Glossary
Adsorption — Glossary
The binding of odor compounds to the surface of a material — how textiles trap smell in their fibers.
Adsorption (not absorption) is when molecules bind to a surface rather than soaking into it. Textile fibers adsorb odor compounds across their total surface area — and that surface area is enormous, which is why fabric holds smell so well.
Adsorbed compounds aren’t gone — they’re bound, and they can release again with heat, moisture, or disturbance.