US Patent 7976855 - Odor absorbing article using nanoparticles

http://www.freepatentsonline.com/7976855.html

This patent from Kimberly-Clark Worldwide teaches how nanoparticles including metal ions can be used to remove odors and can be incorporated into various industrial and consumer products including absorbent articles, air and water filters, household cleaners, fabrics, and paper towels. Claim 1 reads:

1. An odor absorbing article of manufacture, comprising:

a nonwoven web treated with a nanoparticle, the nanoparticle including silica, alumina, or combinations thereof and wherein the nanoparticle includes about 20-200 metal ions adsorbed onto the nanoparticle,

wherein the adsorbed metal ions include copper ion, iron ion or combinations thereof and are active sites on a surface of the nanoparticle for binding gaseous or odorous compounds to the nanoparticle surface removing the compound from a surrounding environment.