KR20000023826A - Use of a combination of surfactants, chelating agents and essential oils for effective disinfection - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: Mixtures are provided which have excellent disinfecting power against various range of bacterial pure strain including more resistant microbes like gram-positive bacteria or gram-negative bacteria or fungi. CONSTITUTION: Mixtures contains the following components of: 1) 0.001-5 wt% of chleatesor compounds thereof to the entire composition by weight, preferably 0.002-3 wt% and more preferably 0.002-1.5 wt%, 2) 0.01-50 wt% of surfactants, preferably 0.01-30 wt% and more preferably 0.01-10 wt%, and 3) not less than 0.003 wt% of aromatic oils or activated components thereof, preferably 0.006-10 wt% and more preferably 0.1-4 wt%. The proper chelates used in the mixtures are compounds selected from phosphonate, amino or carboxylate or substituted aromatic by multi-functional group chelates and the proper surfactants used in the mixtures include non-ionic, anionic, cationic, bi-ionic and/or dipolar ionic surfactants.

Description

Use of a combination of surfactants, chelating agents and essential oils for effective disinfection

The antimicrobial composition includes a substance having antiseptic properties. In general, disinfecting materials are known to greatly reduce or eliminate microorganisms present on the surface. Antimicrobial compositions comprising strong disinfectants that are not very satisfactory in terms of safety to the environment and / or humans are described in the art. For example, representative disinfectants used in antimicrobial compositions include quaternary ammonium.

In addition, a drawback of antimicrobial compositions based on strong disinfectants such as peracids and / or halogen-releasing compounds such as hypochlorite is that they can damage these surfaces when they come into contact with the surfaces and disinfect. Indeed, antibacterial compositions based on peracids and / or hypochlorite have been recognized by consumers as unsafe on hard surfaces and various surfaces, including delicate fabrics such as silk, wool, and the like.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide effective disinfection using components that have limited adverse effects on the surface and / or are recognized as being environmentally friendly.

This object can be achieved by incorporating a surfactant, a chelating agent and an antibacterial fragrance oil or an active ingredient thereof in the composition. Indeed, it has been found that the introduction of a combination of surfactants, chelating agents and antimicrobial fragrance oils or active ingredients thereof in a composition can provide disinfectability to the composition. Indeed, the composition comprising the formulation provides good disinfection of the surface even when diluted to a high dilution rate, ie 1: 100 (composition: water).

By incorporating chelating agents, surfactants and fragrance oils or active ingredients thereof, disinfection is possible on all types of surfaces, including hard surfaces and in the field of laundry or the human body.

An advantage of the present invention is that it provides excellent disinfection for a wide range of bacterial pure strains, including more resistant microorganisms such as gram positive and gram negative bacterial strains and fungi.

Another advantage of the present invention is that it provides good detergency in addition to providing disinfection.

A representative example of the prior art is European Patent Publication No. 288 689, which discloses a hard surface liquid comprising an antimicrobially effective amount of pine oil and at least one oil-soluble organic acid.

U. S. Patent No. 5,403, 587 discloses aqueous antimicrobial compositions that can be used for sanitizing, disinfecting and cleaning hard surfaces. More specifically, U.S. Pat.No. 5,403,587 discloses a fragrance oil (0.02% to 5%) that exhibits antimicrobial efficacy, such as thyme oil, eucalyptus oil, clove oil, and the like, and sufficient to form an aqueous solution or aqueous dispersion of the fragrance oil in a water carrier. Aqueous compositions (pH 1-12) comprising solubilizers or dispersants are disclosed.

Co-pending EP 96870017.9 discloses a disinfectant composition comprising hydrogen peroxide, antibacterial fragrance oil, optionally a surfactant and a chelating agent.

None of the above prior art documents discloses that excellent disinfection is provided on the surface even in a diluted state by the combination of a chelating agent, a surfactant and an antimicrobial fragrance oil or an active ingredient thereof.

Summary of the Invention

The present invention relates to the use of chelating agents, surfactants and antimicrobial fragrance oils or active substance combinations thereof to impart disinfectability to the composition.

The present invention relates to antimicrobial compositions that can be used in the field of disinfection and cleaning or washing of various surfaces, including hard surfaces.

The first essential ingredient of the invention is a chelating agent or mixtures thereof. Suitable chelating agents used in the present invention can be any chelating agent known to those skilled in the art, for example phosphonate chelating agents, amino carboxylate chelating agents or other carboxylate chelating agents, or aromatic chelates substituted with polyfunctional groups. And a mixture thereof. It has been found by the present invention that the disinfectability of the composition is improved when a chelating agent is added to the antimicrobial fragrance oil and / or its active ingredient in combination with the surfactant.

Such phosphonate chelating agents are not only etidronic acid (1-hydroxyethylidene-bisphosphonic acid or HEDP) but also amino alkylene poly (alkylene phosphonates), alkali metal ethane 1-hydroxy diphosphonates, Amino phosphonate compounds, including nitrilo trimethylene phosphonate, ethylene diamine tetra methylene phosphonate and diethylene triamine pentamethylene phosphonate. The phosphonate compounds may be present on some or all of their acid functionalities in acid form or in the form of salts of different cations. Preferred phosphonate chelating agents used in the present invention are diethylene triamine penta methylene phosphonates. Such phosphonate chelating agents can be purchased from Monsanto under the tradename DEQUEST®.

In addition, aromatic chelating agents substituted with multifunctional groups may be useful in the compositions of the present invention. See U.S. Patent No. 3,812,044, issued May 21, 1974 to Connor et al. Preferred compounds of this type in acid form are dihydroxydisulfobenzenes such as 1,2-dihydroxy-3,5-disulfobenzene.

Preferred biodegradable chelating agents for use in the present invention are ethylene diamine N, N'-disuccinic acid, alkali metal salts, alkaline earth metal salts, ammonium salts, substituted ammonium salts or mixtures thereof. Ethylenediamine N, N'-disuccinic acid, especially the (S, S) isomer, is described extensively in US Pat. No. 4,704,233, issued November 3, 1987 to Hartman and Perkins. Ethylenediamine N, N'-disuccinic acid is commercially available, for example, under the trade name ssEDDS® from Palmer Research Laboratories.

Suitable amino carboxylate chelating agents useful in the present invention are ethylene diamine tetra acetate, diethylene triamine pentaacetate, diethylene triamine pentaacetate (DTPA), N in acid form, or their alkali metal salts, ammonium salts and substituted ammonium salt forms. -Hydroxyethylethylenediamine triacetate, nitrilotriacetate, ethylenediamine tetrapropionate, triethylenetetraamine hexaacetate, ethanol diglycine, propylene diamine tetraacetic acid (PDTA) and methyl glycine diacetic acid (MGDA). Diethylene triamine penta acetic acid (DTPA), for example propylene diamine tetraacetic acid (PDTA), and methyl glycine diacetic acid (MGDA) sold under the trade name Trilon FS® by BASF. This is particularly suitable for use in the present invention.

Additional carboxylate chelating agents used in the present invention include malonic acid, salicylic acid, glycine, aspartic acid, glutamic acid, dipicolinic acid and derivatives thereof, or mixtures thereof.

Typically, the chelating agent or mixture thereof is present in the composition at 0.001 to 5% by weight, preferably 0.002 to 3% by weight, more preferably 0.002 to 1.5% by weight.

The second essential ingredient of the invention is a surfactant or a mixture thereof.

Suitable surfactants for use in the present invention may be any surfactant known to those of skill in the art, including nonionic, anionic, cationic, zwitterionic and / or zwitterionic surfactants. These surfactants are preferred because they provide improved disinfection on the surface to be treated when combined with chelating agents and fragrance oils or active ingredients thereof. In addition, surfactants contribute to the cleaning performance of compositions comprising such formulations.

Particularly suitable anionic surfactants for use in the present invention include water-soluble salts or acids of formula (I):

ROSO ₃ M

Where

R is preferably C ₆ -C ₂₄ hydrocarbyl, preferably alkyl or hydroxyalkyl with an alkyl component of C ₁₀ -C ₂₀ , more preferably C ₁₂ -C ₁₈ alkyl or hydroxyalkyl,

M is H or a cation such as an alkali metal cation such as sodium, potassium, lithium or ammonium or substituted ammonium such as methyl ammonium, dimethyl ammonium, trimethyl ammonium cation and quaternary ammonium cations such as tetramethyl ammonium and dimethyl pi Ferdinium cations; quaternary ammonium cations derived from alkylamines such as ethylamine, diethylamine, triethylamine, and mixtures thereof).

Other anionic surfactants suitable for use in the present invention include alkyldiphenyl-ether-sulfonates and alkylcarboxylates. Other anionic surfactants include salts of soap (e.g., substituted ammonium salts such as sodium, potassium, ammonium, and monoethanolamine salts, diethanolamine salts, and triethanolamine salts), C ₉ -C ₂₀ Sulfonation of pyrolysis products of alkaline earth metal citrate as described in linear alkylbenzenesulfonates, C ₈ -C ₂₂ primary or secondary alkanesulfonates, C ₈ -C ₂₄ olefinsulfonates, British Patent No. 1,082,179 Sulfonated polycarboxylic acid, C ₈ -C ₂₄ alkylpolyglycol ether sulfate (containing up to 10 moles of ethylene oxide) prepared by the above; Alkyl ester sulfonates such as C ₁₄ -C ₁₆ methyl ester sulfonates; Acyl glycerol sulfonate, fatty oleyl glycerol sulfate, alkyl phenol ethylene oxide ether sulfate, paraffin sulfonate, alkyl phosphate, isethionate such as acyl isethionate, N-acyl taurate, alkyl succinamate, alkyl sulfosuccinate And sulfosuccinates, monoesters of sulfosuccinates (particularly saturated and unsaturated C ₁₂ -C ₁₈ monoesters), diesters of sulfosuccinates (particularly saturated and unsaturated C ₆ -C ₁₄ dienes Esters), acyl sarcosinates, alkylpolysaccharide sulfates such as sulfates of alkylpolyglucosides (nonionic nonsulfated compounds are described below), branched primary alkyl sulfates, general formula RO (CH ₂ CH ₂ O) _k CH ₂ COO-M ⁺ of the compound (wherein, R is a C ₈ -C ₂₂ alkyl, k is an integer from 0 to 10, M is a soluble salt-forming cation, such as a) To kill a poly ethoxy carboxylate. Resin acids and hydrogenated resin acids are also suitable, for example rosin, hydrogenated rosin, and resin acids and hydrogenated resin acids present in or derived from tall oil. Further examples are provided in Schwartz, Perry and Berch ("Surface Active Agents and Detergents", Vol I and II). These various surfactants are also described generally in US Pat. No. 3,929,678, column 23, line 58 to column 29, line 23, incorporated by reference herein on Dec. 30, 1975 to Laughlin et al. have.

Preferred anionic surfactants for use in the compositions of the present invention are alkyl benzene sulfonates, alkyl sulfates, alkyl alkoxylated sulfates, paraffin sulfonates and mixtures thereof.

Zwitterionic surfactants suitable for use in the present invention include betaine and sulfobetaine surfactants, derivatives thereof or mixtures thereof. Such betaine or sulfobetaine surfactants are preferred in the present invention because they help disinfection by increasing the permeability of bacterial cell walls, thereby allowing other active ingredients to enter the cell.

In addition, due to the mild action properties of the betaine or sulfobetaine surfactants, they are particularly suitable for cleaning sensitive surfaces such as sensitive laundry or surfaces in contact with food and / or babies. Betaine and sulfobetaine surfactants are also very gentle on the skin and / or surface to be treated.

Suitable betaine and sulfobetaine surfactants used in the present invention are betaine / sulfobetaine and betaine detergents, wherein the molecule contains both basic and acidic groups that form internal salts and therefore over a wide range of pH values. Molecules having both cationic hydrophilic groups and anionic hydrophilic groups are possible. Some common examples of such detergents are disclosed in US Pat. Nos. 2,082,275, 2,702,279, and 2,255,082, which are incorporated herein by reference. Preferred betaines and sulfobetaine surfactants in the present invention are compounds of formula (2) or mixtures thereof.

Where

R ₁ is an alkyl radical having 1 to 24 carbon atoms, preferably 8 to 18, more preferably 12 to 14 carbon atoms,

R ₂ and R ₃ are 1 to 3, preferably 1,

n is 1 to 10, preferably 1 to 6, more preferably an integer of 1,

Y is selected from the group consisting of carboxyl and sulfonyl radicals,

The sum of R ₁ , R ₂ and R ₃ radicals is 14 to 24 carbon atoms.

Examples of particularly suitable betaine surfactants include C ₁₂ -C ₁₈ alkyl dimethyl betaine such as coconut-betaine, and C ₁₀ -C ₁₆ alkyl dimethyl betaine such as laurylbetaine. Coconut betaine is commercially available from Seppic under the trade name Amonyl 265 (registered trademark). Laurylbetaine is marketed by Albright & Wilson under the trade name Empigen BB / L (registered trademark).

Other zwitterionic surfactants suitable for use in the present invention are those of the general formula R ₁ R ₂ R ₃ NO wherein R ₁ , R ₂ and R ₃ are each independently 1 to 30 carbon atoms, preferably 6 to 30, More preferably 10 to 20, most preferably 8 to 18 saturated, substituted or unsubstituted, linear or branched alkyl groups). Preferred amine oxides for use in the present invention are natural blends of, for example, C ₁₂ -C ₁₆ amine oxides and C ₈ -C ₁₀ amine oxides available from Hoechst. Suitable short chain amine oxides used according to the invention are amine oxides of the general formula R ₁ R ₂ R ₃ NO, wherein R ₁ is a C ₆ to C ₁₀ alkyl group, preferably a C ₈ to C ₁₀ alkyl group, R ₂ And R ₃ is independently a substituted or unsubstituted, linear or branched alkyl group having 1 to 4 carbon atoms, preferably 1 to 3 carbon atoms, more preferably a methyl group. R ₁ may be a saturated linear or branched alkyl group. Examples of preferred short chain amine oxides for use in the present invention are the amine oxides of natural blend C ₈ -C ₁₀ available from Hoechst.

According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the surfactant comprises an amine oxide and a betaine or sulfobetaine surfactant, preferably a weight ratio of amine oxide to betaine or sulfobetaine from 2: 1 to 100: 1, more preferably Is a surfactant system comprising 6: 1 to 100: 1. By using such surfactant systems in compositions with chelating agents and antimicrobial fragrances or active ingredients thereof, the compositions provide a disinfectant and effective detergency as well as a glossy cleaning surface, i.e., a cleaning surface treated with the composition. The amount of film / stripes remaining on the substrate is minimized.

Suitable nonionic surfactants for use in the present invention are fatty alcohol ethoxylates and / or propoxylates available in various fatty alcohol chain lengths and various ethoxylations. Indeed, the hydrophilic-lipophilic balance value (HLB) of such alkoxylated nonionic surfactants basically depends on the chain length of the fatty alcohol, the nature of the alkoxylation and the degree of alkoxylation. A list of surfactants is available which lists a number of surfactants, including nonionics, with their respective HLBs.

Suitable chemical preparation methods for nonionic surfactants for use in the present invention are the condensation reaction of alkylene oxides with the alcohols in the required proportions. Such methods are well known to those skilled in the art and have been widely described in the art. Alternatively, a wide variety of alkoxylated alcohols suitable for use in the present invention are commercially available from various suppliers.

Particularly suitable nonionic surfactants for use in the present invention are hydrophobic nonionic surfactants having an HLB of less than 16, preferably less than 15, more preferably less than 12, most preferably less than 10. These hydrophobic nonionic surfactants have been found to provide good oily cleavage.

Preferred hydrophobic nonionic surfactants for use in the compositions according to the invention have a HLB of less than 16 and have the general formula RO- (C ₂ H ₄ O) _n (C ₃ H ₆ O) _m H, where R is C ₆ An alkyl chain of -C ₂₂ or an alkyl benzene chain of C ₆ -C ₂₈ , n + m is 0 to 20, n is 0 to 15, m is 0 to 20, preferably n + m is 1 to 15, n and m are 0.5 to 15, more preferably n + m is 1 to 10, and n and m are 0 to 10). Preferred R chains for use in the present invention are C ₈ -C ₂₂ alkyl chains. Thus, hydrophobic nonionic surfactants suitable for use in the present invention are Dobanol® 91-2.5 (HLB = 8.1; R is a mixture of alkyl chains of C ₉ and C ₁₁ , n is 2.5, m is 0), Lutensol TO3 (registered trademark) (HLB = 8; R is C ₁₃ alkyl chain, n is 3, m is 0), Lutensol AO3 (HLB = 8; R is A mixture of C ₁₃ and C ₁₅ alkyl chains, n is 3, m is 0, Tergitol 25L3 (Tergitol 25L3®) (HLB = 7.7; R is an alkyl chain length of C ₁₂ -C ₁₅ , n is 3, m is 0), dovanol 23-3 (HLB = 8.1; R is a mixture of C ₁₂ and C ₁₃ alkyl chains, n is 3, m is 0), dobanol 23 -2 (HLB = 6.2; R is a mixture of C ₁₂ and C ₁₃ alkyl chains, n is 2 and m is 0), dobanol 45-7 (HLB = 11.6; R is a C ₁₄ and C ₁₅ Mixture of alkyl chains, n is 7, m is 0, dobanol 23-6.5 (HLB = 11.9; R is a mixture of alkyl chains of C ₁₂ and C ₁₃ , n is 6.5, m is 0 ), Dovanol 25-7 (HLB = 12; R is a mixture of C ₁₂ and C ₁₅ alkyl chains, n is 7 and m is 0), dovanol 91-5 (HLB = 11.6; R is C A mixture of ₉ and C ₁₁ alkyl chains, n is 5, m is 0), dobanol 91-6 (HLB = 12.5; R is a mixture of C ₉ and C ₁₁ alkyl chains, n is 6 , m is 0), dovanol 91-8 (HLB = 13.7; R is a mixture of alkyl chains of C ₉ and C ₁₁ , n is 8, m is 0), dobanol 91-10 (HLB = 14.2; R is a mixture of alkyl chains of C ₉ -C ₁₁ , n is 10 and m is 0) or a mixture thereof. Preferred here are dovanol 91-2.5, lutensol TO3, lutensol AO3, tergitol 25L3, dovanol 23-3, dovanol 23-2 or mixtures thereof. Dovanol surfactants are commercially available from SHELL. Lutensol surfactants are commercially available from BASF, and tergitol surfactants are commercially available from UNION CARBIDE.

Suitable cationic surfactants contain both cationic and anionic hydrophilic groups on the same molecule at a relatively wide range of pH. Typical cationic groups are quaternary ammonium groups, other positively charged groups such as phosphonium, imidazolium and sulfonium groups may also be used. Typical anionic hydrophilic groups are carboxylates and sulfonates, although other groups may be used (eg sulfates, phosphonates, etc.). Some preferred bipolar ionic surfactants are shown in Formula 3 below.

^{_{R 1 -N + (R 2)}} (R 3) R 4 X -

Where

R ₁ is a hydrophobic group,

R ₂ and R ₃ are each C ₁ -C ₄ alkyl, hydroxy alkyl, or other substituted alkyl group capable of being combined to form a ring structure having N,

R ₄ is a moiety that binds a cationic nitrogen atom to a hydrophilic group, and is typically an alkylene, hydroxy alkylene, or a polyalkoxy group having 1 to 4 carbon atoms,

X is preferably a hydrophilic group which is a carboxylate or sulfonate group.

Preferred hydrophobic groups R ₁ are alkyl groups having 8 to 22 carbon atoms, preferably less than 18, more preferably less than 16 carbon atoms. Hydrophobic groups can contain unsaturated and / or substituents and / or linking groups such as aryl groups, amido groups, ester groups, and the like. In general, simple alkyl groups are preferred in terms of cost and stability.

Other specific zwitterionic surfactants are represented by the following general formula (4) or (5).

R ₁ -C (O) -N (R ₂ )-(C (R ₃ ) ₂ ) _n -N (R ₂ ) ₂ ⁽⁺⁾ -(C (R ₃ ) ₂ ) _n -SO ₃ ^(-)

R ₁ -C (O) -N (R ₂ )-(C (R ₃ ) ₂ ) _n -N (R ₂ ) ₂ ⁽⁺⁾ -(C (R ₃ ) ₂ ) _n -COO ^(-)

Where

R ₁ is a hydrocarbon, for example an alkyl group having 8 to 20 carbon atoms, preferably 18 or less carbon atoms, more preferably 16 or less carbon atoms,

Each R ₂ is a group consisting of hydrogen (when attached to amido nitrogen), short-chain alkyl or substituted alkyl of 1 to 4 carbon atoms, preferably methyl, ethyl, propyl, hydroxy substituted ethyl or propyl and mixtures thereof A group selected from, preferably methyl,

R ₃ is each selected from the group consisting of hydrogen and hydroxy groups,

Each n is 1 to 4, preferably 2 or 3, more preferably 3; At most (C (R ₃ ) ₂ ) residues there are no more than one hydroxy group. R ₁ groups may be branched / branched or unsaturated.

R ₂ groups may also be linked to form a ring structure. Surfactants of this type are C ₁₀ -C ₁₄ fatty acylamidopropylene (hydroxypropylene, commercially available from Sherex Company under the trade name "Varion CAS sulfobetaine®"). Sulfobetaine.

Generally, surfactants or mixtures thereof are present in the composition in amounts of 0.01 to 50% by weight, preferably 0.01 to 30% by weight and most preferably 0.1 to 10% by weight of the total composition.

The third essential ingredient of the present invention is an antibacterial fragrance oil or an active ingredient thereof, or a mixture thereof.

Suitable antimicrobial fragrance oils as used herein are fragrance oils that exhibit antimicrobial activity. The term "active ingredient of fragrance oils" means certain ingredients which exhibit antimicrobial activity in fragrance oils. It is assumed that the antimicrobial fragrance oil and its active ingredient act as protein denaturants. In addition, the antimicrobial oils and active ingredients thereof are compounds which, when used to disinfect any surface, contribute to the safety properties of the composition comprising the same. A further advantage of the antimicrobial oil and its active ingredient is that it imparts a pleasant odor to the composition comprising it without the need to add fragrance. In fact, combining the antimicrobial fragrance oil or its active ingredient in a composition with a surfactant and a chelating agent can not only impart excellent disinfectability on the surface to be treated with the composition, but also deliver a stable and excellent fragrance to the surface.

These fragrance oils include thyme, lemongrass, citrus, lemon, orange, anise, cloves, anise fruit, pine, cinnamon, grass, rose, mint, lavender, citronella, eucalyptus, peppermint, camphor, sandalwood, rosemarine oil and verbane ( vervain, fleagrass, lemongrass oil, ratanhiae and himalayans and mixtures thereof, but are not limited thereto. Preferred fragrance oils as used herein are thyme oil, clove oil, cinnamon oil, grass oil, eucalyptus oil, peppermint oil, mint oil and mixtures thereof.

As used herein, the active ingredients of fragrance oils are thymol (for example present in thyme), eugenol (for example in cinnamon and cloves), menthol (for example in mint), geraniol (for example For example, present in grass and roses), verbenone (for example in verbain), eucalyptol and pinocarbon (for example in eucalyptus), cedrol (for example in himalayan cedar) , Anetitol (for example present in anise), carbacrol, hinokithiol, verberine, ferulic acid, cinnamic acid, methyl salicylic acid, methyl salicylate, terpineol and mixtures thereof. Preferred active ingredients of fragrance oils as used herein are thymol, eugenol, verbenone, eucalyptol, terpineol, cinnamic acid, methyl salicylic acid and / or geraniol.

Timol is commercially available, for example, from Aldrich and Eugenol will be commercially available from Sigma Systems Bioindustry (SBI) -Manheimer Inc.

Generally, the antimicrobial fragrance oil or its active ingredient or mixtures thereof is in an amount of at least 0.003% by weight, preferably 0.006 to 10% by weight, more preferably 0.1 to 4% by weight and most preferably 0.03 to 2% by weight of the total composition. Present in the composition.

By the present invention, it has been found that disinfectability is improved even when used under high dilution conditions by combining surfactants, chelating agents and antimicrobial fragrance oils or active ingredients thereof in the composition. The expression “enhanced anti-toxicity” refers to the disinfectivity delivered by combining surfactants, chelating agents and fragrance oils and / or their active ingredients in the composition, to the disinfective properties delivered using only one or two of the ingredients in the composition. Compared to the improvement.

Candida albi as well as various microorganisms, including Gram-positive bacteria (eg Staphylococcus aureus) and Gram-negative bacteria (eg Pseudomonas aeroginosa) present on the surface Excellent disinfection is obtained even when used in high dilution conditions by combining the surfactants, chelating agents and antimicrobial fragrances or their active ingredients according to the invention on fungi such as Candida albicans.

Disinfection of a composition can be measured by the bactericidal activity of the composition. Test methods and conditions suitable for evaluating the bactericidal activity of the disinfectant composition are published in November 1995 by the European Committee for Standardisation in Brussels [European Standard, prEN 1040, CEN / TC 216 N 78 ]. If the colony forming unit (cfu) of the bacterium decreases from 10 ⁷ cfu (initial level) to 10 ² cfu (final level after contact with the disinfection product), the test passes, i.e. the viability of 10 ⁵ Reduction is essential. A composition according to the invention comprising a surfactant, a chelating agent and an antibacterial fragrance oil or an active ingredient thereof, passes the test even when used in a diluted state at high proportions.

Combinations of the components according to the invention may be formulated in the composition as one of solid, paste or liquid form. If the composition according to the invention is formulated as a solid, it will be mixed with a suitable solvent, generally water, before use. As a liquid form, the composition is preferably not necessarily formulated as an aqueous composition. Liquid compositions are preferred herein for ease of use.

In a preferred embodiment wherein the composition according to the invention is an aqueous liquid wash composition, it is preferred that the pH is 12.0 or less, more preferably 1 to 10, and most preferably 2 to 9. The pH of the composition can be adjusted using organic or inorganic acids or alkalizing agents.

Since effective disinfection is provided in the combination of the components of the present invention, the composition comprising the combination does not need to add other antimicrobial compounds. However, for one embodiment of the present invention the composition may further comprise other antimicrobial compounds such as peroxygen bleach or mixtures thereof as optional components. Preferred peroxygen bleach is hydrogen peroxide, or a water soluble source thereof, or mixtures thereof.

The presence of peroxygen bleach, in particular peroxides, persulfates and the like, further contributes to the disinfectability of the compositions according to the invention. Indeed, the peroxide bleach can attack the life-sustaining action of microbial cells, for example, inhibit the combination of ribosomal units in the cytoplasm of microbial cells. The peroxide bleach (eg hydrogen peroxide) is also a powerful oxidizing agent that generates hydroxyl free radicals that attack proteins and nucleic acids. In addition, the presence of the peroxide bleach, in particular hydrogen peroxide, has the advantage of significantly removing particularly heavy contaminants for laundry and / or hard surfaces.

As used herein, a hydrogen peroxide source refers to any compound that produces hydrogen peroxide when the compound contacts water. Suitable water soluble sources of hydrogen peroxide for use herein include percarbonates such as percarbonates, persilicates, monopersulfates, perborates, and diperoxidodecandioic acid (DPDA), magnesium perphthalic acid, and their Mixtures.

In addition, another class of peroxides can be used, either selectively with respect to hydrogen peroxide and its source or in combination with hydrogen peroxide and its source. Suitable classes include dialkylperoxides, diacylperoxides, preformed percarboxylic acids, organic and inorganic peroxides and / or hydroperoxides.

The composition herein may comprise up to 15 weight percent, preferably 0.5 to 10 weight percent, and more preferably 1 to 8 weight percent of the peroxygen bleach or mixtures thereof.

The composition according to the invention may comprise other antimicrobial components which further contribute to the antimicrobial activity of the composition according to the invention. Such antimicrobial components include parabens such as ethyl paraben, propyl paraben, methyl paraben, glutaraldehyde or mixtures thereof.

The compositions herein comprise a variety of other optional ingredients such as solvents, builders, stabilizers, bleach activators, contaminant suspensions, dye transfer agents, brighteners, flavoring agents, antidust agents, enzymes, dispersants, dye transfer inhibitors, Pigments, radical scavengers and dyes).

The compositions of the present invention may be packaged in a variety of suitable detergent packaging materials known to those skilled in the art. The liquid phase composition of the present invention may preferably be packaged in a manual spray dispensing vessel typically made of synthetic organic polymeric plastics material. Indeed, the use of the sprayable dispenser makes it possible to uniformly apply a liquid disinfecting composition suitable for use in accordance with the present invention to a relatively wide surface to be disinfected, thereby contributing to the disinfectability of the composition. Such sprayable containers are particularly suitable for disinfecting vertical surfaces.

Sprayable containers suitable for use in accordance with the present invention are manual foamable, operated with handles sold by Specialty Packaging Products, Inc. or Continental Sprayers, Inc. It includes a dispenser. Dispensers of this type are described, for example, in US Pat. No. 4,701,311 to Duninging et al. And US Pat. No. 4,646,973 to Focalarracci and US Pat. No. 4,538,745. Particularly preferred for use in the present invention are spray dispensers such as T 8500® available from Continental Sprayers International, or T 8100® available from Canyon, Northern Ireland. In such dispensers the liquid composition is divided into fine droplets and sprayed towards the surface to be treated. Indeed, in such spray dispensers, the composition contained in the dispenser body is ejected through the head of the spray dispenser through the energy delivered by the user to the pumping mechanism when the user activates the pumping mechanism. More specifically, in the sprayable dispenser head, the composition pushes the obstruction, such as a lattice or cone, and provides an impact to subdivide the liquid phase composition, i.e. droplets form.

The compositions of the present invention are also carried out in wipe form. By “wipe” is meant herein a disposable towel for introducing a composition according to the invention. A preferred practice is for the wipe to introduce a liquid composition. Preferably the wipe is packaged in a plastic box. The advantage of doing this is that it is not necessary to pour the liquid composition according to the invention on the surface to be treated and sterilized and wipe off with a cloth so that the user can use the disinfectant composition more quickly outside the home. In other words, the wipe allows the surface to be disinfected in one step.

The composition according to the invention can be applied to any surface for disinfection. "Surface" means any surface, including fabrics, garment carpets, and the like, as well as hard surfaces such as bathrooms, kitchens, table surfaces, refrigerators, and the like. The composition according to the invention can be applied on the surface to be disinfected in pure form or in diluted form.

By "diluted form" as used herein is meant that the composition used is in liquid form or in solid form by the user, preferably with water up to 100 times, preferably 80 to 30 times, and more preferably Preferably it can be diluted 60 to 40 times.

The invention can be further illustrated by the following examples.

The following compositions were prepared by mixing the ingredients listed in Tables 1 and 2 below in the listed ratios (unless otherwise indicated by weight percent).

Composition (% by weight) I II III IV V VI Hydrogen peroxide 7.0 - - 2 4 - Thymol oil - 0.4 - - 0.5 - Clove oil 0.5 - - 0.2 - 0.1 Brown oil - 0.2 - - - - Eucalyptus oil 0.2 - 0.2 0.2 - 0.2 Geraniol - - 0.5 - 0.5 0.1 Alkyl sulfate 4 3 10 One 4 0.5 DETPMP 0.1 0.15 0.15 0.1 0.15 0.2 Water and rest 100% remaining amount Use H ₂ SO ₄ up to pH 4 .DETPMP is diethylene triamine pentamethylene phosphonic a sulfonate Alkyl sulfate is a C10 alkyl sulfate. betaine is a coconut alkyl which is commercially available from Albright Wilson under the trade name BMP-and-Gen BB / L Dimethyl betaine. The amine oxide is N-decyldimethyl amine oxide.

Composition (% by weight) VII VIII IX X XI XII Hydrogen peroxide 7.0 - - 2 4 - Thymol oil - 0.4 - - 0.5 - Clove oil 0.5 - - 0.2 - 0.1 Brown oil - 0.2 - - - - Eucalyptus oil 0.2 - 0.2 0.2 - 0.2 Geraniol - - 0.5 - 0.5 0.1 Betaine 1.5 0.05 - 0.05 - 0.05 Amine oxide 3 0.9 - One - 0.9 Alkyl sulfate - - 1.5 - 4 - DTPA 0.1 - 0.15 0.1 0.15 - DETPMP - 0.15 - - - 0.2 Water and rest 100% remaining amount The pH 4 using H ₂ SO ₄ to .DETPMP is diethylenetriaminepentaacetic methylene phosphonate .DTPA is diethylene triamine pentaacetate is. C10 alkyl sulfate alkyl sulfate. betaine is called BMP Gen BB / L Coconut alkyldimethyl betaine, commercially available from Albright & Wilson under the trade name. The amine oxide is N-decyldimethyl amine oxide.

The compositions of the above examples are in accordance with the invention, which can be used in pure form or in diluted form, for example, compositions I and VII can be used at a dilution of 1:50 and composition III is at a dilution of 1:25. It can be used to provide effective disinfection on the treated surface. Indeed, these compositions pass the prEN 1040 test of the European Standardization Community.

Claims (11)

Use of a combination of chelating agents, surfactants and antimicrobial fragrance oils or active ingredients thereof to impart disinfectability to the composition. The method of claim 1, The chelating agent or mixture thereof is present in an amount of 0.001 to 5% by weight, preferably 0.002 to 3% by weight and more preferably 0.002 to 1.5% by weight of the total composition. The method according to claim 1 or 2, The surfactant or a mixture thereof is present in an amount of from 0.01 to 50% by weight, preferably from 0.01 to 30% by weight and more preferably from 0.1 to 10% by weight of the total composition. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, The antimicrobial fragrance oil or the active ingredient or mixtures thereof is present in an amount of at least 0.003% by weight, preferably 0.006 to 10% by weight, more preferably 0.1 to 4% by weight and most preferably 0.03 to 2% by weight of the total composition. Use. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, Antibacterial fragrance oils thyme oil, lemongrass oil, citrus oil, lemon oil, orange oil, anise oil, cloves oil, anise fruit oil, cinnamon oil, grass oil, rose oil, lavender oil, citronella oil, eucalyptus oil, peppermint Oil, mint oil, camphor oil, sandalwood oil, Himalayan cedar oil, rosemarine oil, pine oil, vervain oil, fleagrass oil, ratanhiae oil and mixtures thereof Preferably thyme oil, cloves oil, cinnamon oil, grass oil, eucalyptus oil, peppermint oil, mint oil and mixtures thereof; The active ingredient of the fragrance oil is thymol, eugenol, menthol, carbacrol, verbenone, eucalyptol, cedrol, anetol, pinocarbon, geraniol, hinokithiol, berberine, ferulic acid, cinnamic acid, methyl salicylic acid, Methyl salicylate, terpineol and mixtures thereof, preferably from the group consisting of thymol, eugenol, verbenone, eucalyptol, terpineol, cinnamic acid, methyl salicylic acid and geraniol Selected use. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, The chelating agent is selected from the group consisting of phosphonate chelating agents, amino carboxylate chelating agents, other carboxylate chelating agents, aromatic chelating agents substituted with polyfunctional groups, and mixtures thereof. The method of claim 6, Chelating agents include etidronic acid, alkali metal ethane 1-hydroxy diphosphonate, nitrilo trimethylene phosphonate, ethylene diamine tetra methylene phosphonate, diethylene triamine pentamethylene phosphonate, dihydroxydisulfobenzene, Ethylenediamine N, N'-disuccinic acid, ethylene diamine tetra acetate, diethylene triamine pentaacetate, N-hydroxyethylethylenediamine triacetate, nitrilotriacetate, ethylenediamine, tetrapropionate, triethylenetetraaminehexaacetate , Ethanol diglycine, propylene diamine tetraacetic acid, methyl glycine diacetic acid, malonic acid, salicylic acid, glycine, aspartic acid, glutamic acid, dipicolinic acid or mixtures thereof. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 7, The surfactant is selected from the group consisting of anionic surfactants, nonionic surfactants, cationic surfactants, zwitterionic surfactants, cationic surfactants and mixtures thereof. The method of claim 8, Use of a surfactant is an amphoteric surfactant or mixtures thereof, preferably betaine or sulfobetaine surfactants of formula (2) or derivatives thereof, or mixtures thereof: Formula 2 Where R ₁ is an alkyl radical having 1 to 24 carbon atoms, preferably 8 to 18, more preferably 12 to 14 carbon atoms; R ₂ and R ₃ have 1 to 3 carbon atoms, preferably 1 carbon atom; n is an integer of 1 to 10, preferably 1 to 6 and more preferably 1; Y is selected from the group consisting of carboxyl and sulfonyl radicals; R ₁ , R ₂ and R ₃ radicals may have 14 to 24 carbon atoms in total and / or an amine oxide of the general formula R ₁ R ₂ R ₃ NO, wherein each of R ₁ , R ₂ and R ₃ is independently saturated and carbon 1 to 30, preferably 6 to 30, more preferably 10 to 20, and most preferably 8 to 18 substituted or unsubstituted linear or branched alkyl groups) or mixtures thereof. The method of claim 8, The surfactant is an anionic surfactant of formula Formula 1 ROSO ₃ M Where R is C ₆ -C ₂₄ hydrocarbyl, preferably alkyl or hydroxyalkyl having a C ₁₀ -C ₂₀ alkyl component, more preferably C ₁₂ -C ₁₈ alkyl or hydroxyalkyl, M is H, an alkali metal cation or ammonium or substituted ammonium, C ₉ -C ₂₀ linear alkylbenzenesulfonate, C ₈ -C ₂₂ primary or secondary alkanesulfonate, paraffin sulfonate or mixtures thereof. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 10, The composition further comprises at least another antimicrobial component selected from the group consisting of peroxygen bleach, glutaraldehyde, ethyl paraben, propyl paraben, methyl paraben and mixtures thereof.