(375c) Slow Release Carpet Deodorizers/disinfectants- An Exercise in Mass Transfer, Microeconomics and Uncertainty Management

Carpet can serve as a haven for dust mites, mold, mildew, and bacteria. A freshening and disinfecting powder product was designed to address these problems and provide a long lasting fragrance. The product includes baking soda to absorb moisture, boric acid to serve as a disinfectant, and linalool (lily) fragrance in PLGA (polymer) particles to provide a long lasting scent.

A consumer satisfaction and pricing model was used to determine the best particle sizes and fragrance concentrations, as well as proportions of all ingredients.

The following consumer utilities were considered in the design of this product: disinfectant effectiveness, scent intensity, fragrance duration, toxicity, odor elimination, and scent type.

Disinfectant effectiveness (related to boric acid contents) is measured by the percentage of mites killed per unit area of carpet. A mass transfer model allowed relating the fragrance particle dimensions to the scent intensity at a plane five feet above the carpet, and to the fragrance duration. The toxicity and odor elimination utilities allowed for the determination of the amount of boric acid and baking soda per unit area of carpet, respectively.