CA2574692A1 - Fire retardant and so forth composition with insecticide - Google Patents

Abstract

Fire retardant composition has an insecticide; it can include a fire suppressing salt with insecticide; it can include a mixture of a substantially neutral ammonium phosphate salt in combination with an active hydrogen-containing nitrogenous organic compound, and a hydroxyl-containing carbonific, plus the insecticide; it can be an intumescent fire retardant paint, plus the insecticide. The composition may further include another active agent, for example, a mold inhibitor. The composition can be a spray on fire retardant with mold inhibitor and insecticide. Non fire retardant paint can include insecticide and mold inhibitor. The insecticide may be, for example, a termiticide.

Description

FIRE RETARDANT AND SO FORTH COMPOSITIONS WITH INSECTICIDE
FIELD AND PURVIEW OF THE INVENTION

In general, in a first aspect, the invention concerns a fire retardant composition with an insecticide, optionally with a mold inhibitor, and methods to make and use it, and a substrate combined with the composition or residue thereof. For instance, the present composition can have a first fire retardant agent of an ammonium phosphate substance, plus a carbonific, for example, glucose or pentaerythritol, and a nitrogenous spumific, for example, urea, which are combined with the insecticide, notably which can function as a termiticide, and optionally the mold inhibitor, which can be, say, a quaternary organic halide. A generally clear, aqueous liquid may be formed.

In a second aspect, the invention generally concerns a composition embracing an intumescent fire retardant paint, especially a latex; and an insecticide, notably a termiticide. The composition may further include another active agent, for example, a mold inhibitor. Of concern are methods to make and use the composition, and a substrate in combination with the composition or residue whereof.

In a third aspect, the present invention concerns a fire retardant composition having a mold inhibitor and an insecticide, and methods for making and using it, as well as the composition in combination with a substrate.

In a fourth aspect, the present invention concerns a paint composition having a mold inhibitor and an insecticide, and methods for making and using it, as well as the composition in combination with a substrate. Preferably, the composition is a latex type paint.

BACKGROUND TO THE INVENTION
Various fire retardants are known.

Compositions are known that typically contain fire suppressing salts such as an ammonium phosphate or ammonium sulphate for aerial applications to combat forest fires. See, e.g., U.S. patent Nos. 3,196,108; 3,257,316; 3,309,324; 3,634,234;
3,730,890;

3,960,735; 4,447,336; 4,447,337; 4,606,831; 4,822,524; 4,839,065; 4,983,326 and 6,162,375. Others are known to have fire suppressants such as carbonaceous matter, organic phosphorous compounds, organic halides, or borates. See, e.g., U.S.
patent Nos.
4,668,710; 4,686,241; 5,246,652; 5,968,669; 6,001,285; 6,025,027; 6,084,008 and 6,130,267.

In address of fire as a problem, especially in the modern home, which has many highly flammable, petroleum-based materials, conventional intumescent systems have been developed. They typically include as essential components: (1) an acid-forming substance, which may be referred to as a "catalyst"; (2) an expanding agent, which causes formation of a foamed (intumescent) layer by emission of an inert or non-combustible gas, which agent may be referred to as a "spumific"; and (3) a binder such as a thermoplastic resin, which contributes to the film-forming properties of the system and provides a portion of a char skeleton, and which is usually referred to as a "carbonific."
A component may have more than one function. Such phosphate-catalyzed intumescent compositions can be made of components selected from the following:

1. As the acid source (catalyst), usually amino phosphates, mainly ammonium polyphosphates, ammonium orthophosphate, and melamine phosphate, say, in an amount of about 25% by weight of the total formulation.

2. As the spumific, melamine, melamine salts, melamine derivatives, urea and/or dicyandiamide.

3. As the carbonific, a polyhydroxy compound, usually a polyol, which is decomposed by liberated phosphoric acid to form an ester that results in formation of the char (carbonification), for example, pentaerythritol, dipentaerythritol, tripentaerythritol, or certain sugars, starches or starch derivatives.

Such conventional systems are known to be opaque since compounds such as ammonium polyphosphate in powder form, powdered amines and carbonific components are often employed. As well, these tend to be expensive.

In address of the foregoing, Mabey, U.S. patent No. 6,989,113, disclosed a fire retardant. A commercial embodiment covered by the '113 patent is NO-BURN@
WOOD GARDTM product, which is available from NO-BURN, INC., Wadsworth, Ohio, U.S.A.

Certain fire retardant compositions are known to be in a form of an intumescent composition, coating or paint. See, e.g., U.S. patent Nos. 5,989,706;
5,925,457;
5,645,926; 5,603,990; 5,064,710; 4,635,025; 4,345,002; 4,339,357; 4,265,791;

4,241,145;
4,226,907; 4,221,837; 4,210,452; 4,205,022; 4,201,677; 4,201,593; 4,137,849;
4,028,333;
3,955,987 and 3,934,066. The intumescent fire retardant may be associated with latex.
Note the latter two ('987 and'066) patents. Various organizations, for example, the Cary Company, Addison, Illinois, U.S.A., Kemco International Associates, St. Pete, Florida, U.S.A., and Verichem, Inc., Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, U.S.A., may make available certain components for certain paints and coatings including flame retardant and smoke suppressant additives, and certain biocides. Various other fire retardant art is known.
See, e.g., U.S. patent Nos. 6,207,085; 5,997,758; 5,882,541; 5,626,787;

5,165,904;
4,744,965; 4,632,813; 4,595,414; 4,588,510; 4,216,261; 4,166,840; 3,969,291 and 3,513,114.

A highly effective fire retardant intumescent latex paint is also commercially available from NO-BURN, INC., as NO-BURN PLUS latex paint product. This can be employed, for example, in residential and commercial structures including homes to provide fire resistant properties to the structure. Compare, U.S. patent application Pub.
Nos. 2005/0138888 and 2005/0022466.

A fire retarding composition of a spray-on type is known. For example, NO-BURNO FABRIC FIRE GARD spray from NO-BURN, INC. is an example of a spray-on liquid of light viscosity and strength, which is an aqueous proprietary product with a formulation that can vary but that can include, in general, such ingredients, with percentages (%) by weight, as follows:
Water 70-90%
Phosphorus containing acid, e.g., as polyphosphoric acid (115%) 5-15%
Ammonium base, e.g., as hydroxide (29% aqueous solution) 5-15%
Wetting and/or other agent such as coco amidopropyl betaine (30% aqueous solution) 0.05-0.2%
Preservative, e.g., potassium salicylate 0.01-0.1%
Compare, U.S. patent application Pub. Nos. 2005/0138888 and 2005/0022466.

Another problem of serious concern is damage from mold, especially toxic black mold (Stachybotrys chartarum). In improving the art, especially that of the application leading to the Mabey '113 patent, Mabey et al., U.S. patent No. 6,982,049, disclosed a fire retardant with mold inhibitor. A commercial embodiment covered by the '049 patent is NO-BURN WOOD GARDTM MIHTM product, which is also available from NO-BURN, INC. A mold inhibitor can be employed with an intumescent paint or coating product such as the case of NO-BURN PLUSTM MIHTM fire retardant intumescent latex paint with mold inhibitor. This is also commercially available from NO-BURN, INC.
Note, U.S. patent application Pub. No. 2006/0 1 67 1 3 1. Compare, U.S. patent application Pub. Nos. 2005/0138888 and 2005/0022466. Note also, U.S. patent application Pub.
No. 2006/0189232, which concerns improvements to fire retarding compositions, especially in a spray-on type, for example, NO-BURN FABRIC FIRE GARD spray from NO-BURN, INC., and, in such latter improvements, mold inhibiting and/or stain protecting properties are also provided.

Insect damage to building structures, including homes, notably, for example, from termites, especially in warmer climates, is also a problem of concern. In address of this, various insect- and termite-protection products are also known. Note, U.S.
patent No.

6,896,908, which discloses a wood-preservative concentrate of a leach-resistant borate for lignocellulosic-based products to provide resistance against insect and fungal attack;
and U.S. patent Nos. 6,894,074 and 6,716,874, which disclose synergistic insecticidal mixtures.

Various conventional paints are known. Among these are latex paints.

Such products may have a mold inhibitor added to provide "in the can"
resistance to mold. In other cases, a mold inhibitor may purchased, for example, as a powder in a packet, and be stirred into the paint so as to provide mold inhibition for painted surfaces.

Certain paints with insecticides are known. See, U.S. patent Nos. 5,912,003;
5,931,994; and 6,881,248.

It would be desirable to further improve upon the art.

SOME OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION
It is a general object to improve upon the art.

It is a particular object to provide protection from insect and so forth pests, and notably termites, to a fire retardant composition.

It is a further particular object to do the same with fire retardant compositions that have other capabilities such as stain-protection and/or mold-inhibition, especially the latter.

It is a special object to provide the same with an ammonium phosphate type fire retardant formulation, with or without mold inhibitor, notably such as disclosed by the Mabey ' 113 and Mabey et al. '049 patents, especially with the mold inhibitor, particularly for control of Stachybotrys chartarum, for example, with the NO-BURN WOOD
GARDTM or NO-BURN WOOD GARDTM MIHTM products, while retaining desirable properties of the composition.

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It is a special object and desire to provide the same with an intumescent fire retardant paint formulation, especially a latex formulation, for example, NO-BURN
PLUS or NO-BURN PLUS MIH products, while retaining desirable properties of the composition.

It is an especially desirable object to provide for control of termite infestation and feeding, on and through the surface of a material coated with the fire retardant composition.

The present invention satisfies at least one if not more or even all of these and other objects, if not wholly at least in part.

FULL DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION

In general, fire retardant compositions and so forth with insecticide are provided.
In general, in one aspect, it comprises a fire retardant composition having an insecticide, which in one general embodiment can include a fire suppressing salt with insecticide, which in a more particular embodiment can include a phosphate-catalyzed intumescent composition with an acid source, a spumific and a carbonific, plus insecticide, which in an even more particular embodiment can include an ammonium phosphate containing fire retardant with insecticide, and which in a more preferred embodiment can comprise a mixture of a substantially neutral ammonium phosphate salt in combination with an active hydrogen-containing nitrogenous organic compound, and a hydroxyl-containing carbonific, plus the insecticide. The composition may further include another active agent, for example, a mold inhibitor. The insecticide may be, for example, a termiticide. Such a composition can be made by contacting a phosphoric acid with ammonia to form the ammonium phosphate, contacting the ammonium phosphate with the active hydrogen-containing nitrogenous organic compound, the hydroxyl-containing carbonific, and the insecticide, optionally the mold inhibitor, under conditions sufficient to form the composition. The composition can be used by contacting it with a substrate, which advantageously is otherwise flammable, under conditions sufficient to be flame retardant and provide for the kill, control or repellence of a target invertebrate, optionally to be also mold inhibitory. Another aspect is an article of manufacture comprising, in combination, the substrate, and the present composition or a residue whereof. Significantly, thereby, the art is advanced in kind as an effective, cost efficient, aesthetically pleasing fire retardant providing protection from insects, notably termites, is provided. Other active agents beneficially can provide protection from mold, notably Stachybotrys chartarum. For instance, flammable construction stock such as wooden board stock can be provided with good fire retardant ratings and effective termite and mold control; application of the composition is simple and easy; and a clear formulation can be provided to highlight the beauty of natural woodwork. A particular embodiment provides for control of termites and toxic black mold in a fire retardant.
Addition of the insecticide adds notable value to the fire retardant and fire retardant with mold inhibitor.
The composition of the invention can advantageously be applied directly to a wide range of materials, including wood, plywood, oriented strand board and chip board sheathing, paper, corrugated board materials, and so forth and the like. It is efficient and, with suitable precautions taken, reasonably safe to manufacture, store, transport and use. One of the many advantages of the present composition is that, since it can be applied directly to building materials before or on site, it greatly reduces financial and environmental costs in new structures of rendering materials fire retardant and termite resistant.
Building materials may be rendered fire retardant and termite-repellant after construction by application of the composition. The composition may be considered to be an intumescent fire retardant, which has insecticidal, optionally mold inhibition, properties.
Certain embodiments may be considered improvements in kind to the Mabey '113 and Mabey et al. '049 patents and to the excellent, commercially available NO-BURNO
WOOD GARDTM and NO-BURN WOOD GARDTM MIHTM products.

In general, also provided is a composition comprising an intumescent fire retardant paint and an insecticide. The composition is beneficially a latex.
The composition may further include another active agent, for example, a mold inhibitor. The insecticide may be, for example, a termiticide. The paint can be in a form of a finish paint or primer. Such a composition can be made by contacting paint-forming ingredients with a fire retardant, optionally with a mold inhibitor or other active agent;
and the insecticide, under conditions sufficient to form the composition; it can be used by contacting it with a substrate, which beneficially is otherwise flammable.
Another aspect is the composition or its residue in combination with the substrate.
Significantly, thereby, problem(s) in the art is(are) ameliorated if not overcome. An effective, cost-efficient, aesthetically pleasing and/or generally safe fire retardant providing protection from insects, notably termites, is provided. Other active agents beneficially can provide protection from mold, notably toxic black mold (Stachybotrys chartarum). Thus, for example, flammable construction stock such as of wood can be provided with good fire retardant capability and effective control of termites as well as toxic black mold.
Application of the paint is simple and easy, and coverage can be excellent.
Addition of the insecticide ingredients adds notable value to the fire retardant. The composition can advantageously be applied directly to a wide range of materials, including wood, plywood, oriented strand board and chip board sheathing, paper, fabrics, corrugated board materials, and so forth and the like. It is efficient and reasonably safe to manufacture, store, transport and use. One of the many advantages of the present composition is that, since it can be applied directly to building materials before or on site, it greatly reduces financial and environmental costs in new structures of rendering materials fire retardant and termite resistant. Further, building materials may be rendered fire retardant and termite-repellant after construction by application of the present composition. In a particularly advantageous embodiment, the composition may be considered to be an intumescent fire retardant, mold inhibitor, and termite repellant latex paint, which can provide these properties at once through a common application of a beautiful and durable paint. The composition can have a "Class A" flame spread rating under the ASTM-E84 test. Embodiments of the invention can be considered improvements in kind to the already excellent, commercially available NO-BURN
PLUS and NO-BURN PLUS MIH intumescent fire retardant latex paints.

Also, in general, the present invention provides a fire retardant composition having a mold inhibitor and an insecticide. It can be made by contacting fire retardant, mold inhibitor, and insecticide ingredients under conditions sufficient to form the composition, and it can be used by applying it to a substrate in an amount sufficient to kill, control and/or repel a target invertebrate. It thus can be found in combination with the substrate itself or as a residue whereof. Significantly, thereby, the art is improved in kind. Not only can fire retardant and mold inhibition properties be provided a building structure and fabrics but also can insect control be provided, and this, notably, in one convenient composition, for instance, with respect to a spray-on liquid such as NO-BURN FABRIC FIRE GARD spray as improved hereby. Fear and destruction of fire, and damage or harassment otherwise caused by mold such as toxic black mold and insects such as termites, carpenter ants, bees, and so forth can be put to rest confidently.
In general, too, the present invention provides a paint composition having a mold inhibitor and an insecticide. It can be made by contacting paint-forming, mold inhibitor, and insecticide ingredients under conditions sufficient to form the composition, and it can be used by applying it to a substrate in an amount sufficient to kill and/or control mold and kill, control and/or repel a target invertebrate when the composition has dried on the substrate. It thus can be found in combination with the substrate itself or as a residue whereof. Significantly, hereby, the art is improved in kind. Not only can paint protection and mold inhibition properties be provided a building structure but also can insect control properties, and this, notably, in one convenient composition. Fear of deterioration and weathering to a substrate, and damage or harassment otherwise caused by mold such as toxic black mold and insects such as termites, carpenter ants, bees, and so forth can be put to rest confidently.

The invention is useful in protecting building structures, their contents and/or their occupants, in general, from fire, insect damage or annoyance, optionally mold, and so forth. Fabrics, likewise, can be protected. Buildings can be preserved and enhanced.

Numerous further advantages attend the invention.

The invention can be further understood by the additional detail set forth below.
The same, like that set forth above, is to be taken in an illustrative and not necessarily limiting sense.

The term, "fire retardant," is a composition that, when applied to a flammable material, provides thermal protection for the material. In general, this may be done by reducing or perhaps even eliminating the tendency of the material to burn and/or by reducing the rate of flame spread along the surface of the material.
Preferably, use of the fire retardant composition, for example, on a solid material such as wood substrate, reduces surface burning characteristics significantly, say, at least about 10%, at least about 25%, or at least about 50%, when compared to corresponding but untreated material, as tested by an appropriate test. For example, the test may be the Steiner Tunnel Test. Without being bound by any theory, the preferred fire retardant composition of the present invention, based in general on the '958 Mabey fire retardant, is believed to operate generally as follows: The fire retardant composition decomposes under the heat of the fire to produce a nonflammable gas as well as a light weight char, which occurs at a lower temperature than the item on which it is applied would release flammable gases. The char formed as the ammonium phosphate breaks down, releasing ammonia gas, which leads to reaction of the phosphate with the carbon-bearing compounds to form a nonflammable ester. As the nitrogen-containing compounds break down to release non-flammable gas, the gas becomes trapped in the carbon mass, tending to puff it up, forming a char pillow. The char pillow, by reducing air flow, and hence, oxygen, and by reducing or blocking heat-transfer to the surface, tends to reduce the burning-propensity of the treated surface. As a result, fire is robbed of fuel and oxygen, generates less heat and smoke, and may in some circumstances extinguish itself.

The term, "insecticide," is an agent that can kill, control and/or repel a target invertebrate. The target invertebrate can be an insectper se, for example, a termite, a carpenter, sweet or grease eating ant, a bee, hornet or wasp, a roach, a fly, a mosquito, a cricket, an earwig, a silverfish, a tick, a flea, a beetle, and so forth;
another arthropod such as a spider, a centipede, and so forth; and/or a worm or even a snail or slug, and so = ,>

forth. Target invertebrates considered building pests, which could include the termites, ants, bees, hornets and wasps, roaches, crickets, earwigs, silverfish, fleas, beetles, and spiders, especially termites, desirably are killed, controlled and/or repelled hereby. A
specific target invertebrate may be under focus. Thus, for example, when the target invertebrate is a termite, the insecticide may be termed a "termiticide."

The term, "mold inhibitor," is an agent that can kill, control, or prevent growth of mold, mildew, or fungus, and so forth and the like flora, especially when formulated with a basic fire retardant composition with insecticide. A mold inhibitor may be fire retardant or fire accelerative, but, in the latter case, does not accelerate fire to a degree that the overall composition which contains the mold inhibitor cannot be considered to be a fire retardant composition. Preferably, however, use of the fire retardant composition with insecticide with mold inhibitor, for example, on a solid material as the substrate, reduces growth of the flora of interest significantly, say, at least about 60%, at least about 85%, or at least about 99% or even at least about 99.9%, if it does not kill it outright, for a significant time, say, at least about thirty days, at least about six months, or at least about 360 days or a year, if not, in effect, indefinitely, as tested by appropriate test methodology. For example, the test method may be by ASTM D5590-94, Determination of Resistance of a Coating Material to Fungal Growth.

Ammonium Phosphate Salt in Matrix Aspect Broadly, in one aspect, the invention combines a fire retardant with an insecticide.
A mold inhibitor or other active agent may be provided as well.

A foundation of preferred embodiments of the invention is that a clear or substantially clear fire retardant base with or without mold inhibitor or other active agent can be prepared, and during or after its preparation can be added the insecticide. For instance, the base can be made by reacting phosphoric acid with ammonium hydroxide in a stoichometric ratio sufficient to make an aqueous solution of substantially neutral pH, which includes monoammonium and diammonium phosphates, in an exothermic reaction; the resultant solution, which is an example of an essentially or substantially = ,, neutral ammonium phosphate salt, next can be contacted or combined, perhaps reacted, with an active hydrogen-containing nitrogenous organic compound such as urea, and also with a hydroxyl-containing carbonific such as glucose or pentaerythritol to produce a typically viscous fire retardant solution. To the fire retardant base, a precursor stage thereof, or to a fire retardant with insecticide may be added the mold inhibitor or other active agent. It may be advantageous to add the insecticide and/or mold inhibitor or other active agent to the viscous fire retardant base solution promptly or immediately upon its manufacture.

Accordingly, the composition of the invention may be considered, in certain embodiments, to be a substantially if not essentially neutral ammonium phosphate salt in a matrix of a urea and a hydroxyl-containing carbonific, which has the insecticide, with or without mold inhibitor. The composition can form a coating and typically dries on the substrate.

In various general embodiments, any suitable fire retardant, which can be considered a basic or base fire retardant component, can have added to it the insecticide, optionally the mold inhibitor, which may be added at any suitable time(s) during manufacture. More particularly, a base fire retardant component may contain a fire suppressing salt such as an ammonium phosphate or ammonium sulphate, preferably the former. Even more particularly, the base fire retardant component may contain a phosphate-catalyzed intumescent composition with an acid source, a spumific and a carbonific. Desirably, however, the base fire retardant component includes the substantially neutral ammonium phosphate salt with a carbonific and spumific.

As the substantially neutral ammonium phosphate salt, any suitable ammonium phosphate, to include ammonium polyphosphates, and mixtures thereof, may be employed. Preferably, however, the substantially neutral ammonium phosphate salt is a mixture, which contains monoammonium and diammonium phosphates. The salt may be employed per se, or in conjunction with a diluent. Preferably, a diluent is employed, and, advantageously, the diluent acts as a solvent. Beneficially, the diluent is evaporative, which is to say that it can evaporate in the final product, leaving the fire retardant composition with mold inhibitor, or a residue thereof, with the substrate to which it applied, typically in a film type coating. As such, the diluent acts as a carrier. The diluent can be any suitable substance, including a hydroxyl-containing liquid such as an alcohol, water, or mixture thereof. Water is preferred. In one advantageous embodiment, the substantially neutral ammonium salt can be provided as an aqueous solution having monoammonium and diammonium phosphates by reacting an about from sixty to ninety-five, preferably about from seventy to ninety, percent by weight solution of phosphoric acid with an about from fifteen to forty, preferably about from twenty to thirty-three, percent by weight solution of aqueous ammonia in a ratio sufficient to produce a mixture with a substantially neutral pH, say, about from six to seven and a half, preferably about from 6.6 to 7Ø Such a solution may be commercially obtained.

The substantially neutral ammonium phosphate salt is combined with the active hydrogen-containing nitrogenous organic compound, i.e., the spumific; the hydroxyl-containing carbonific; and the mold inhibitor. The combination, or contact, of the components may be carried out in any suitable order. Thus, an initial contact may be salt to spumific to prepare a salt-spumific intermediate, followed by contact with the carbonific; an initial contact may be salt to carbonific to prepare a salt-carbonific intermediate, followed by contact with the spumific; or the spumific and carbonific may be initially mixed, with that mixture contacted with the salt. The mold inhibitor may be added at any suitable stage, and may accompany any suitable component or intermediate.
Preferably, however, the mold inhibitor is added to the freshly prepared fire retardant composition made from the substantially neutral ammonium phosphate salt, spumific, and carbonific, especially while the composition is still warm from contact and reaction of the initial components. Other component(s) such as wetting agent(s), defoaming agent(s), and so forth, may also be added at suitable time(s). Preferably, however, when the composition includes such other component(s), these are included in an initial fire retardant composition, and the mold inhibitor is added afterwards, preferably, again, while the initial fire retardant composition is fresh, especially warm.
Conditions are those sufficient to form the fire retardant composition with mold inhibitor of the invention.

As the hydrogen-containing nitrogenous organic compound, or spumific, any suitable substance may be employed. Preferably, the spumific is compatible with the other components employed, and further is soluble therewith or with any diluent employed. For instance, urea or a substituted urea may be employed.
Preferably, however, the spumific is urea.

As the hydroxyl-containing carbonific, any suitable substance may be employed.
Preferably, the carbonific is compatible with the other components employed, and further is soluble therewith or with any diluent employed, especially water. For instance, a polyol, to include a carbohydrate such as a sugar or starch, may be employed.
The polyol thus may be a compound such as glycerol, pentaerythritol, dipentaerythritol, tripentaerythritol; a sugar, say, a monosaccharide such as a triose, tetrose, pentose, hexose, heptose, or octose, to include an aldose or a ketose, or a disaccharide, a trisaccharide, a polysaccharide, and so forth; or a starch. The starch, or another specific polyol, may be absent. A combination of polyols may be employed. Thus, for instance, the spumific can include a six-carbon aldose, with which the polysaccharide may be employed.

With such a base fire retardant formulation or any other suitable fire retardant formulation, or precursor part thereof, is provided the insecticide; it may be added during manufacture of the base, or afterwards. Again, a mold inhibitor may be provided, and it may be provided before, during or after provision of the insecticide.

As the insecticide, any suitable insecticide can be employed in the practice of the present invention, alone or in combination with another insecticide.
Preferably, the insecticide is soluble or otherwise able to be carried with the remaining ingredients of the invention such as by dispersion, emulsion, and so forth, and preferably does not hinder any solubility or otherwise any capacity for being carried likewise of other ingredients of the composition of the invention, for example, the mold inhibitor. Preferably, too, the insecticide does not alter, at least significantly, other desirable physical characteristic(s) of the composition that would otherwise exist without it such as, for example, pH, viscosity, and so forth. Preferably also, the insecticide is stable in the composition before, i.e., "in the can," and after application to the substrate, so as to provide for contact with the target invertebrate. An insecticide may be fire retardant or fire accelerative, but, in the latter case, does not accelerate fire to a degree that the overall composition which contains the insecticide cannot be considered to be a fire retardant composition.
Preferably, the insecticide, when applied to a suitable substrate in a suitable amount, provides measurable protection to the substrate from the target invertebrate(s). The measurable protection may be tested by a standard protocol. For example, with the substrate wood and the target invertebrate a termite, the protection may be measured by the American Wood-Preservers' Association Standard E1-97 protocol. Be that as it may, the insecticide may be or include inorganic, organic, natural and/or synthetic components, thus perhaps being or including Arsenic, Lead, Mercury, Thallium, or a compound of such, Phosphorus, an organophosphate, Sulfur, an organothio compound, a chlorinated organic compound, a pyrethroid, carbamide, carbimide, cyclopropanecarboxylate, a pyrethrin, and/or a piperonyl ether; examples may include, malathion, parathion, diazinon (0,0-diethyl-0,2-isopropyl-6-methyl(pyrinodine-4-yl)phosphorthioate), permethrin ((3-phenoxyphenyl)methyl(+)cis-trans-3 -(2,2-dichloroethenyl)-2,2-dimethylcyclopropanecarboxylate) or CAS No. 52645-53-1), resmethrin, d-trans-allethrin, tetramethrin ((1-cyclohexene-1,2-dicarboximide)methyl-2,2-dimethyl-3-(2-methylpropenyl)cyclopropanecarboxylate), sumithrin (3-phenoxybenzyl-(1 RS,3RS;1 RS,3 SR)-2,2-dimethyl-3-(2-methylprop-l-enyl)cyclopropanecarboxylate), piperonyl butoxide and butylcarbityl(6-propylpiperonyl) ether, aldrin, chlorodane, dieldrin, endrin, heptachlor, lindane, DDT, DEET, nicotine, rotenone, pyrethrum, azadirachtin, oxalic acid, borax (sodium tetraborate decahydrate), disodium octaborate tetrahydrate, arsenic trioxide, lead arsenate, thallium sulfate, others, and so forth and the like.

Permethrin is a preferred insecticide. It is an effective termiticide, and, among its other benefits, it also may be considered to have termite feeding inhibiting properties. It is available from many sources. For example, it may be found commercially available in "Permanone 40" or "Permanone 90" (Aventis Environmental Science), with concentrations indicated by the numerals, "40" or "90," which represent the percents by weight of active ingredients in solution.

Any suitable amount of the insecticide may be employed. The amount may be any that is sufficient to kill, control and/or repel a target invertebrate when the composition is applied to, and preferably dried on or in, a substrate. The insecticide may be, independently at each occurrence, say, from 0.01 % to 50% by weight of total composition, which includes about from 0.02% to 25%, to include selection of lower and upper values for a range, or sole values, of about 0.1%, 0.5%, 0.75%, 1%, 1.5%, 2%, 2.5%, 3%, 3.5%, 4%, 5%, 7.5% and 10%. Such values may be considered to be approximate or precise. Thus, for instance, the insecticide may be added at about from 0.5% to 10%, about from 0.75% to 1.5%, about from 1% to 3.5%, about from 1% to 5%, about from 2% to 4%, about 1%(which, for example, may include some 0.9%) or about 2% (which, for example, may include some 1.8%) by weight of the base fire retardant formulation or base formulation plus mold inhibitor, in particular, when the insecticide is a termiticide.

As the mold inhibitor, any suitable substance may be employed. Preferably, the mold inhibitor is compatible with the other components employed, and preferably further is soluble therewith or with any diluent employed. For instance, the mold inhibitor may be a quaternary organic ammonium halide, to include a quaternary alkyl ammonium halide, especially such a halide having at least one short chain and at least one medium chain alkyl group, for example, two of each, and an otherwise corresponding quaternary alkyl aromatic ammonium halide. The halide is advantageously a chloride. The short chain alkyl group may be inclusive of, separately at each occurrence, a one-to an about five-carbon group, especially a one- to four-carbon group, for example, a methyl, ethyl, propyl, and so forth group. The medium chain alkyl group may be inclusive of, separately at each occurrence, an about six- to an about thirty-carbon group, especially a six- to an about twenty-carbon group, for example, a hexyl, heptyl, octyl, nonyl, decyl, undecyl, dodecyl group, a thirteen-, fourteen-, fifteen- or sixteen-, seventeen-, eighteen-, nineteen-, or twenty-carbon group, and so forth. Preferably, the short chain alkyl group is methyl and/or ethyl, especially methyl, and the medium chain alkyl group is an eight- to twelve-carbon group, to include a mixture thereof, especially decyl, which can be present as an n-alkyl group. The halide is advantageously a chloride. For example, the mold inhibitor employed may be the mold inhibitor is a fungicide such as didecyldimethylammonium chloride (diDe-diMe-AmCI). An aromatic group, to include an aryl, alkaryl and/or arylalkyl group, for example, a benzyl and/or ethylbenzyl group, may be present, for instance, in a quaternary organic to include a quaternary alkyl aromatic ammonium halide mold inhibitor, for example, an alkyldimethylbenzylammonium chloride (Alk diMe-Bz-AmCI). The mold inhibitor may be a mixture containing more than one mold inhibitor compound. An increase in concentration of a quatemary ammonium halide mold inhibitor can provide for a corresponding reduction in the amount of an ammonium phosphate or ammonium orthophosphate.

The mold inhibitor is employed in any amount sufficient to provide for kill, control or prevention of growth of the target organism(s), especially when the composition is applied to, and preferably dried on or in, a substrate. It may be employed by weight of the final product in an amount up to about fifteen or twenty percent or more, to include, independently at each occurrence, lower values in specified ranges of about one tenth, about one half, about one, and about two percent, and upper values in specified ranges of about ten, about eight, about five and one half, and about four percent. A
preferred amount of the mold inhibitor by weight of the final product, which may be coupled with a lower or an upper value amount as noted above or elsewhere herein to provide another value for a specified range, is generally about three percent.

A wetting agent, or surfactant, may be added. Preferably, any surfactant is biodegradable. Generally, when employed, the surfactant is present in an amount sufficient to effectively release surface tension in the composition and to allow it to effectively and evenly penetrate the substrate before substantial evaporation of a diluent.
Any suitable surfactant may be employed. In preferred practice of the present invention, however, since the fungicide may function as a surfactant agent, particularly if it is of the quaternary ammonium salt variety, as are diDe-diMe-AmCI and Alk-diMe-Bz-AmC1, if surfactant activity is desired, it typically is not necessary to provide any additional surfactant. If an added surfactant is desired, the added surfactant may notably be a nonionic alkylpolyglycoside surfactant, which, for instance, may be commercially available, for example, under the mark GLUCOPON (Henkel Corporation). The GLUCOPON surfactants are more readily biodegradable than conventional petroleum-based surfactants, and have been found to be much safer in testing with land and marine animals, while advantageously offering performance comparable to conventional surfactants in the fire retardant compositions of the invention. GLUCOPON
surfactants, which were specifically formulated for cleaning product formulation technology, are made from renewable raw materials: glucose from corn, and fatty alcohol from coconut and palm kernel oils. The surfactant is typically supplied as an aqueous solution containing 50% to 70% active matter, having an alkaline pH (11.5-12.5) with no preservative added. Some GLUCOPON surfactants are also available at neutral pH
with an anti microbial preservative added. Although perhaps any grade of GLUCOPON
surfactant may be used successfully, GLUCOPON-425 may notably be employed as an added surfactant.

A defoaming agent may be added. Any suitable defoaming agent may be used, for instance, a salicylate salt, or a silicon compound. The defoaming agent may be potassium salicylate, which is also known to function as a preservative.

Any suitable amount of a component may be employed. Some typical amounts as percents by weight of generally preferred components effective in the practice of the invention are listed as follows, of which any specified components or characteristics are exemplary and for purposes of illustration, and which listed amounts may be taken as precise or approximate:

Mono/diammonium phosphate(s) 20-70%
Diluent, e.g., solvent, say, water 25-50%
Spumific, e.g., urea beads 2.5-15.0%
Sugar, e.g., glucose 4.0-12.0%

Polysaccharide resin 2.0-40.0%

Added surfactant, e.g., GLUCOPON-425 0.2-1.2%, advantageously none Added defoaming agent, e.g., potassium salicylate in solution 0% or 0.01-0.1% or 0.01-0.5%

Mold inhibitor, e.g., diDe-diMe-AmC1 0% or 0.1- 10%, to include 0.5-5.5%

Insecticide, e.g., permethrin 0.1-5%.

As a more detailed or preferred formulation to the preferred formula listed above, or as another manner of expressing such, typical amounts as percents by weight (unless otherwise specified or known from context or art) of components effective in the practice of the invention are listed as follows, again, of which any specified components or characteristics are exemplary and for purposes of illustration, and which listed amounts may be taken as precise or approximate:

Ammonium orthophosphate (40% aqueous solution) 50-70%
Polysaccharide resin, e.g., Lorama LPR76 (45% aqueous solution) 20-30%
Sugar, e.g., granulated cane sugar 5-10%
Spumific, e.g., urea 5-7%
Added defoaming agent, e.g., potassium salicylate in solution 0% or 0.01-0.1/0.5%

Mold inhibitor, e.g., Alk-diMe-Bz-AmC1 (80% aqueous solution) 0% or 0.5-5%
Termiticide, e.g., as "Permanone 90" 90% permethrin 0.5-3%.
These ingredients may be stirred until dissolved, making a mixture free of solids and forming a clear liquid with pH, say, about 6.8. However, the mixture may be slightly cloudy or even in some cases more cloudy, or with strata in some cases, yet be effective and appealing.

It is to be understood, however, that many suitable materials may be used as the fire retardant with insecticide, optionally with mold inhibiting or other agent(s), of the present composition. In a preferred embodiment, the fire retardant compound is made from a combination of mono and diammonium phosphate salts formed from reacting about from 75% to 85% solutions of phosphoric acid (H3P04) with aqueous ammonia (NH4) in sufficient stoichiometric ratios to produce a generally pH neutral solution, and then further reacting the carbon rich material as above and the nitrogen rich urea to form a viscous liquid. To this mixture is added the wetting and defoaming agents mentioned earlier. While this composition is fresh, and still warm, the insecticide and optional mold inhibitor can be added. Each of the starting compounds to make the preferred embodiment is commercially available. The mixture is stirred, again, preferably to dissolve the ingredients and provide a clear solution. As noted above, strata may appear.
The mixture is preferably stirred again before application.

As an aqueous solution, the pH of final preferred product can be approximately neutral, for instance, about from five and one half to eight, say, about from six to seven and a half, preferably about from 6 to 7, more preferably and independently at each occurrence about from 6.2 or 6.6 to 6.8 or 6.9. Along these lines, in general, too high a pH, say, above 6.8 or so, may release a discernable ammonia smell with the preferred product, and too low a pH, say, below 6.6 or so, may engender corrosion on certain substrates with which the product comes into contact. The final product may have any suitable density or specific gravity, for instance, about from one to one and a half, say about from one and a tenth to one and a third. The specific density may be about from 1.1 to 1.3. Active fire retardant composition component ingredients, less the insecticide and optional added mold inhibitor present, may be present in any amount, to include about from 40% to 60%, preferably about from 45% to 55%, say, about from 47%
to 50%, of the total weight of the fire retardant composition component of the invention. In terms of total weight percent of the final composition, to include the added insecticide and any optional added mold inhibitor, the active ingredients can be present in any effective amount, to include about from 40% to 70%, preferably about from 45%
to 55%.
A composition such as NO-BURN@ Fire Gard (Fabric Fire Gard) fire retardant spray may be provided with an insecticide. Such is an example of a spray-on liquid of light viscosity and strength, which is an aqueous proprietary product with a formulation that can vary but that can include, in general, such ingredients, with percentages (%) by weight, as follows:
Water 70-90% to include 76-82%
Phosphorus containing acid, e.g., as polyphosphoric acid (115%) 5-15% to include 10-12 %
Ammonium base, e.g., as hydroxide (29% aqueous solution) 5-15% to include 8-10 %
Wetting and/or other agent such as coco amido-propyl betaine (30% aqueous solution) 0.05-0.2% to include 0.09-0.13 %

Preservative, e.g., potassium salicylate 0.01-0.1% to include 0.04-0.06%.

The present fire retardant composition with insecticide, optionally with mold inhibitor, may penetrate to some degree, which may be a small amount. It may reside substantially on the surface of the substrate. However that may be, preferably, once dried, it leaves a substantially transparent film on the surface of a flammable solid substrate. This results in a composition or residue of the same, which is believed to be relatively safe in application and after drying. Suitable precautions, however, should be undertaken. This results also in a versatile fire retardant composition with insecticide, optionally with mold inhibitor, which can be employed in situations in which the appearance of a substrate such as neutral or stained woodwork is to remain visible, or in which it would be beneficial to retain visual integrity of another substrate.
The preferred liquid composition of the present invention is readily absorbed to an extent by porous materials such as wood, fabric, paper, cardboard, and so forth and the like, where it may remain, in essence, indefinitely, if protected from rain and other forms of excess moisture. Advantageously, there is nothing in the preferred formulation of the present invention known to be substantially harmful to wood per se, plywood, or any other wood product in general. Further, since the present composition, notably in its preferred embodiments, is often only applied to the surface, it should not interact with, degrade, or otherwise deteriorate plywood, sheathing, or other types of glued or composite wood products, particularly deep in the substrate.

The present composition may be applied to the materials by any suitable method.
The composition, especially in its preferred embodiments, may be applied by spraying, say, by hand-held trigger sprayers, pump-up pressure sprayers, or any other type of manual or automatic power-assisted spraying apparatus, including by power paint rollers (saturated rollers); airless sprayers; brushing; dipping; and so forth.
Advantageously, the composition is applied by spraying. Brushing is a simple, effective expedient.
These and other application processes are well known in the art and are subject to many variations.
The present composition is applied at any suitable concentration or rate to produce a correspondingly treated material.

Among benefits of the composition of the invention, in general, is that, rather than worrying about putting out a fire, it prevents or substantially retards one from burning. If a fire would start, such a composition automatically reacts to the fire by combining with the combustible gases and tars, converting them to carbon char, nitrogen and carbon dioxide, which delays, retards, or extinguishes the source of combustion before the fire takes hold. Its characteristics can also help improve the environment about a structure on fire by eliminating the production of a significant amount, say, up to some 90%, of the smoke and toxic gases produced by a regular fire, which is important because the majority of fire deaths are caused by inhalation of toxic smoke and fumes long before the fire ever gets close to the victims.

Moreover, the insecticide properties are of notable value. For example, termite repellant properties with the composition can help protect structural integrity of a building structure or part(s) thereof to which it is applied, for example, to floor, ceiling or attic joists, sub flooring, flooring, wooden or composite wall, ceiling or roof boards or sheets, and so forth. As well, in a significant way, the health of occupants or visitors can be aided from detrimental effects of mold that otherwise would have been present if a mold inhibitor is also employed.

The following examples further illustrate the invention. Therein, parts and percentages are given by weight, unless otherwise specified.

Example 1 In a clean, appropriately sized mixing tank, the following raw materials were added under constant agitation:

32 gallons (320 lb.) of 49% solution of mono/diammonium phosphate (a reaction product of 75% to 85% liquid phosphoric acid and 27% ammonia in water at a ratio sufficient to produce a pH of 6.8, the reaction of which is exothermic, which serves to heat the mixture);
170 grams of potassium salicylate solution in water;

1135 grams GLUCOPON-425 nonionic alkylpolyglycoside surfactant (Henkel Corp.);

32 lb. urea beads (fertilizer grade);
401b. glucose.

All these ingredients were stirred until completely dissolved, until the mixture was free of solids and formed a clear liquid with a pH of 6.8 To this mixture, while the solution was still quite warm, was added 132 lb. of JA250-3 polysaccharide resin (Lorama Chemicals, Mississauga, Ontario), which serves to thicken the mixture and contribute solids for the char-forming reaction. While this mixture was still warm, 3% of BARDAC-2280 didecyldimethylammonium chloride mold inhibitor (an aqueous mixture having 80%
active component) (Lonza, Inc., Fair Lawn, N.J.) was added and stirred into the mixture using a high sheer mixer. This formed a base fire retardant composition with mold inhibitor. A retained sample of the foregoing composition with mold inhibitor was drawn from the completed batch and was analyzed for specific gravity, pH, and clarity. Specific gravity was 1.256 @ 19C; pH was 6.8, and the sample passed the clarity test, i.e., the liquid was clear to slightly opaque, with no precipitants visible by the naked eye.

Once the foregoing ingredients are adequately and evenly dispersed, a sample of permethrin insecticide/termiticide, say, as "Permanone 90," can be added under moderate sheer.

The finished product is a liquid (as is the base fire retardant composition with mold inhibitor). It can be pumped to a storage tank for later filling, or filled into proper containers.

Example 2 The base formulation of Example 1(the base liquid fire retardant composition with mold inhibitor without the insecticide) was applied to the surface of Red Oak tongue and grooved flooring at a rate of 300 square feet per U.S. gallon in two coats, and allowed to dry in a conditioned room at 72 degrees F and 50% relative humidity until the product had dried and reached a constant mass. Once dried to constant mass, the panels were tested under the ASTM E84 procedure, which resulted in a Flame Spread Rating of 35. Untreated flooring from the same batch of lumber was tested under the ASTM

procedure to determine the inherent flammability of the panels. The identical but untreated panels had a flame spread rating of 70. This serves to demonstrate the effective fire retardant properties of the base formulation.

The permethrin-containing final composition is expected to test like the base formulation.

Example 3 The base formulation of Example 1(again, without the insecticide) was applied in a thin layer by brush to the surface of small, uniformly sized pieces of wood, i.e., Douglas Fir plywood and Spruce lumber, and subjected to the ASTM D5590-94 test method, employing the mold species known as Stachybotrys chartarum. After the required duration of the test, the untreated samples were completely covered with mold growth while the treated samples were mold free.

The permethrin-containing final composition is expected to test like the base formulation.

Example 4 A permethrin-containing final composition as of Example 1 can be tested according to the American Wood-Preservers' Association Standard E 1-97 protocol, which may be conducted with control(s). The final composition will demonstrate effective termiticide properties.

Example 5 A liquid base formulation was made basically according to Example 1, with a diDe-diMe-AmC1 mold inhibitor, except that no surfactant such as the GLUCAPON-nor defoamer such as the potassium salicylate was added. An equivalent amount of water replaced the GLUPACON-425. The resultant base formulation intermediate product was most satisfactory.

Once the ingredients of the liquid base formulation are adequately and evenly dispersed, a sample of "Permanone 90" can be added under moderate sheer. The finished liquid product can be pumped to a storage tank for later filling, or filled into proper containers.

Example 6 A commercial base liquid formulation was prepared, generally according to the procedures of Examples 1 and 5. The protocol for the same is generally as follows:

A. An appropriately sized mixing tank is selected and checked for cleanliness.

If necessary, it is cleaned using hot water and a detergent solution, and rinsed.

B. Raw materials are weighed and added to a mixing tank, beginning with water.

C. After all raw materials have been added, solution is allowed to mix for 60 minutes or until all solids appear to be dissolved.

D. A retained sample is drawn, and analyzed for specific gravity, pH, and clarity.

1. If approved by quality control, the product is released to be filled.
2. If the retained sample fails any of the tests, then corrective measures are implemented, and another retained sample is drawn and tested.
E. Approved finished product is pumped to a storage tank for later filling, or filled into proper containers.

This intermediate base coating formulation had the following ingredients, in general:

Ammonium phosphate/orthophosphate (40% aqueous solution) 57.0%
Lorama LPR76 polysaccharide resin (45% aqueous solution) 24.24%
Granulated cane sugar 7.29%
Urea 5.78%
Mason CS428* alkyldimethylbenzylammonium chloride (80% aqueous solution) 3.69%.
*Mason CS428 (Mason Chemical Co., Arlington Heights, Ill which contains Alkyldimethylbenzylammonium chloride (C12_16) (CAS #68424-85-1) (80% by weight); ethanol (CAS #64-17-5) (10% by weight); and water (10% by weight).

This aqueous formulation provides a superior home fire retardant with mold resistance.

Once the ingredients of the liquid base formulation are adequately and evenly dispersed, a sample of insecticide/termiticide, say, permethrin as "Permanone 90" at 2.0% of the total composition, can be added under moderate sheer. The finished liquid product (1.8% permethrin) can be pumped to a storage tank for later filling, or filled into proper containers.

Example 7 Base liquid fire retardant formulations without mold inhibitor can be made by the procedures of Examples 1, 5 and 6, without adding the respective mold inhibitors (didecyldimethylammonium chloride or alkyldimethylbenzylammonium chloride) or by the procedures of Example 1 of U.S. patent No. 6,989,113. Once the ingredients of the liquid base formulation are adequately and evenly dispersed, an insecticide/termiticide, say, permethrin at about from 0.1 % to 2%, can be added under moderate sheer to provide a finished liquid fire retardant with insecticide of the present invention.

The base fire retardant formulations provide excellent fire retardant properties.
See, e.g., Example 2 of the '113 patent. The permethrin-containing final compositions are expected to test comparably with the base formulations, plus to provide properties of an insecticide/termiticide.

Intumescent Fire Retardant Paint Aspect Broadly, in another aspect, an intumescent fire retardant paint is combined with an insecticide. A mold inhibitor or other active agent may be combined therewith.

A foundation of preferred embodiments of the invention is that an intumescent fire retardant paint base with or without mold inhibitor or other active agent can be prepared, and during or after its preparation can be added the insecticide.
The insecticide, for example, may be added to the base immediately upon its manufacture.
Conditions are those sufficient to form the composition. Stirring or other agitation of the composition can enhance its uniformity.

The term, "fire retardant paint," as employed herein is a paint, preferably a latex paint, composition that, when applied to a flammable material, provides thermal protection for the material. In general, this may be done by reducing or perhaps even eliminating the tendency of the material to burn and/or reducing the rate of flame spread along the surface of the material. Preferably, use of the fire retardant paint, for example, on a solid material as the substrate, reduces surface burning characteristics significantly, say, at least about 10%, at least about 25%, or at least about 50%, when compared to untreated material, as tested by an appropriate test. For example, the test may be the ASTM E84 Steiner Tunnel Test. Without being bound by any theory, the preferred fire retardant paint of the present invention, based in general on the Form #2 fire retardant paint of the aforementioned '466 and '888 publications, more preferably the NO-BURN
PLUS paint, can be considered to be an intumescent fire reactant. Although it looks and applies like regular paint, its chemical composition changes drastically when introduced to heat. Thus, when heat is applied, the fire retardant paint of the invention may "foam up" to form an intact, fire-resistive "char-barrier" to protect the treated surface. As a result, fire is robbed of fuel and oxygen, generates less heat and smoke, and may in some circumstances extinguish itself. Fire retardant paint formulations can vary, but may be a latex formulation and include ingredients added with water as follows in percentages, which may be considered approximate:

Ammonium phosphate solids 15-30 /o by weight Thermoplastic latex resin, e.g., polyvinyl acetate type 10-30% by weight Nitrogenous spumific, e.g., melamine powder 7-13% by weight Carbonific, e.g., polyol 7-13% by weight Titanium dioxide and/or other inert inorganic opacifying agent 5-10% by weight Soda lime borosilicate or other glass 1-5% by weight Ester alcohol 0.5-1.5% by weight Hydroxyalkylcellulosic 0.1- 1% by weight Wetting and/or other agent(s) 0.1 -2% by weight.

A more particular base intumescent fire retardant latex paint formulation follows:
Water (bulk) 25-33% by weight Ammonium polyphosphate powder 20-21 % by weight Vinyl acetate latex (aqueous) 21-22% by weight Melamine powder 9-10% by weight Pentaerythritol 8.5-9.5% by weight Titanium dioxide powder 7-8% by weight Glass bubbles (0.12-0.63 g/cc) 1-2% by weight 2,2,4-trimethyl- 1,3 -pentanediol monoisubutyrate 0.6-0.8% by weight Hydroxyethylcellulose 0.2-0.4% by weight Wetting and/or other agents -l% by weight.

With such a base fire retardant latex paint formulation or any other suitable fire retardant paint formulation, or precursor part thereof, is provided the insecticide; it may be added during manufacture of the base, or afterwards. Again, a mold inhibitor may be provided, and it may be provided before, during or after provision of the insecticide.

As the ammonium phosphate, any suitable ammonium phosphate salt, to include ammonium polyphosphates, and mixtures thereof, may be employed.
Advantageously, it is a solid, which may be provided as a powder. Such a salt may be a mixture, which contains monoammonium and diammonium phosphates. Such a salt may be commercially obtained.

As the thermoplastic latex resin such as polyvinyl acetate latex, any suitable polyvinyl acetate latex type polymer, copolymer or mixture thereof, or the like, may be employed. The polyvinyl acetate type latex component may be provided as an aqueous emulsion. Also, other thermoplastic latex resins that may function in this capacity would include such resins as polyvinyledene chloride resins and so forth and the like, although perhaps not functioning as effectively as the preferred vinyl acetates.

As the nitrogenous spumific, any suitable hydrogen-containing nitrogenous organic compound may be employed. Preferably, the spumific is compatible with the other components employed, and further is dispersible therewith. For instance, melamine may be employed.

As the carbonific, any suitable hydroxyl-containing organic compound may be employed. Preferably, the carbonific is compatible with the other components employed, and further is dispersible in the water or other diluent employed. For instance, a polyol may be employed. The polyol may be a compound such as glycerol, pentaerythritol, dipentaerythritol, tripentaerythritol; a sugar, say, a monosaccharide such as a triose, tetrose, pentose, hexose, heptose, or octose, to include an aldose or a ketose, or a disaccharide, a trisaccharide, a polysaccharide, and so forth; and/or a starch. A
combination of polyols may be employed. Pentaerythritol is a preferred selection.

As the opacifying agent, titanium dioxide powder is preferred. Although pure titanium dioxide powder may be employed, more commonly it is employed in a grade that contains other inert inorganic substances, for example, aluminum hydroxide and/or amorphous silica. An opacifying agent such as titanium dioxide can be employed in an aqueous dispersion form.

A glass additive such as borosilicate and/or other glass may be provided, preferably in the form of glass bubbles of a size in the range of a powder.
This improves the body of the paint and may provide it with thixotropic or other advantageous viscous flow properties.

As the ester alcohol, any suitable ester alcohol may be employed. The ester alcohol may be an alkanol alkylate, for example, 2,2,4-trimethyl-1,3-pentanediol monoisubutyrate. The ester alcohol functions as a coalescent for film integrity, and so forth.

As the hydroxyalkylcellulosic, any hydroxyalkylcellulose or suitable analog or derivative thereof may be employed. It may be hydroxymethylcellulose or hydroyethylcellulose, preferably the latter. The hydroxyalkylcellulosic functions to improve the flow and rheology of the finished paint solution or suspension, reducing sag and improving film build.

Wetting and/or other agent(s) may be employed. Such agent(s) can include what may be considered surface tension lowering agents, surfactants, defoaming agents, dispersing agents, paint preservatives, which may be biocidal, and so forth and the like.
Thus employed in minor amounts may be a pigment dispersing agent such as an alkali metal salt of a polymeric carboxylic acid, say, the sodium salt of a copolymer of maleic acid; a defoamer colloid such as an acrylic polymer, say, sodium polyacrylate;
a silicone surfactant such as a polyether modified alkyl polysiloxane, say, a polyether modified poly-dimethyl-siloxane, which may be employed neat or preferably in solution with a suitable solvent, say, about half dipropyleneglycol monomethyl ether (48%); a paint preservative/biocide such as containing 1,2-benzisothiazol-3(2H)-one, say, as an aqueous mixture containing 1,2-benzisothiazol-3(2H)-one, sodium hydroxide, and dipropyleneglycol; and a rheology modifier such as a hydrophobically modified ethylene oxide urethane block copolymer, which may be employed in an organic solvent mixture such as a mixture of butyl carbitol and water or without the organic solvent, say, in water only. For instance such wetting and/or other agent(s) can include compounds or compounds such as follows, the percentages of which relate to the base latex paint formulation and are given by weight, and may be considered to be approximate:

Pigment dispersing agent sodium salt of polymeric maleic acid (NaOH stabilized) 0.1-0.3%
Defoamer colloid sodium polyacrylate 0.1-0.3%
Silicone surfactant polyether modified poly-dimethyl-siloxane in dipropyleneglycol monomethyl ether (48%) 0.01-0.1%
Paint preservative/biocide 1,2-benzisothiazol-3(2H)-one in an aqueous mixture containing 1,2-benzisothiazol-3(2H)-one, sodium hydroxide, and dipropyleneglycol 0.01 -0.05%

Rheology modifier hydrophobically modified ethylene oxide urethane block copolymer in water 0.25-0.1 %.

Mold Inhibitors 0.5 to 3.0 %
Other additive(s) may be employed.

Any suitable insecticide can be employed in the practice of the present invention, alone or in combination with another insecticide. Preferably, the insecticide is soluble or otherwise able to be carried with the remaining ingredients of the invention such as by dispersion, emulsion, and so forth, and preferably does not hinder any solubility or otherwise any capacity for being carried likewise of other ingredients of the composition of the invention, for example, the mold inhibitor. Preferably, too, the insecticide does not alter, at least significantly, other desirable physical characteristic(s) of the composition that would otherwise exist without it such as, for example, pH, viscosity, and so forth.
Preferably also, the insecticide is stable in the composition before, i.e., "in the can," and after application to the substrate, so as to provide for contact with the target invertebrate.
An insecticide may be fire retardant or fire accelerative, but, in the latter case, does not accelerate fire to a degree that the overall composition which contains the insecticide cannot be considered to be a fire retardant composition. Preferably, the insecticide, when applied to a suitable substrate in a suitable amount, provides measurable protection to the substrate from the target invertebrate(s). The measurable protection may be tested by a standard protocol. For example, with the substrate wood and the target invertebrate a termite, the protection may be measured by the American Wood-Preservers' Association Standard E 1-97 protocol. Be that as it may, the insecticide may be or include inorganic, organic, natural and/or synthetic components, thus perhaps being or including Arsenic, Lead, Mercury, Thallium, or a compound of such, Phosphorus, an organophosphate, Sulfur, an organothio compound, a chlorinated organic compound, a pyrethroid, carbamide, carbimide, cyclopropanecarboxylate, a pyrethrin, and/or a piperonyl ether;
examples may include, malathion, parathion, diazinon (0,0-diethyl-0,2-isopropyl-6-methyl(pyrinodine-4-yl)phosphorthioate), permethrin ((3-phenoxyphenyl)methyl( )cis-trans-3-(2,2-dichloroethenyl)-2,2-dimethylcyclopropanecarboxylate) or CAS No.

53-1), resmethrin, d-trans-allethrin, tetramethrin ((1-cyclohexene-1,2-dicarboximide)methyl-2,2-dimethyl-3 -(2-methylpropenyl)cyclopropanecarboxylate), sumithrin (3-phenoxybenzyl-(1 RS,3RS;1 RS,3 SR)-2,2-dimethyl-3-(2-methylprop-l-enyl)cyclopropanecarboxylate), piperonyl butoxide and butylcarbityl(6-propylpiperonyl) ether, aldrin, chlorodane, dieldrin, endrin, heptachlor, lindane, DDT, DEET, nicotine, rotenone, pyrethrum, azadirachtin, oxalic acid, borax (sodium tetraborate decahydrate), disodium octaborate tetrahydrate, arsenic trioxide, lead arsenate, thallium sulfate, others, and so forth and the like.

Permethrin is a preferred insecticide. It is an effective termiticide, and, among its other benefits, it also may be considered to have termite feeding inhibiting properties. It is available from many sources. For example, it may be found commercially available in "Permanone 40" or Permanone 90" (Aventis Environmental Science), with concentrations indicated by the numerals, "40" or "90," which represent the percents by weight of active ingredients in solution.

Any suitable amount of the insecticide may be employed. The amount may be any that is sufficient to kill, control and/or repel a target invertebrate when the composition is applied to, and preferably dried on or in, a substrate. The insecticide may be, independently at each occurrence, say, from 0.01 % to 50% by weight of total composition, say, from 0.1% or 1% to 3%, 5% or 10% by weight of the total composition. Such values may be considered to be approximate or precise.
Preferably, especially when embodied as a termiticide where the target invertebrate is a termite, the insecticide may be added in an amount by weight of base fire retardant latex paint formulation or base fire retardant latex paint formulation with mold inhibitor, independently at each occurrence, at about from 0.5% to 10%, to include about from 0.5%, 0.75% or 1% to 1.5%, 2%, 3%, 4% or 5%. For instance, the termiticide may be added at about from 0.75% to 1.5%, say, about 1%(actual example, some 0.9%), by weight of the base fire retardant latex paint formulation or base formulation plus mold inhibitor.

As the mold inhibitor, any suitable substance may be employed. Preferably, the mold inhibitor is compatible with the other components, and further is soluble or suspendable therewith. For instance, the mold inhibitor may be a quaternary organic ammonium halide, to include a quaternary alkyl ammonium halide, especially such a halide having at least one short chain and at least one medium chain alkyl group, for example, two of each, and an otherwise corresponding quaternary alkyl aromatic ammonium halide. The short chain alkyl group may be inclusive of, separately at each occurrence, a one- to an about five-carbon group, especially a one- to four-carbon group, for example, a methyl, ethyl, propyl, and so forth group. The medium chain alkyl group may be inclusive of, separately at each occurrence, an about six- to an about thirty-carbon group, especially a six- to an about twenty-carbon group, for example, hexyl, heptyl, octyl, nonyl, decyl, undecyl, dodecyl, a thirteerr, fourteen-, fifteen- or sixteen-, seventeen-, eighteen-, nineteen-, or twenty-carbon group, and so forth.
Preferably, the short chain alkyl group is methyl and/or ethyl, especially methyl, and the medium chain alkyl group is an eight- to twelve-carbon group, to include a mixture thereof, especially decyl, which can be present as an n-alkyl group. The halide is advantageously a chloride.
For example, the mold inhibitor employed may be didecyldimethylammonium chloride.
An aromatic group, to include aryl, alkaryl and/or arylalkyl, for example, a benzyl and/or ethylbenzyl group may be present, for instance, in a quaternary organic to include a quatemary alkyl aromatic ammonium halide mold inhibitor, for example, alkyldimethylbenzylammonium chloride. The mold inhibitor may be a mixture containing more than one mold inhibitor compound. An increase in concentration of any quaternary ammonium halide mold inhibitor may provide for a corresponding reduction in the amount of ammonium phosphate or ammonium orthophosphate.

Tint(s) and/or color(s) may be added to obtain a pastel or colored paint.

The present fire retardant paint with insecticide and optionally mold inhibitor may penetrate to some degree, say, a small amount. It may reside substantially on the surface of the substrate. However that may be, preferably, once dried, it leaves a generally opaque film on the surface of a flammable solid substrate even though more than one coat may be needed to cover completely. This dried film results in a composition or residue of the same, which is believed to be relatively safe in application and after drying.

Suitable precautions, however, should be undertaken. This results also in a versatile fire retardant paint with insecticide, or insecticide and mold inhibitor, properties, which can be employed in situations in which a painted surface is desired.
Advantageously, there is nothing in the composition of the present invention known to be substantially harmful to wood per se, plywood, any other wood product, or the paper of gypsum board, in general.
Further, since the present composition is typically applied on the surface, it should not interact with, degrade, or otherwise deteriorate plywood, sheathing, other types of glued or composite wood products, or paper-clad or paper products, particularly deep in the substrate.

The present composition may be applied to the materials by any suitable method.
Known methods may be employed. The paint may be applied by spraying, say, by hancl held trigger sprayers, pump-up pressure sprayers, or any other type of manual or automatic power-assisted spraying apparatus, including by power paint rollers (saturated rollers); airless sprayers; brushing; dipping; and so forth. Advantageously, the wet paint is applied by spraying. Brushing is a simple, effective expedient. These and other application processes are well known in the art and are subject to many variations. The composition of the present invention is applied at any suitable concentration or rate to produce a material treated with an effective amount of the same.

The following examples further illustrate the invention. Therein, parts and percentages are given by weight, unless otherwise specified.

Example 1 a In a clean, appropriately sized Cowles mixer, the following component ingredients were added in the order shown to make a base intumescent latex paint, with percentages by weight:

Water, bulk 20.0%
TAMOL 731 A NaOH stabilized sodium salt of polymeric maleic acid (Rohm and Haas) 0.16%

.. , RHODOLINE 226/35 sodium polyacrylate (Rhodia Canada, Inc.) 0.10%
BYK-346 polyether modified poly-dimethyl-siloxane in dipropyleneglycol monomethyl ether (48%) (BYK-Chemie USA, Inc.) 0.05%.
Further added under agitation were the following component ingredients:

TI-PURE titanium dioxide pigment (DuPont Chemicals) 7.39%
EXOLIT AP 422 ammonium polyphosphate powder (Clariant Canada, Inc.) 20.69%

TECH PE 200 technical pentaerythritol (Hercules Canada, Inc.) 9.00%
Powder melamine (DSM Melamine Americas, Inc.) 9.47%.
The mixture was ground for ten minutes, and the bottom and sides of the mixer were scraped. Then added was the following component ingredient:

NATRASOL 250 MXR hydroyethylcellulose (Hercules Canada, Inc.) 0.31%.
The mixture was ground to a smooth paste to a 2-3 fineness. Then added, with mixing, were the following component ingredients:

RHODOLINE 226/35 sodium polyacrylate 0.10%
PROXEL GXL aqueous mixture containing 1,2-benzisothiazol-3(2H)-one, sodium hydroxide, and dipropyleneglycol (Brenntag Canada, Inc.) 0.03%
TEXANOL 2,2,4-trimethyl-1,3-pentanediol monoisubutyrate (Eastman Chemical Company) 0.75%
StanChem 5238 vinyl acetate copolymer emulsion (54-56% polymer/solids, 44-46% water) (StanChem, Inc.) 21.77%
Water, bulk 6.71%
SCOTCHLITE K25 glass bubbles (3M Canada) 1.52%

ACRYSOL RM-8W hydrophobically modified ethylene oxide urethane block copolymer in water (Rohm and Haas) 0.56%.
This provided a base intumescent fire retardant latex paint, which was pumped to a storage tank for later filling, or filled into proper containers.

To a sample of the base intumescent fire retardant latex paint was added a sample of PERMANONE 90 (Aventis) (90% by weight permethrin) at 1.0% by weight of the base formulation. This was stirred into the mix to complete the formulation (pH -7.6).

Finished intumescent fire retardant latex paint with insecticide can be pumped to a storage tank for later filling, or filled into proper containers. A sample of the finished intumescent fire retardant latex paint with insecticide was successfully stored "in the can"
for about a year.

Example 2a The base liquid paint of Example 1 a was applied to the surface of Douglas fir tongue and groove decking at a rate of 300 square feet per U.S. gallon in two coats, and the painted decking was allowed to dry in a conditioned room at 70 degrees F
and 50%
relative humidity until the paint had dried and reached a constant mass. Once dried to constant mass, the decking panels were tested under the ASTM E84 procedure and resulted in a Flame Spread Rating of "5."

The finished paint with insecticide should have a low Flame Spread Rating also.

When untreated Douglas fir decking panels from the same batch of tongue and groove decking were tested under the ASTM E84 procedure to determine the inherent flammability of the panels, the otherwise identical but untreated panels had a flame spread rating of "55."

Example 3a The finished paint of Example 1 a was applied in a thin layer by brush to the surface of SPF plywood, and a number of cardboard cubes. The finished paint went on well.

The painted cubes were subjected to testing under the procedures outlined in the American Wood-Preservers' Association Standard E1-97 protocol. A single-choice test was performed. Southern yellow pine blocks (standards) and cardboard cubes (control and test) were exposed to termites.

The design was a randomized complete block with 5 replicates. Glass jars were autoclaved and 150 gm of sterilized sand was added to each jar. Thirty mL of distilled water were added to jars. Test samples consisted of small cardboard cubes treated with 0%, 0.5% and 1% w/w termiticide and coated with exterior acrylic stucco or 1%
w/w fire retardant coating with insecticide (termiticide) from Example 1 a. Test samples were weighed before placement in jars. Representative samples of each treatment were used to determine initial percent moisture. Samples were weighed, dried, and reweighed. Four hundred termites (workers and soldiers) were put on the opposite side of the jar from the sample. Lids were placed loosely on the jar. Samples were removed from jars after four weeks of exposure to termites, washed free of sand, dried, and weighed.
Samples were visually rated using the rating in the E1-97 standard. This rating system is as follows: 10 - sound, surface nibbles permitted; 9 - light attack; 7 - moderate attack, penetration; 4 -heavy attack; and 0 - failure. Data were analyzed using analysis of variance and Tukey's W procedure to compare treatments.

Termites brought soil on the samples covered in stucco but did not bring soil on the samples covered in the fire retardant with termiticide from Example 1 a.
They made .. .

holes in the stucco to get to the cardboard on the inside but did not make holes in the fire retardant with termiticide of Example 1 a. Thus, at the end of the four-week test procedure, after each cube was exposed to 400 Formosan subterranean termites under laboratory conditions, the cubes coated with the fire retardant latex paint with insecticide of Example 1 a appeared to be untouched. This would demonstrate, or at least it strongly suggests, strong repellent action and/or rapid mortality. All of the termites were dead in the cubes treated with the Example 1 a composition. Note, the following Table:

Table: Mean rating and percentage loss in dry weight of samples treated with various chemicals after four weeks exposure to 400 Formosan subterranean termites under laboratory conditions.

Treatment Mean rating Significance Mean % dry wei ng t loss Significance Composition 10.0 a 02 c 1 % + stucco 7.6 b 15 c 0.5 %+ stucco 7.2 b 26 b 0 % + stucco 6.6 b 14 c SY Pine 0.0 c 53 a Means within a column followed by different letters are significantly different at the 0.05 level based on analysis of variance and Tukey's W procedure.
Example 4a To a sample of the base intumescent fire retardant latex paint within Example 1 a was added with stirring 3.0% Mason CS428 alkyldimethylbenzylammonium chloride (80% aqueous solution) (Mason Chemical Co). It contains alkyldimethylbenzylammonium chloride (C12_16) (CAS #68424-85-1) (80% by weight);
ethanol (CAS #64-17-5) (10% by weight); and water (10% by weight). This provided an intermediate latex paint composition, i.e., an intumescent fire retardant latex paint with mold inhibitor.

To this mix can be added the PERMANONE 90 insecticide at 1.0% by weight of the total composition. Stirring into the mix can complete the formulation.

The finished intumescent fire retardant latex paint with mold inhibitor and insecticide can be pumped to a storage tank for later filling, or filled into proper containers.

Example 5a The intermediate paint composition of Example 4a was applied to the surface of Douglas fir tongue and groove decking, dried, and tested under the ASTM E84 procedure, as set forth in Example 2a. This resulted in a Flame Spread Rating of "0."
The finished latex paint with mold inhibitor and insecticide composition of Example 4a should have a low Flame Spread Rating also.

The finished latex paint with mold inhibitor and insecticide of Example 4a can be applied in a thin layer by brush to the surface of SPF plywood, and subjected to ASTM
D5590-94 testing with Stachybotrys chartarum. The intermediate latex paint composition with mold inhibitor of Example 4a has shown mold-free test results, and the final product also including the insecticide should show favorable, if not mold-free, test results also.

The finished latex paint with mold inhibitor and insecticide of Example 4a can be applied on the surface of SPF plywood, and a number of cardboard cubes, as in Example 3a. It should go on well, and the cubes can be tested under the American Wood-Preservers' Association Standard E1-97 protocol. The final product with the composition of Example 4a should show favorable test results also.

Sprayable Fire Retardant with Mold Inhibitor and Insecticide Aspect Hereby, a composition otherwise including a fire retardant and a mold inhibitor is also provided with an insecticide. Any suitable fire retardant, mold inhibitor, and insecticide may be employed, in any suitable amount. Preferably, the fire retardant and mold inhibitor is selected from those covered by the aforementioned U.S.
patent No. US
6,982,049 B1; and U.S. patent application Pub. Nos. 2005/0022466;
2005/0138888;
2006/0167131 and 2006/0189232.
Beneficially, control of toxic black mold (Stachybotrys chartarum) is provided hereby.
Accordingly, although NO-BURN Wood Gard Mih fire retardant with mold inhibitor and NO-BURN Plus Mih intumescent latex paint with mold inhibitor may be employed, NO-BURN Fire Gard fire retardant spray (Fabric Fire Gard fire retardant spray) may be provided with a mold inhibitor such as a quaternary organic ammonium halide, and Fabric Fire Gard fire retardant spray is an example of a spray-on liquid of light viscosity and strength, which is an aqueous proprietary product with a formulation that can vary but that can include, in general, such ingredients, with percentages (%) by weight, as follows:
Water 70-90% to include 76-82%
Phosphorus containing acid, e.g., as polyphosphoric acid (115%) 5-15% to include 10-12 %
Ammonium base, e.g., as hydroxide (29% aqueous solution) 5-15% to include 8-10 %
Wetting and/or other agent such as coco amidopropyl betaine (30% aqueous solution) 0.05-0.2% to include 0.09 -0.13 %
Preservative, e.g., potassium salicylate 0.01-0.1% to include 0.04-0.06%.
For example, an alkyldimethylbenzylammonium chloride and/or didecyldimethylammonium chloride may be employed, notably the former. Thus, fire retardant properties and control of mold such as the toxic black mold (Stachybotrys chartarum) are provided.
As indicated above, any suitable insecticide can be employed in the practice of the present invention, alone or in combination with another insecticide.
Preferably, the insecticide is soluble or otherwise able to be carried with the remaining ingredients of the CA 025'74692 2007-01-19 ,. , invention such as by dispersion, emulsion, and so forth, and preferably does not hinder any solubility or otherwise any capacity for being carried likewise of other ingredients of the composition of the invention, for example, the mold inhibitor. Preferably, too, the insecticide does not alter, at least significantly, other desirable physical characteristics of the composition that would otherwise exist without it such as, for example, pH.
Preferably also, the insecticide is stable in the composition before, i.e., "in the can," and after application to the substrate, so as to provide for contact with the target invertebrate.
Be that as it may, the insecticide may be or include inorganic, organic, natural and/or synthetic components, thus perhaps being or including Arsenic, Lead, Mercury, Thallium, or a compound of such, Phosphorus, an organophosphate, Sulfur, an organothio compound, a chlorinated organic compound, a pyrethroid, carbamide, carbimide, cyclopropanecarboxylate, a pyrethrin, and/or a piperonyl ether;
examples may include, malathion, parathion, diazinon (0,0-diethyl-0,2-isopropyl-6-methyl(pyrinodine-4-yl)phosphorthioate), permethrin ((3-phenoxyphenyl)methyl(+)cis-trans-3-(2,2-dichloroethenyl)-2,2-dimethylcyclopropanecarboxylate) or CAS No. 52645-53-1), resmethrin, d-trans-allethrin, tetramethrin ((1-cyclohexene-1,2-dicarboximide)methyl-2,2-dimethyl-3-(2-methylpropenyl)cyclopropanecarboxylate), sumithrin (3-phenoxybenzyl-(1 RS,3 RS;1 RS,3 SR)-2,2-dimethyl-3-(2-methylprop-l-enyl)cyclopropanecarboxylate), piperonyl butoxide and butylcarbityl(6-propylpiperonyl) ether, aldrin, chlorodane, dieldrin, endrin, heptachlor, lindane, DDT, DEET, nicotine, rotenone, pyrethrum, azadirachtin, oxalic acid, borax (sodium tetraborate decahydrate), disodium octaborate tetrahydrate, arsenic trioxide, lead arsenate, thallium sulfate, others, and so forth and the like.
As also indicated above, any suitable amount of the insecticide may be employed.
The amount may be any that is sufficient to kill, control and/or repel a target invertebrate when the composition is applied to, and preferably dried on or in, a substrate. The insecticide may be, independently at each occurrence, say, from 0.01 % to 50%
by vCight of total composition, say, from 0.1% or 1% to 3%, 5% or 10% by weight of the total composition. Such values may be considered to be approximate or precise.

Other ingredient(s) may be present. For instance, a colorant and/or a stain protectant or soil release agent may be employed, the latter, for example, especially for fabrics.
The composition can be made by any suitable method. Ingredients may be in a form of a gas, liquid or solid. For instance, a liquid mixture may be contacted with a gaseous, liquid or powdered insecticide. Agitation as by stirring, sonic mixing, and so forth may render the composition more homogeneous or otherwise aid in suspending ingredient(s).
The composition can be applied to the substrate by any suitable method. Thus, for instance, after stirring, brushing, spraying, dipping and so forth may be employed.
Preferably, the composition of the invention dries after application to the substrate.
As the substrate, any suitable substance may be employed. Preferably, however, the substrate is solid and would otherwise be flammable were it not for the application of the present composition. Substrates can include those of wood, fabric, paper, and so forth.

Conventional Paint with Mold Inhibitor and Insecticide Aspect Hereby, a paint composition including both a mold inhibitor and an insecticide is provided. Any suitable paint, mold inhibitor, and insecticide ingredients may be employed, in any suitable amount.
As the foundational paint portion of the composition, included can be oil-based and latex paints. Water-based, latex paints are advantageously employed.
Preferably, for purposes of the present invention disclosure, the paint does not contain or function as a fire retardant, thus being considered herein a "conventional" paint. Such foundational paint compositions, their formulations, and methods or process for making them are well known to any person skilled in the art. Moreover, many foundational paint compositions are available commercially.
Beneficially, control of toxic black mold (Stachybotrys chartarum) is provided hereby.

As the mold inhibitor, any suitable substance may be employed. Preferably, the mold inhibitor is compatible with the other components, and further is soluble or suspendable therewith. For instance, the mold inhibitor may be a quaternary organic ammonium halide, to include a quaternary alkyl ammonium halide, especially such a halide having at least one short chain and at least one medium chain alkyl group, for example, two of each, and an otherwise corresponding quaternary alkyl aromatic ammonium halide. The short chain alkyl group may be inclusive of, separately at each occurrence, a one- to an about five-carbon group, especially a one- to four-carbon group, for example, a methyl, ethyl, propyl, and so forth group. The medium chain alkyl group may be inclusive of, separately at each occurrence, an about six- to an about thirty-carbon group, especially a six- to an about twenty-carbon group, for example, hexyl, heptyl, octyl, nonyl, decyl, undecyl, dodecyl, a thirteen-, fourteen-, fifteen- or sixteen-, seventeen-, eighteen-, nineteen-, or twenty-carbon group, and so forth.
Preferably, the short chain alkyl group is methyl and/or ethyl, especially methyl, and the medium chain alkyl group is an eight- to twelve-carbon group, to include a mixture thereof, especially decyl, which can be present as an n-alkyl group. The halide is advantageously a chloride.
For example, the mold inhibitor employed may be didecyldimethylammonium chloride.
An aromatic group, to include aryl, alkaryl and/or arylalkyl, for example, a benzyl and/or ethylbenzyl group may be present, for instance, in a quaternary organic to include a quaternary alkyl aromatic ammonium halide mold inhibitor, for example, alkyldimethylbenzylammonium chloride. The mold inhibitor may be a mixture containing more than one mold inhibitor compound.

As indicated above, any suitable amount of the mold inhibitor may be employed.
The amount may be any that is sufficient to kill, control and/or repel a target mold, mildew, or fungus, and so forth and the like flora when the composition is applied to, and preferably dried on or in, a substrate. The mold inhibitor may be, independently at each occurrence, say, from 0.01 % to 50% by weight of total composition, say, from 0.1 % or 1% to 3%, 5% or 10% by weight of the total composition. Such values may be considered to be approximate or precise.

As indicated above, any suitable insecticide can be employed in the practice of the present invention, alone or in combination with another insecticide.
Preferably, the insecticide is soluble or otherwise able to be carried with the remaining ingredients of the invention such as by dispersion, emulsion, and so forth, and preferably does not hinder any solubility or otherwise any capacity for being carried likewise of other ingredients of the composition of the invention, for example, the mold inhibitor. Preferably, too, the insecticide does not alter, at least significantly, other desirable physical characteristics of the composition that would otherwise exist without it such as pH, viscosity and so forth.
Preferably also, the insecticide is stable in the composition before, i.e., "in the can," and after application to the substrate, so as to provide for contact with the target invertebrate.
Be that as it may, the insecticide may be or include inorganic, organic, natural and/or synthetic components, thus perhaps being or including Arsenic, Lead, Mercury, Thallium, or a compound of such, Phosphorus, an organophosphate, Sulfur, an organothio compound, a chlorinated organic compound, a pyrethroid, carbamide, carbimide, cyclopropanecarboxylate, a pyrethrin, and/or a piperonyl ether;
examples may include, malathion, parathion, diazinon (0,0-diethyl-0,2-isopropyl-6-methyl(pyrinodine-4-yl)phosphorthioate), permethrin ((3-phenoxyphenyl)methyl(+)cis-trans-3-(2,2-dichloroethenyl)-2,2-dimethylcyclopropanecarboxylate) or CAS No. 52645-53-1), resmethrin, d-trans-allethrin, tetramethrin ((1-cyclohexene-1,2-dicarboximide)methyl-2,2-dimethyl-3-(2-methylpropenyl)cyclopropanecarboxylate), sumithrin (3-phenoxybenzyl-(1 RS,3RS;1 RS,3 SR)-2,2-dimethyl-3-(2-methylprop-l-enyl)cyclopropanecarboxylate), piperonyl butoxide and butylcarbityl(6-propylpiperonyl) ether, aldrin, chlorodane, dieldrin, endrin, heptachlor, lindane, DDT, DEET, nicotine, rotenone, pyrethrum, azadirachtin, oxalic acid, borax (sodium tetraborate decahydrate), disodium octaborate tetrahydrate, arsenic trioxide, lead arsenate, thallium sulfate, others, and so forth and the like.
As also indicated above, any suitable amount of the insecticide may be employed.
The amount may be any that is sufficient to kill, control and/or repel a target invertebrate when the composition is applied to, and preferably dried on or in, a substrate. The insecticide may be, independently at each occurrence, say, from 0.01 % to 50%
by weight of total composition, say, from 0.1% or 1% to 3%, 5% or 10% by weight of the total composition. Such values may be considered to be approximate or precise.
Other ingredient(s) may be present.
The composition can be made by any suitable method. Ingredients may be in a form of a gas, liquid or solid. For instance, a liquid foundational paint formulation mixture may be contacted with a gaseous, liquid or powdered mold inhibitor and insecticide. Agitation as by stirring, sonic mixing, and so forth may render the composition more homogeneous or otherwise aid in suspending ingredient(s).
The composition can be applied to the substrate by any suitable method. Thus, for instance, after stirring, brushing, spraying, dipping and so forth may be employed.
Preferably, the composition of the invention dries after application to the substrate.
As the substrate, any suitable substance may be employed. Preferably, however, the substrate is solid. Substrates can include those of metal, concrete, wood, fabric, paper, and so forth.

CONCLUSION TO THE INVENTION

The present invention is thus provided. Various feature(s), part(s), step(s), subcombination(s) and/or combination(s) may be employed with or without reference to other feature(s), part(s), step(s), subcombination(s) and/or combination(s) in the practice of the invention, and numerous adaptations and modifications can be effected within its spirit, the literal claim scope of which is particularly pointed out as follows:

Claims (30)

1. A fire retardant composition comprising a fire retardant agent and an insecticide, wherein the insecticide is present in an amount sufficient to kill, control and/or repel a target invertebrate when the composition is applied to, and optionally dried on or in, a substrate.

2. The composition of claim 1, which includes a phosphate~catalyzed intumescent composition with an acid source, a spumific and a carbonific.

3. The composition of claim 1, which includes a fire suppressing salt.

4. The composition of claim 3, wherein the fire suppressing salt includes an ammonium phosphate containing fire retardant, which includes a mixture of a substantially neutral ammonium phosphate salt in combination with an active hydrogen-containing nitrogenous organic compound, and a hydroxyl-containing carbonific.

5. The composition of claim 4, which initially includes ingredients listed as follows, in general, with percentages by weight, which listed amounts may be taken as precise or approximate:

Mono/diammonium phosphate(s) 20~70%
Water 25~50%
Spumific 2.5~15.0%
Sugar 4.0~12.0%
Polysaccharide resin 2.0~40.0%
Added surfactant 1.2%
Added defoaming agent 0~0.5%
Insecticide 0.1~5%.

6. The composition of claim 7, which contains a mold inhibitor of an quaternary organic ammonium halide present in an amount about from 0.5 to 5 percent by weight of total composition.

7. The composition of claim 4, which initially includes ingredients listed as follows, in general, with percentages by weight, which listed amounts may be taken as precise or approximate:

Ammonium orthophosphate (40% aqueous solution) 50~70%
Polysaccharide resin 20~30%
Cane sugar 5~10%
Spumific of urea 5~7%
Added defoaming agent 0%~0.5%
Organic insecticide 0.5~3%.

8. The composition of claim 7, which contains a mold inhibitor of a quaternary organic ammonium halide present in an amount about from 0.5 to 5 percent by weight of total composition.

9. The composition of claim 8, wherein the insecticide includes permethrin, and the mold inhibitor includes an alkyldimethylbenzylammonium chloride.

10. The composition of claim 1, which further includes a mold inhibitor provided in an amount that is sufficient to kill, control, or prevent growth of a target mold, mildew, fungus or other flora, when the composition is applied to, and optionally dried on or in, the substrate.

11. The composition of claim 10, wherein the target mold, mildew, fungus or other flora includes Stachybotrys chartarum.

12. The composition of claim 1, wherein the insecticide includes an organothio compound, a chlorinated organic compound, a pyrethroid, a carbamide, a carbimide, a cyclopropanecarboxylate, a pyrethrin, and/or a piperonyl ether.

13. The composition of claim 10, wherein the insecticide includes an organothio compound, a chlorinated organic compound, a pyrethroid, a carbamide, a carbimide, a cyclopropanecarboxylate, a pyrethrin, and/or a piperonyl ether; and the mold inhibitor includes a quaternary alkyl ammonium halide, which includes at least one short chain alkyl group and at least one medium chain alkyl group, wherein the short chain alkyl group is, separately at each occurrence, a one- to an about five-carbon group, and the medium chain alkyl group is, separately at each occurrence, an about six- to an about thirty-carbon group.

14. The composition of claim 1, wherein the insecticide includes a substance selected from the group consisting of malathion, parathion, diazinon (0,0-diethyl-0,2-isopropyl-6-methyl(pyrinodine-4-yl)phosphorthioate), permethrin ((3-phenoxyphenyl)methyl(~)cis-trans-3-(2,2-dichloroethenyl)-2,2-dimethylcyclopropanecarboxylate) or CAS No. 52645-53-1), resmethrin, d-trans-allethrin, tetramethrin ((1-cyclohexene-1,2-dicarboximide)methyl-2,2-dimethyl-3-(2-methylpropenyl)cyclopropanecarboxylate), sumithrin (3-phenoxybenzyl-(1RS,3RS;1RS,3SR)-2,2-dimethyl-3-(2-methylprop-1-enyl)cyclopropanecarboxylate), piperonyl butoxide and butylcarbityl(6-propylpiperonyl) ether, aldrin, chlorodane, dieldrin, endrin, heptachlor, lindane, DDT, DEET, nicotine, rotenone, pyrethrum, azadirachtin, oxalic acid, borax (sodium tetraborate decahydrate), disodium octaborate tetrahydrate, arsenic trioxide, lead arsenate, thallium sulfate and a combination thereof.

15. The composition of claim 1, which comprises an intumescent fire retardant paint composition, which embraces an intumescent fire retardant paint foundation in combination with said insecticide.

16. The composition of claim 15, which is a latex.

17. The composition of claim 16, which further includes a mold inhibitor provided in an amount that is sufficient to kill, control, or prevent growth of a target mold, mildew, fungus or other flora, when the composition is applied to, and optionally dried on or in, the substrate.

18. The composition of claim 17, wherein the target mold, mildew, fungus or other flora includes Stachybotrys chartarum.

19. The composition of claim 17, wherein the insecticide includes a termiticide.

20. The composition of claim 19, wherein the target mold, mildew, fungus or other flora includes Stachybotrys chartarum.

21. The composition of claim 17, wherein the paint foundation includes ingredients added with water approximately in percentages by weight, as follows:
Ammonium phosphate solids 15~30%

Thermoplastic latex resin 10~30%
Nitrogenous spumific 7~13%
Carbonific 7~13%
Opacifying agent 5~10%
Glass additive 1~5%
Ester alcohol 0.5~1.5%
Hydroxyalkylcellulosic 0.1~1%
Wetting and/or other agent(s), exclusive of possible mold inhibitor 0.1~2%.

22. The composition of claim 21, wherein the ingredients of the paint foundation include at least one of the following:

the thermoplastic latex resin includes a polyvinyl acetate;
the nitrogenous spumific includes melamine powder;

the carbonific includes a polyol;

the opacifying agent is inert and inorganic;

the glass additive includes a glass in a form of bubbles;

the hydroxyalkylcellulosic includes hydroxymethylcellulose and/or hydroyethylcellulose;

the wetting and/or other agent(s) includes a pigment dispersing agent, a defoamer colloid, a silicone surfactant, a paint preservative/biocide, and a rheology modifier.

23. The composition of claim 18, wherein the paint foundation includes ingredients approximately in percentages by weight, as follows:

Water (bulk) 25~33%
Ammonium polyphosphate powder 20~21%
Vinyl acetate latex (aqueous) 21~22%
Melamine powder 9~10%
Pentaerythritol 8.5~9.5%
Titanium dioxide powder 7~8%
Glass bubbles (0.12~0.63 g/cc) 1~2%
2,2,4~trimethyl~1,3~pentanediol monoisubutyrate 0.6~0.8%
Hydroxyethylcellulose 0.2~0.4%
Wetting and/or other agents, exclusive of possible mold inhibitor 1%.

24. The composition of claim 23, wherein the insecticide includes permethrin, present in an amount about from 0.1 to 3 percent by weight of total composition.

25. The composition of claim 24, wherein a quaternary organic ammonium halide is present as a mold inhibitor at about from 0.5 to 3.0 percent by weight of the total composition.

26. The composition of claim 17, wherein the insecticide includes malathion, parathion, diazinon (0,0~diethyl~0,2~isopropyl~6~methyl(pyrinodine~4-yl)phosphorthioate), permethrin ((3~phenoxyphenyl)methyl(~)cis~trans~3~(2,2-dichloroethenyl)~2,2~dimethylcyclopropanecarboxylate) or CAS No. 52645~53~1), resmethrin, d~trans~allethrin, tetramethrin ((1~cyclohexene~1,2~dicarboximide)methyl-2,2~dimethyl~3~(2~methylpropenyl)cyclopropanecarboxylate), sumithrin (3-phenoxybenzyl~(1RS,3RS;1RS,3SR)~2,2~dimethyl~3~(2~methylprop~1-enyl)cyclopropanecarboxylate), piperonyl butoxide, butylcarbityl(6~propylpiperonyl) ether, aldrin, chlorodane, dieldrin, endrin, heptachlor, lindane, DDT, DEET, nicotine, rotenone, pyrethrum, azadirachtin, oxalic acid, borax (sodium tetraborate decahydrate), disodium octaborate tetrahydrate, arsenic trioxide, lead arsenate, thallium sulfate, or a combination thereof; and the mold inhibitor includes a quaternary alkyl ammonium halide, which includes at least one short chain alkyl group and at least one medium chain alkyl group, wherein the short chain alkyl group is, separately at each occurrence, a one-to an about five~carbon group, and the medium chain alkyl group is, separately at each occurrence, an about six~ to an about thirty~carbon group.

27. The composition of claim 1, wherein the fire retardant agent is initially a liquid having ingredients with percentages (%) by weight, as follows:
Water 70~90%
Phosphorus containing acid 5~15%
Ammonium base 5~15%
Wetting and/or other 0.05~0.2%
Preservative 0.01 ~0.1%.

28. The composition of claim 27, wherein a mold inhibitor is also present, which is provided in an amount that is sufficient to kill, control, or prevent growth of a target mold, mildew, fungus or other flora, when the composition is applied to, and optionally dried on or in, the substrate.

29. In combination, the composition of claim 1, and the substrate on or in which the composition resides.

30. A paint composition comprising a foundational paint portion, which is conventional, i.e., is not fire retardant; a mold inhibitor present in an amount sufficient to kill, control and/or repel a target mold, mildew, or fungus, or other flora when the composition is applied to, and optionally dried on or in, a substrate; and an insecticide present in an amount sufficient to kill, control and/or repel a target invertebrate when the composition is applied to, and optionally dried on or in, the substrate.