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Topic: Smell at fundamental level  (Read 2508 times)

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Offline ultuser

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Smell at fundamental level
« on: July 12, 2014, 04:59:53 PM »
I am wondering if smell is created by vaporizing of the chemical compounds of material does it mean a material itself(for example wooden board) that gives smell will vaporize entirely (after very long time) and there will be nothing left besides odorant(I mean smell itself) ?

Offline Enthalpy

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Re: Smell at fundamental level
« Reply #1 on: July 12, 2014, 05:41:56 PM »
Hi ultuser, welcome here!

It is a general trend - with exceptions as usual - that compounds with a smell are rather volatile, yes.

Most often, only minor components give the smell, so after a long time, the item is still there but the smell is weaker.

Offline ultuser

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Re: Smell at fundamental level
« Reply #2 on: July 12, 2014, 06:05:54 PM »
Thanks for answer it explains why new furnitures have intensive smell which weakens over time.
So does it mean after very long time item can lose (its own) smell entirely ? Or there are some factors that prevent it ?

Offline Mitch

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Re: Smell at fundamental level
« Reply #3 on: July 13, 2014, 01:16:22 AM »
Yes, yes it could on a long enough time table.
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Offline Furanone

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Re: Smell at fundamental level
« Reply #4 on: July 19, 2014, 03:44:17 PM »
It is true materials that have an odour will have less of an odour over time as the lower MW compounds that give an aroma (didn't want to say lower MW aromatic compounds!) volatilize and leave their material.

However, another point to consider too is human's olfactory bulbs get desensitized by smells commonly smelled over and over, and thus with more exposure to certain compounds we smell them less as that becomes their new baseline. One example is cigarette smokers who often can no longer smell the smoke on them yet non-smokers will smell it very strongly on them.
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