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Draft:Why do old books smell so good?

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Why old books smell good

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The smell of old books is basically because of paper and ink in those books. Paper is primarily made up of wood. Wood is made up of organic compounds like cellulose and lignin. Over the years, these compounds react to heat, light, and moisture and begin to breakdown releasing VOCs. VOCs stand for volatile organic compounds. These compounds easily vaporize and mix in the air, thus forming the smell of old books. Now, there are different types of VOCs. A volatile organic compound called vanillin gives vanilla like smell. Another VOC, benzaldehyde gives almond like smell. Ethylbenzene gives a sweet smell. In short, the combination of various compounds makes old books smell so good.