Over the last decade, the fragrance industry has seen substantial growth, primarily due to the growing demand for people and places to smell good. This growth has led to a direct increase in innovation across all aspects of the industry, with individuals and industries investing substantial resources to find the best possible answer at each step. Among the various innovations, using sintered porous plastic as a fragrance diffuser has become a standout success and is steadily revolutionising the way fragrances are diffused into the air.

This blog explores the science behind using sintered porous plastic products as fragrance diffuser material, their advantages, and how it is shaping the future of scent delivery across different industries.

A] What Are Porous Plastic Products?

Porous plastic products are items made typically from polymers such as polyethene (PE), polypropylene (PP) or polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE). They consist of a series of interconnected pores, which form a vast porous network. This porous network is the key behind the success of porous plastic products and can be adjusted (increased or decreased) based on the application and specific requirements. As the leading porous plastic air fresheners manufacturer in India, we offer custom porous plastic products 

B] How Is Porous Plastic Used In Fragrance Diffusers?

The porous network mentioned above plays an important role in positioning porous plastic products as the best option for fragrance diffusers. The capillary action of the porous network enables the scent/fragrance oil to get absorbed into the porous plastic product. This scent/fragrance is slowly released into the atmosphere at a steady rate.

Also Read: Sintered Porous Plastic Filter: A Comprehensive Guide

There are two ways in which the porous plastic fragrance diffusers are used:

1. Active Diffusion: This type of fragrance diffusion occurs when there is some external force (typically pressured air) acting upon the scent diffuser material, assisting in the diffusion of the scent/fragrance. This type of diffusion is commonly observed in electronic diffusers or HVAC-integrated scenting systems

2. Passive Diffusion: This type of fragrance diffusion occurs when there is no external force acting upon the fragrance diffuser. The scent/fragrance is emitted through the pores under atmospheric conditions. This type of diffusion is commonly observed in house air fresheners or car fragrance diffusers

C] Advantages Of Using Porous Plastic Products As Scent/Fragrance Diffusers

1. Customisation in Shape: Porous plastic products can be customised to be made into any shape and size, as per the required aesthetic. Since most of the car and room scent diffusers are being used in everyday life, the appearance of the product is important. Detailed customisation is difficult in other types of air fresheners.

2. Customisation in Porosity: The porosity of porous plastic fragrance diffusers can be customised to absorb the required amount of scent oil and accordingly increase or decrease the life span of the diffuser. Thus, the life of the porous plastic fragrance diffuser can be altered based on the requirement. In order to increase the life of the porous plastic product, we can increase the porosity such that the diffuser absorbs more scent/fragrance oil, and conversely, we can reduce the porosity to decrease the life of the diffuser.

3. Controlled Diffusion: The uniformity of pores across the fragrance delivery system of porous plastic diffuser enables the release of the scent in a controlled and consistent manner. This is essential to give the end user a better experience. The problem faced by most fragrance diffusers of other types is that over their lifespan, their diffusion rate significantly varies, leading to a negative user experience.

4. Non-Reactive: The common raw materials that are used to make porous plastic fragrance diffusers are polypropylene (PP) and polyethylene (PE). Both of these materials are almost chemically inert and do not react with chemicals present in the scents.

5. Cost-Effective: Porous plastic fragrance diffusers are cost-effective, especially in comparison to other alternatives. This makes them very attractive for everyday use in any type of environment.

6. Easy to Handle: Due to the porous plastic products being light in weight and small in size, they are easy to handle and keep in different locations, as per convenience. This gives the user flexibility during the usage of the porous plastic fragrance diffusers.

D] FACTORS TO CONSIDER WHILE CHOOSING A POROUS PLASTIC FRAGRANCE DIFFUSER

1. Material: Porous plastic scent/fragrance diffusers are typically made from three types of materials – Polyethylene (PE), Polypropylene (PP) or Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE). Even though all three of these materials function very efficiently as scent/fragrance diffusers, one of them might be better suited to be used for a particular scent/fragrance oil than the others.

2. Porosity: The porosity is directly proportional to the amount of liquid the scent/fragrance diffuser can absorb. More porosity means more liquid can be absorbed by the diffuser, subsequently increasing the lifespan of the porous plastic fragrance diffuser.

3. Pore Size: Pore size is directly responsible for the rate at which the diffusion occurs. Higher pore sizes lead to higher rates of diffusion, and smaller pore sizes lead to lower rates of diffusion. Thus, if anyone wants to change the diffusion rate of a porous plastic fragrance diffuser, they will have to change the pore size.

4. Usage: Porous plastic fragrance diffusing discs and sintered fragrance releasing wicks can be used in a variety of environments, and slight changes can be made depending on the environment of usage. Further, one needs to be clear about how the fragrance diffuser will be placed. For example, if someone wants to hang a fragrance diffuser by a thread, the provision for a hole (for the thread to pass through) can be made during the production of the porous plastic product itself.

Due to the points mentioned in this blog, porous plastic products are being preferred over other alternatives to be used as fragrance diffusers. Significant use of porous plastic fragrance diffusers can be seen in the following locations:

• Households
• Cars and other automobiles
• Hotel rooms
• Office / Commercial establishments

Conclusion

Porous plastic products are widely used as fragrance diffusers due to their innate nature to absorb the scented oils and release them slowly and consistently. They can be customised and controlled to increase or decrease the diffusion rate. It is also a non-reactive, easy-to-handle, and cost-effective solution. 

For more information about the usage of porous plastic products as scent/fragrance diffusers, please feel free to reach out to us at info@sansukindustries.com. Sansuk Industries is one of the largest sintered porous plastic product manufacturers in India, always eager to help you.