly added to the bulk, which has proven significantly more effective, reported Michael Großhauser, part of the CCPE team and deputy head of the department Additivation and Durability at the Fraunhofer Institute for Structural Durability and System Reliability LBF.


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IMAGES: FRAUNHOFER CCPE


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