Mothball
A mothball is a strong smelling repellent in the form of a 0.5 to 1.5 cm diameter white cellulose ball, which is laid out or hung up in cupboards and chests with textiles to combat clothes moths .
The typical mothball odor was previously given off by the mainly naphthalene (C 10 H 8 ) it contains. Today the less odorous paradichlorobenzene (PDCB) is found in mothballs or moth strips as an active component. Both substances are harmful to health and the environment.
The substances in the mothballs sublime (= go from the solid directly into the gaseous state) very slowly - for several years - and are distributed in the surrounding air. Such substances smell unpleasant for moths, they flee and the clothing is protected from moth damage. In the past, mothballs were mainly used for the seasonal storage of winter or summer clothing in chests or for long-term shipping . This process was called mothballing .
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Individual evidence
- ↑ Otto-Albrecht Neumüller (Ed.): Römpps Chemie-Lexikon . Volume 4: M-Pk. 8th revised and expanded edition. Franckh'sche Verlagshandlung, Stuttgart 1985, ISBN 3-440-04514-5 , p. 2679.