IE45121B1 - Thickened disinfectants - Google Patents

Abstract

1525441 Disinfectants JEYES GROUP Ltd 11 March 1977 [12 March 1976] 10030/76 Headings A5B and A5E A disinfectant or antiseptic composition comprises a phenolic germicide, an organic solvent therefor, an anionic emulsifying agent, water, and a viscosity increasing agent which is a stable polymer of an ethylenically unsaturated carboxylic acid and/or amide thereof. The solvent may be an oil e.g. jasmine or pine oil, terpinolene or terpineol, and/or ethanol or isopropanol. The emulsifier may be a soap e.g. from castor oil and tall oil, or an alkali metal alkyl sulphate or alkyl benzene sulphonate. The polymer may comprise acrylic or methacrylic acid, acrylamide or methacrylamide, and alkyl acrylate and methacrylate units. The germicide may be chlorinated.

Description

This invention Is concerned v/ith improvements in and relating to disinfectants and antiseptic compositions and, mere particularly, is concerned with phenolic disinfectant antiseptic compositions, that is disinfectant and antiseptic compositions containing a phenolic germicide Disinfectant and antiseptic eompositions containing phenolic germicides are well known and one class of such compositions comprises liquid compositions containing a phenolic germicide, an organic solvent, for the phenolic germicide, an emulsifying agent and water. The compositiais may be formulated as liquids having a generally clear appearance which on dilution with water, as occurs in use, are converted to opalescent opaque emulsions. The organic solvent employed may be an oily solvent, e. g. pine oil, and examples of compositions employing such solvents are the so-called aromatic or pine type disinfectant compositions. Alternatively, the organic solvent may comprise a lower aliphatic alcohol such as ethanol or isopropanol alone sr in admixture with an oily solvent, such as pine oil, and examples cf such compositions - are antiseptic compositions of the liquor chloeoxylenolis type (Β. P. 1953) which differ from the aromatic or pine type disinfectants mainly in the nature of the phenolic germicide (a purer quality of germicide being used) ' C· and in the inclusion of an alcohol in the organic solvent system.

Such disinfectant and antiseptic compositions are generally mobile liquids so that when applied to vertical or inclined surfaces - 2 4S1j2/ or to the skin they drain therefrom. It is an object of the present invention tp provide a disinfectant or antiseptic composition of increased viscosity such that when the composition is applied to vertical or sloping surfaces, e.g. in toilets or sinks or, in the case of the antiseptic compositions, to the skin, the composition drains only slowly from the surface to which it is applied thereby allowing for an extended period of contact between the composition and the surface, thus giving improved disinfection or antisepsis.

A further advantage of such thickened composition is that they are more amenable for application from a squeeze pack in that better directional control can be obtained than for unthickened, mobile compositions.

It has new been found, in accordance with the present invention, that the viscosity cf phenolic dic-nfectant or antiseptic compositions of the type described above may ie increased, that is the compositions may bfe “thickened0, by dissolving therein a thickening agent which is a polymer of an ethylenica'iy unsaturated carboxylic acid and/or amide thereof. hccordir.g'y, the present invention provides a disinfectant or antiseptic composition comprising a phenolic germicide, an organic solvent for thf- phenolic germicide, an anionic emulsifying agent and water; having dissolved therein a viscosity increasing agent whic'j is a stable polymer of an ethylenically unsaturated carboxylic acid and/or amide thereof.

In the following description reference will be made to 'disinfectant compositions (which term is intended to apply to compositions II intended to be applied to inanimate surfaces or areas for the disinfection thereof) and antiseptic compositions (which term is intended to refer to compositions adapted for application to the skin for antiseptic purposes). It will, however, be appreciated that these terms are not necessarily exclusive in that, for example antiseptic compositions may be used as disinfectant compositions. Generally speaking, the antiseptic compositions are those employing, as organic solvent, a lower aliphatic alcohol alone or together with an oily solvent, whereas the disinfectant compositions are those employing an oily solvent but, as will be appreciated, It is perfectly possible to formulate a disinfectant composition containing a lower aliphatic alcohol as a part of the solvent system.

The phenolic germicide used in the disinfectant compositions of the invention may be any phenolic germicide conventionally employed in phenolic disinfectant compositions and thus may comprise phenol or a homologue thereof such as cresol or dimethyl phenol. Preferably, the phenolic germicide comprises a chlorinated phenolic germicide such as a mono-chloro ortho-phenyl phenol, a dichloro-metaxylenol or orthobenzylparachlorophenol. The phenolic germicide employed in the antiseptic compositions of the invention is preferably a chlorinated phenolic germicide which can be obtained In a relatively pure state - 4 and which does not give rise to problems of skin toxicity and may be, for example, parachloro-rnetaxylenol, 2,4-diehlorometaxylenol or orthobenzyl-parachlorophenol. . The phenolic germicide will generally be present in the compositions of the invention in an amount of up to 6% by weight, (preferably up to 5% by weight in the case of the disinfectant compositions) and more preferably from 0.1 to 4% by weight. i The organic solvents used in the compositions of the invention preferably comprise an oily solvent and/or a lower aliphatic alcohol. The oily solvent may be, for example, pine oil, terpinolene or terpineol (preferably pine oil or terpineol in the case of the antiseptic compositions) and will generally be present in the composition ir. an amount of up to 10% by weight (generally from 0. 5 to 10% by weight when employed as £ · To organic solvent as in the disinfectant compositions) and is preferably present in an amount of from 1 to 2% by weight in the casv of the disinfectant composition and in an amount of from 1 to 6% by weight in the case of the antiseptic compositions.

The lower alkanol la preferably ethanol or isopropanol and will generally form up to 30% by weight, preferably from 10 to 30% by weight, of the compositions.

The emulsifying agent is an anionic emulsifying agent such as a soap or a synthetic anionic surface agent. It is generally preferred to employ soaps (that is alkali metal salts, generally sodium salts, - 5 of long chain fatty acids or mixtures thereof) as emulsifying agents and thus, the emulsifying agent used in the compositions of the invention may be a pure soap (which is preferred for the antiseptic compositions) or may be a mixed soap, for example a castor oil soap or a mixed castor oil/tall oil soap. The soaps are generally used in amounts of from S to 15% by weight of the composition, preferably from 3 to 7% by weight in the case of the disinfectant compositions sad from 3 to 8% by weight in the case of the antiseptic compositions. The soaps are generally incorporated in'the compositions in the form of aqueous solutions thereof. Synthetic anionic detergents, such as alkali metal long chain alkyl sulphates or alkali metal alkyl benzene sulphonates will generally be used in somewhat lesser amounts as compared with soaps and thus will generally be used in amounts of from 1 to 5% by weight of the composition and will generally be employed in the disinfectant compositions of the invention.

The viscosity increasing or thickening agent employed in the compositions of the invention is, as Is indicated above, a polymer of an ethylenically unsaturated carboxylic acid and/or amido. The polymer must be soluble In the composition and in this regard it should be noted that the compositions of the Invention are generally alkaline in nature due to the use of an anionic emulsifying agent. It has been found that the presence of metallic cations (generally alkali metal cations) is apparently essential to the effective functioning of the polymer - δ as a viscosity increasing or thickening agent. In other words it has been found that the dissolution of the thickening polymers in the relatively low amounts generally required in accordance with the present invention in oure water does not lead to any appreciable increase In viscosity of the water. It has been found that the use of anionic emulsifying agents (especially soaps) in the amounts indicated above is sufficient to give a satisfactory increase in viscosity of the composition when a thickening polymer is added to the composition.

In other words it has not been found necessary to incorporate additional alkali (e. g. as alkali metal hydroxide or carbonate) in the compositions but, if desired, this may be done or, alternatively the thickening polymer may be added in the form of their alkali metal salts. Similarly It has been found that the thickening polymer need not necessarily be water-soluble provided it is soluble in the alkaline composition of the invention.

The polymer should, also, be stable in the composition of the invention, :. e, it should not undergo appreciable hydrolysis in the alkaline medium of the composition of the invention as do, for example, homopolymers cf acrylic or methacrylic acid. Stability to hydrolysis is conveniently judged in an empirical manner, 2° that is if a composition of the invention remains generally stable (i. s. the components thereof do not precipitate out) for a period of three months or more it may be regarded as adequately stable. - 7 43121 Clearly, the stability or other vase of a composition may be evaluated by simple storage tests. The ethylenically unsaturated acid may be conveniently acrylic acid cr methacrylic acid. Thus satisfactory results have been obtained employing homopolymers of acrylamide having relatively high molecular weights (i. e. of the order of several millions) but the copolymers of acrylamide may. be also employed provided, of course, that they are soluble in the compositions of the invention and thus, for example, an acrylamide/acrylic acid copolymer has been found useful. Additionally copolymers of acrylic or methacrylic acid wifhcomonoirers such as alkyl acrylates or alkyl methacrylates (e. g. ethyl acrylate or methacrylate) or vinyl hydrocarbons (such as styrene cr vinyl toluene) may be used as thickening polymers. The polymeric thickening agent is conveniently employed in an amount of from 0. 3 to 3% by weight, preferably 0.2 to 25s by weight, more preferably about '1% by weight based on the weight of the composition.

The compositions of the invention may also contain other ingredients such as perfumes and dyestuffs. The dyestuffs, when used, will commonly be used in amounts from 0. 01 up to 0, 2% by weight and the perfumes in amounts of up to 32 by weight.

In order that the invention may be well understood the following examples are given by way of illustration only. In the examples all parts and percentages are by weight. - 8 Αν 2.5 Ρεϊ-fa ru 3.y;e 20-;ό :l Cil 3: rp '0£% JC/E. ! - .li,?-/ -:i’*'i .As ’j-Ciut’-ili 13,!; 3.? 0.6 ico.o . . 2 7 /aJ-.-i·?: 1777:311-3 -7,.-.7--3,3. :· c -ip-n ' ---- -. .-33 - - - ., ..72, 71203-71.3 Parts :,7,2 :.2m, 1.7 7377: 7227 3:7::7 -- -3:. 0, 5 K I..::. . 0,1 3--,7.3- 223 if2,i Ci! 3,:aj; :0--1. 20- -227’ 1 .... ; 14,0 7... -.3.0.330! 1.0 li-:.. 200,0 .'I: i .v :2,:2.7 -i-’./lasride 17 7, 3 17371:3. • g3131 Example 3 - Disinfectant Technical Dichlorometaxylenol 1.2 Parts Pine Oil 2.0 If Castor Soap (30% aqueous soln.) 14.0 fl 5 Lissamine turquoise dye 1% soln. 0.18 tl ♦Primal ASE 95 1.5 tt Water to 100.0 tt Φ Commercially available emulsion acrylic acid and mixed acrylate copolymer. 10 Example 4 - Antiseptic Pure 2 : 4 Dichlorometaxylenol 2.0 Parts Terpineol BPC 8.7 tl Industrial methylated spirit 74 OP 20.0 tt Castor Soap 30% solution 17.0 tt 15 Primal ASE 95 2.0 ti Soft v/ater to 100.0 tt -10 (I

Claims (1)

1. ft.ift~fta.cft ::: ?: sftft s;:-?:.e ecrnsosiiion comprising ··. v „ ~. ·< : .: ft-ft :.. :, cm org-:..-.' c sft:'::/. ft ‘ftft phsncise germicide, zs icftrft.i i com:-i.-sition as claim eci m claim 1 in which the ssg.s is solve χ. •jemptise··'’ m ;!, i. as a. :ssft ft claim 2. In which the oil ft. .ft. _ ftft .: ~s :: ts ' /sol. - . -.·. m ::.. as claims..' ft claim S or claim 3. Containing s::. ft 5 as ft/, ft: sfteft: ..: -. .. - s..s:amss.. as claim ’ ’ is aiaim 4. Containing from 1 c< ftft ft: ft-s, ft oil ft siftsftfts::ft>n :: olaimei ia ciidm 1 in which the solvent visa a . . ·.· -iip’iSt’.C -Λΰ..hr,’. • ζ,οΐ 1 7. A composition as claimed in claim 6 in which the alcohol is ethanol or isopropanol. 8. A composition as claimed in claim 6 or claim 7 containing up to 30% by weight of the alcohol. 5. 9, A composition as claimed in claim 8 containing from 6. 10 to 30% by weight of the alcohol. 10. A composition as claimed in any one of claims 6-9 in which the solvent also comprises an oil. 7. 11. A composition as claimed in claim 10 containing up to 10 10% by weight of oil. z 8. 12. A composition as claimed in claim 11 containing from 1 to 6% by weight of oil. 9. 13. A composition as claimed in any one of claims 10 - 12 in which the oil is pine oil or terpineol. 10. 15 14. A composition as claimed in any one of claim 1-13 in which the phenolic germicide is phenol or a homologue thereof. - 12 - ΝAA 15. A composition as claimed in any ops of claims 1-13 in >’.-fcieh tbs phenciic germicide is a chic» Anted ph&iolic germicide. i2. A ccrmnn.'tian as claimed in claim 15 in which the eaLca .asisd nhann-ic germicide is a mcno-chioi’o-ortho-phonylhcnol., a dicaloromstaxys.enol or ortkcbenzyi-para-chlorophenol. • 7. ' ••.•“csiiicK as claimed ia any one of claims θ - 13 A .vinca 'he sheaoAa germicide in j5-eidoro-ra.-xylenol, 2, -i-dichloi'oi'i-xylcnr c~berzA..p-.efclorcnbeco'. Ά. a co;rpositica ar Aa/rsed ir any one of the preceding ••i-Airis mm'.:- -s »:p ;.e '3% ny Aght of phenolic germicide. A, A cc inpss 'in... ac claimed in any one of claims 2-5 containing up co Nr A weight of phenolic germicide. :?C A :-. .mpoaitios as claimed in claim IS or claim. 19 ;.c-ifaiA. „ ire?.·?. C.i i;o 4% by weight ef phenolic germicide. 21. A composition v.Aiimed in any one of the preceding ΑΑΆ .::: aAA the rwlE-h’-irg agent is a soap. - 13 22. A composition as claimed in claim 21 containing from 3 to 15% by weight of soap. 23. A composition as claimed in claim 22 containing from 3 to 8% by weight of soap. 5 24. A composition as claimed in any one of claims 2-5 in which the emulsifyirg agent is a soap present in an amount of from 3 to 7% by weight. 25. A composition as claimed in any one of the preceding claims containing from 0.1 to 3% by weight of dissolved polymer. 10 2S. A composition as claimed in claim 25 containing from 0.2 to 2% by weight of dissolved polymer. 27. A composition as claimed in claim 26 containing about 1% by weight of dissolved polymer. 28. A composition as claimed in any one of the preceding 15 claims in v/hich the dissolved polymer is a polymer of acrylic aeid, methacrylic acid, acrylamide or methacrylamide. - 14 29. A composition as claimed in claim 28 hi which the dissolved polymer is a homopolymer or acrylamide or methacrylamide. 30. A composition as claimed in claim 28 in which the dissolved polymer is a copolymer of acrylonitrile or methacrylamide with acrylic acid or methacrylic acid. 31. A composition as claimed in claim 28 in which the dissolved polymer is a copolymer of acrylic acid or methacrylic acid with an alkyl acrylate or methacrylate. 32. A composition as claimed in claim 1 substantially as !ΐ·;?Αί afore dsacrib&d w’*-b. roferenee to the Examples.' PiAad ttir 11th ‘is ' Karra.. If ?» BY: TOMXIHS & C0. 4