RU2414213C2 - Anti-microbial cellulose sheet - Google Patents

Abstract

FIELD: medicine.

SUBSTANCE: invention relates to medicine. Described is cellulose sheet for paper towel, which includes anti-microbial lotion on towel, which increases time of water absorption (WAR) for further ensuring of lotion transfer onto skin.

EFFECT: increase of lotion transfer efficiency.

26 cl, 2 dwg, 4 tbl, 22 ex

Description

This non-provisional application is based on provisional application for US Patent No. 60/748499, with the same name, filed December 8, 2005. This claims priority over provisional application for US Patent No. 60/748499 and the disclosure thereof is incorporated into this application by reference.

The present invention relates to paper towels used as hand towels. The antimicrobial lotion on the towel increases the time of water absorption (WAR) to further support the transfer of the lotion to the skin and increase the transfer efficiency. Most preferably, the lotion is used as a microemulsion.

Frequent hand washing is a simple and effective way to guarantee adequate hygiene and prevent food contamination and the spread of disease. In view of the relatively high potential for unwanted pollution associated with their actions, sophisticated systems have been proposed to encourage catering and health workers to adequately clean their hands frequently.

Washing your skin, especially your hands, with antimicrobial soap can remove many viruses and bacteria from washed surfaces. The removal of viruses and bacteria is due to the surface-active properties of the soap and the mechanical action of the washing procedure. Therefore, to reduce the spread of viruses and bacteria, it is known and recommended that people wash frequently. Recent surveys, however, have shown that while almost 95% of people claim to have washed their hands after using public restrooms, actual observations show that this number does not exceed about 66%. Despite understanding, there is a tendency to urgently draw attention to the process of washing hands, which leads to inadequate hygiene. Accordingly, a number of systems and devices have been developed to encourage longer and more thorough hand washing.

Collopy in United States Patent No. 6832916 discloses a hand washing device comprising a display panel that encourages a user to wash their hands for about 15 seconds to remove germs. Gorra, United States Patent No. 5945910 discloses a method and apparatus for monitoring and reporting hand washing, which includes a sensor for a distribution signal of a cleaning agent from a dispenser and a reporting and monitoring module. Allen et al. , United States Patent No. 5781942 discloses a washing station and mode of action that controls hand washing and helps in hand washing. These systems are relatively expensive and difficult to implement, often including training and staff control. Even when such steps are taken, there is little certainty that all personnel follow the proper washing procedures.

Frequent hand washing has the disadvantage that coarse soaps and detergents can irritate the skin and damage the acidic mantle of the skin.

Lotion coated cellulose substrates are well known in the art. For example, United States Patent No. 5665426, Krzysik et al., Relates to a lotion composition that can be applied to tissue that transfers the lotion to a user's skin to reduce irritation and redness. United States Patent No. 5871763, Luu et al ., Is also directed to a lotion formulation that is applied to a skin care treatment substrate. The '763 lotion composition is melted by the heat generated by the wearer's hands from the cellulosic substrate in order to enable the transfer of the lotion to the wearer's skin. The processed substrate of another lotion is described in United States Patent No. 5525345, Warner et al . The '345 lotion composition includes a plastic or liquid emollient that is a solid or semi-solid at room temperature and an immobilized substance with a melting point above room temperature that stabilizes the lotion composition on the surface of the substrate. See also United States Application No. 10/483633 (US Publication No. 2005/0031847), where two separate and different phases, lipid and water, are applied to a substrate to facilitate skin cleansing. Further, United States Patent No. 4987632 to Rowe et al. Describes a cleaning cloth treated with a composition containing a detergent that is washed in contact with water.

Also known lotions containing antimicrobial and pH-balancing substances to protect and condition the skin. For example, United States Patent No. 6,238,682 to Klofta et al. Is directed to tissue treated with anhydrous skin lotion containing antimicrobial compounds in addition to hydrophilic solvents and surfactants. United States Patent No. 6352700, Luu et al ., Relates to a lotion treated substrate that has a skin pH that balances the compound in order to maintain the skin's acidic mantle. Other lotions containing bactericidal additives include application for United States Patent No. 10/608661 (US Publication No. 2004/0039353), which is directed to wet wipes containing, as a bactericidal additive, extract from Yucca species; United States Patent Application No. 09/851273 (US Publication No. 2002/0031486), which relates to an antimicrobial cleansing composition containing almost or completely non-volatile alcohol, which can be used alone or in combination with lotions and the like; United States Patent No. 6436885 to Biedermann et al ., Which relates to an antimicrobial cleansing composition that has a pH of from about 2 to about 5.5; United States Patent No. 6383505, Kaiser et al. , Which is directed to topical antimicrobial lotion in the form of an oil-in-water emulsion; additionally a similar subject is disclosed in United States Patent No. 6482423, Beerse and others ; United States Patent No. 6488943, Beerse et al ; United States Patent No. 6,284,259 to Beerse et al ; United States Patent No. 6258368 to Beerse, et al ; United States Patent No. 6183763, Beerse et al ; and United States Patent No. 6210695, Beerse et al. , as well.

Despite the abundance of these hygiene products, there is a need for simple and effective means that support hygiene and skin care at the same time as washing hands.

A major aspect of the invention involves applying a suitable antimicrobial lotion to the substrate in amounts that will actually increase the WAR time of the cellulosic sheet. This feature, usually undesirable in the towel product, supports the transfer of the antimicrobial lotion to the skin, as the user will wipe the towel longer by drying their hands. Lotion transfer is extremely important for both skin care and antimicrobial effectiveness, as will be appreciated by a qualified specialist in this field of technology.

In one aspect of the invention, an antimicrobial cellulose sheet for a paper towel is provided, comprising: a) cellulosic fiber; b) a lotion composition capable of being transferred to a surface, including an emollient and an antimicrobial agent, a lotion composition immobilized on cellulose fiber in solid or semi-solid form, wherein the transmitted lotion composition is selected from lotion compositions that are transmitted in contact with water or lotion compositions, which are transmitted with the participation of heat; and c) a lotion composition capable of being transferred to a surface deposited on a fiber, selected and applied in amounts in such a way that allows the cellulosic fiber to delay the absorption rate of water by at least about 25%. In preferred embodiments, the lotion composition capable of being transferred to the surface applied to the fiber is selected and used in amounts such that it allows the cellulose fiber to absorb water at a rate of at least about 50%, 75%, 100% or more. Also, the untreated lotion cellulose fiber preferably preferably has the same SAT value as the lotion treated cellulose fiber. The cellulose sheet may have SAT values of at least about 3 g / g, at least about 3.5 g / g, at least about 4 g / g, or at least about 4.5 g / g. Typically, a cellulosic sheet has a SAT value of from about 3 g / g to about 5 g / g.

The lotion-treated cellulosic sheet typically has a SAT value of at least about 40 or 50 seconds, while SAT values of from about 55 seconds to about 75 seconds are usually acceptable.

The surface transfer lotion is suitably applied to the cellulose fiber in an amount of about 3 percent by weight to about 20 percent by weight, such as in an amount of about 5 percent by weight to about 15 percent by weight or in an amount of about 8 percent by weight to about 10 percent by weight (based on the total weight of the towel and lotion). The untreated lotion cellulose fiber may have an initial weight of from about 15 g / m ² to about 65 g / m ² , such as from about 25 g / m ² to about 50 g / m ² . A starting weight of from about 30 g / m ² to about 40 g / m ² is typical, and the cellulosic fiber consists mainly of softwood fiber. The fiber may comprise at least about 65 or 70 percent by weight of softwood fiber, and typically from about 70 percent by weight of softwood fiber to about 90 percent by weight of softwood fiber. The preferred softwood fiber is Douglas fir fiber, especially for electronic (motion-oriented) dispensers. The sheet accordingly has eight sheet thicknesses from about 35 to about 90 millimeters, consists mainly of softwood fiber and is in the form of a single towel layer.

Typically, a lotion composition comprises from about 0.01% to about 10% by weight of an antimicrobial agent; preferably from about 0.05% to about 5% by weight of an antimicrobial agent. The antimicrobial agent may be selected from: 2,4,4'-trichloro-2'-hydroxydiphenyl ether (triclosan); 3,4,4'-trichlorocarbanilide (trichlorocarbane); 3,4,4'-trifluoromethyl-4,4'-dichlorocarbanilide (chlorofluorocarbane); 5-chloro-2-methyl-4-isothiazolin-3-one; iodopropinylbutylcarbamate; 8-hydroxyquinoline; 8-hydroxyquinoline citrate; 8-hydroxyquinoline sulfate; 4-chloro-3,5-xylenol (chloroxylene); 2-bromo-2-nitropropan-1,3-diol; urea diazolidinyl; butoconazole; nystatin; terconazole; nitrofurantoin; phenazopyridine; acyclovir; clotrimazole; chloroxylenol; chlorhexidine; chlorhexidine gluconate; miconazole; terconazole; butylparaben; ethyl paraben; methyl paraben; methylchloroisothiazoline; methylisothiazoline; mixtures of 1,3-bis (hydroxymethyl) -5,5-dimethylhydantoin and 3-iodo-2-propynylbutylcarbamate; oxyquinoline; EDTA; tetrasodium EDTA; benzoic acid ester and p-hydroxyl; pyridinium alkyl compounds; coconut phosphatidyl chloride PG-dimonium; chlorhexidine digluconate; chlorhexidine acetate; chlorhexidine isothiocyanate; chlorhexidine hydrochloride; benzalkonium chloride; benzethonium chloride; polyhexamethylene biguanide, zinc salts and mixtures thereof.

The fiber optionally includes a wet strength agent selected from aldehyde-containing polyhydric alcohols, containing an aldehyde cation containing starch, glyoxal, glutaraldehyde, dialdehydes, boric acid carbonate, ammonium carbonate zirconium, glyoxylated polyacrylamide, polyamyrylhydrylamide polyhydride , melamine formaldehyde, polyethyleneimine and latex emulsions.

One preferred embodiment is an antimicrobial cellulose sheet for a paper towel, comprising: a) a cellulose fiber towel; b) a lotion emulsion comprising an antimicrobial agent deposited on a fiber, a lotion emulsion comprising a polar emollient and a non-polar emollient, as well as a surfactant composition comprising a nonionic surfactant, where the lotion emulsion is predominantly liquid at room temperature , emollients and surfactant composition are selected so that the emulsion of the lotion is immobilized on the fiber in a semi-solid or solid state and and wherein further the lotion emulsion is capable of forming an aqueous gel upon contact with water; and c) a lotion emulsion applied to the fiber, selected and applied in such quantities as to ensure that the cellulosic fiber can retain the absorption rate of water by at least 25%. In connection with this class of lotion-treated sheet, the lotion emulsion typically comprises a polar emollient in an amount of about 2% to about 40% by weight of the lotion emulsion, and the lotion emulsion may include a polar multibasic emollient selected from propylene glycol, glycol, glycerol , diethylene glycol, methylene glycol, polypropylene glycol, polyethylene glycol and sorbitol. The lotion emulsion also preferably includes a non-polar emollient in an amount of from about 10% to about 40% by weight of the lotion emulsion, such a non-polar emollient may be selected from aromatic or linear chain esters, Guerbet ester, mineral oil, squalane, medical paraffin oils and mixtures thereof. Suitable non-polar emollients thus include: isopropyl myristate; C ₁₂ -C ₁₅ alkyl benzoate esters; tri-octyldodecyl citrate; mixtures of C ₁₂ -C ₁₅ alkyl benzoate esters; and clove oil. The surfactant composition may include a nonionic surfactant, including a fatty alcohol in an amount of from about 40% to about 70% by weight of the lotion emulsion. Suitable nonionic surfactants can be selected from PEG-20 methyl glucose sesquistearate, PPG-20 methyl glucose ether, PPG-20 methyl glucose ether distearate, PEG-20 methyl glucose distearate, PEG 120 methyl glucose dioate, ethoxylated methyl glucose containing about 10 to about 20 units of ethoxy groups, a mixture thereof and the like. The surfactant composition most preferably includes an auxiliary surfactant in an amount of from about 0.1% to about 20% by weight of the lotion emulsion. The auxiliary surfactant is suitably selected from C ₁₂ -C ₁₈ fatty alcohols, diphenyl alcohol, cetyl alcohol, stearyl alcohol, isoacetyl alcohol and isostearyl alcohol, myristyl alcohol and mixtures of cetyl alcohol (C ₁₆ ), and stearyl alcohol (C ₁₈ ) . As a rule, the emulsion of the lotion is predominantly anhydrous.

Another preferred embodiment is an antimicrobial cellulosic sheet, comprising: a) cellulosic fiber; b) an anhydrous microemulsion, which is predominantly liquid at room temperature, immobilized on a fiber in a semi-solid or solid state; where the anhydrous microemulsion includes an antimicrobial agent, a polar emollient, a non-polar emollient, and a surfactant composition, including a nonionic surfactant; and where further an anhydrous microemulsion is capable of forming an aqueous microemulsion upon contact with water; and c) an anhydrous microemulsion deposited on a fiber selected and applied in amounts such that it transfers the cellulosic fiber a delay in water absorption rate of at least 25%.

Still another aspect of the invention is an antimicrobial cellulose sheet for a paper towel, including: a) cellulose fiber; b) a lotion composition capable of being transferred onto a surface dispersed on a fiber including an emollient, an antimicrobial agent and a retention / separation agent such that the lotion has ΔH above about 37 ° C more than about 10 calories / gram, total heat of fusion above about 25 calories / gram and a melting point onset of at least about 30 ° C; and c) a lotion composition capable of being transferred to the surface applied to the fiber is selected and applied in amounts such that it transfers the cellulosic fiber a water absorption rate delay of at least about 25%. The lotion composition on this sheet optionally further includes a surfactant composition in an amount of from about 10% to about 15% by weight of the lotion composition. Surfactants can be selected from glucoside methyl sesquistearate, ethoxylated glucoside methyl sesquistearate containing 20 moles of oxyethylene units, a mixture of PEG-20 glucose methyl sesquistearate and glucose methyl sesquistearate or a combination thereof. Accordingly, the lotion composition includes an emollient in an amount of from about 5% to about 75% by weight of the lotion composition. The emollient may be an aromatic emollient of an ester, an emollient of an ester of a fatty alcohol and nonfat organic acid, or mixtures thereof. Typical aromatic ester emollients may be benzoic acid ester emollients selected from C ₁₂ -C ₁₅ alkyl benzoate, stearyl benzoate, octyldodecyl benzoate, isostearyl benzoate, methyl glucose-20 benzoate, benzoate stearyl ether, dioxamer 18, or dioxame 18. Suitable emollient esters of fatty alcohol and non-fatty organic acids include C ₁₂ -C ₁₅ octanoate.

The heat-sensitive lotion composition typically includes a retention / separation agent in an amount of from about 25% to about 95% by weight of the lotion composition, where the retention / separation agent may be a C ₁₂ -C ₁₈ fatty alcohol. Suitable fatty alcohols are selected from dodecanol, tridecanol, tetradecanol, pentadecanol, hexadecanol, heptadecanol, octadecanol, mixtures of cetyl alcohol and stearyl alcohol and combinations thereof.

Additional aspects of the invention will become apparent in the discussion that follows.

Brief Description of the Drawings:

Figure 1 is a partial state diagram of the composition of Example 1, showing the characteristics of anhydrous microemulsions.

Figure 2 is a partial state diagram of the composition of Example 1 with water, showing the phase behavior of a mixture of the composition of Example 1 with water.

The invention is described in detail below for purposes of illustration only. Modifications within the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims will readily be apparent to those skilled in the art. As used here, terminology and abbreviations have their usual meanings: for example, “cps” refers to centipoises; g refers to grams, mg refers to milligrams, m ² refers to square meters, etc.

The absorption of the products of the invention was measured with a simple absorption determination device. A simple device for determining absorption is a particularly useful device for measuring the hydrophobic and absorption properties of a tissue sample, napkin or towel. In this test, a sample of cloth, napkin or towel 2.0 inches in diameter is placed between the upper flat plastic coating and the lower grooved plate type. The tissue, tissue, or towel sample disc is held in place by a 1/8 inch wide flat edge. The sample is not compressed using a tripod. Deionized water at 73 ° F is supplied to the sample at the center of the bottom plate with the sample through a 1 mm pipe. This water is under hydrostatic pressure minus 5 mm. The flow is initiated by the pulse transmitted at the beginning of the measurement by the instrumental mechanism. Water is thus absorbed by a sample of fabric, napkin or towel from this central entry point radially outwardly via the capillarity property. When the rate of absorption of water decreases below 0.005 g of water in 5 seconds, the test is completed. The amount of water released from the reservoir and absorbed by the sample is weighed and reported as grams of water per square meter of sample or grams of water per gram of sheet. In practice, the Gravimetric Absorption Testing System M / K Systems Inc. was used. This is a commercial system available from M / K Systems Inc, 12 Garden Pass, Danvers, Mass., 01923. A WAC or water absorbent container, also called SAT, is actually determined by the device itself. WAC is defined as the point where a “zero” slope is formed in the weight versus time plot, that is, the sample ceases to be absorbed. The completion criteria for the test are expressed in the maximum change in the weight of water absorbed over a fixed time interval. This is the main estimate of the zero slope in the graph of the weight versus time. The program applies a change of 0.005 g over a 5-second time interval as a termination criterion; unless “Slow SAT” is indicated, in which case the termination criterion is 1 mg in 20 seconds.

The water absorption rate or WAR is measured in seconds and this is the time it takes for the sample to absorb a 0.1-gram drop of water applied to its surface using an automated syringe. Test specimens are preferably aged at 23 ° C ± 1 ° C (73.4 ± 1.8 ° F) at 50% relative humidity. For each sample, 4 3 × 3 inch test samples are prepared. Each test sample is placed in a sample rack so that a high-intensity lamp is directed toward the test sample. 0.1 ml of water is applied to the surface of the test sample and the countdown begins. When water is absorbed, as indicated by the lack of additional reflection of light from the droplet, the stopwatch is stopped and the time is noted to the nearest 0.1 second. For each sample, the procedure is repeated and the results are averaged for the sample. WAR is measured in accordance with the TAPPI method T-432 om-99.

The percent water absorption rate delay is calculated from the WAR values for the untreated lotion pulp fiber and the product of the invention treated with the lotion sheet, as follows:

Absorption rate delay =

(значение WAR необработанного лосьоном целлюлозного волокна) × 100 %.(WAR value of lotion-treated cellulose sheet - WAR value of raw-lotion-treated cellulose fiber)

(WAR value of untreated cellulose fiber lotion) × 100%.

“Aqueous gel” refers to viscous lotion / water compositions, typically having a viscosity at room temperature above about 500 cps at room temperature and typically above about 1000 cps at room temperature. Preferred lotion compositions form gels of more than 1,500 cps at room temperature, as shown in Table 2 below.

“Base Weight”, BWT, bwt, etc. expressed in grams per square meter or pounds per 3,000 square feet of product piles as indicated.

The term “cellulosic”, “cellulosic sheet” and the like is intended to include any product incorporating papermaking fiber having cellulose as its main constituent. “Fibers for papermaking” include raw pulps or recycled (secondary) cellulosic fibers or fiber blends including cellulosic fibers. Fibers suitable for making fibers of this invention include fibers, such as those obtained from deciduous and coniferous trees, including softwood fibers, such as northern and southern softwood kraft fibers; wood fibers such as eucalyptus, maple, birch, aspen, or the like, as well as non-wood cellulosic fibers. Fibers for papermaking can be freed from their starting material through any of a variety of chemical paper processing processes known to any person skilled in the art, including sulfate, sulfite, polysulfide, soda processing, etc. If desired, the pulp can be bleached by chemical methods, including the use of chlorine, chlorine dioxide, oxygen, alkaline peroxide, etc. The products of the present invention may include a mixture of conventional fibers (either originating from untreated or recycled pulp) and highly coarse lignin-rich tubular fibers, such as chemically thermomechanically bleached pulp (BCTMP). “Charge” and similar terminology refers to aqueous compositions, including fibers for papermaking, optionally resins for imparting wet strength, disintegrants and the like for the manufacture of paper products.

Preferably, the fiber in the towel products of the invention mainly consists of (more than 50% by weight fiber based on fiber content) softwood (SW) fibers, such as Douglas fir. Southern softwood kraft paper (SSWK) is also the preferred fiber. Softwood fibers give strength to the product; Southern softwoods are usually preferred for the towels of the invention; however, thin and flexible Northern softwood can be used in some fiber blends.

Percentage means the percentage of weight, unless otherwise indicated, and refers to the percentage of weight without water, unless the inclusion of the weight of water is explicitly indicated. The percentage weight of softwood fiber and similar terminology or expressions refer to the percentage of weight of softwood fiber based on the content of the fiber in the product or only the composition, excluding other ingredients.

Room temperature refers to a temperature of from about 20 ° C to about 25 ° C.

Dry tensile strengths (MD and CD), tensile strength, their relations, modulus, tensile modulus, stress and strain are measured with a standard Instron test device or other suitable elongation dynamometer, which can be formed in various ways, usually using 3- or 1- inches in width of a strip of cloth or towel under the same atmosphere of 23 ° C ± 1 ° C (73.4 ° F ± 1 ° F) at 50% relative humidity for 2 hours. The tensile test is carried out at a speed of the transverse head of the extruder 2 inches / minute. Tear modulus is expressed in inches grams / 3 inches /% strain. % strain is a dimensionless quantity and should not be determined.

Extensible relationships are simply value relationships defined by the foregoing methods. Unless otherwise specified, the tensile property is a dry sheet property.

The wet tensile strength of the fabric of the present invention was measured using a strip of fabric three inches wide, which is folded into a loop clamped in a special mount called a Finch cup, then immersed in water. The Finch cup, which is available from Thwing-Albert Instrument of Philadelphia, Pa., Is mounted in a dynamometer equipped with a 2.0 lb load cell with a Finch cup flange clamped by the lower jaw of the tester, and the ends of the fabric loop are clamped in the upper jaw of the dynamometer. The sample was immersed in water, the pH of which was adjusted to 7.0 + -0.1, and tensile strength was measured after 5 seconds of immersion time.

“Anhydrous”, “predominantly anhydrous” and similar terminology refers to compositions that include water, typically less than about 10% by weight. In cases where water is hardly present at all, water is preferably not added as such, but it is contained in other ingredients.

In some preferred embodiments of the present invention, the lotion composition is a “cold” lotion, such as those described in United States Application Serial No. 10/141442 (United States Publication No. 2003/0211124), filed May 7, 2002 and incorporated herein in its entirety. completeness by reference. “Cold” lotions refer to lotions that are predominantly liquid at room temperature and can be used as such on substrates. Due to the liquid state of “cold” lotions at room temperature, they do not require equipment for heating or melting and can be applied to substrates using several available technologies, such as spraying, printing, coating, extrusion or other techniques.

The cold lotion used in the present invention contains a microemulsion composition comprising predominantly an emollient composition and a surfactant composition. The small particle size of the microemulsion increases the surface area of its elements, thus, this contributes to the applicability of the present composition in increasing the interaction between the emollient and the skin surface; desirable property to restore the oil layer of the skin. Preferably, the microemulsion composition comprises an external continuous non-polar or polar emollient, an internal discontinuous polar or non-polar emollient, a surfactant, and a mixture of auxiliary surfactants of fatty alcohols. The lotion composition may also contain additional ingredients, including typical cosmetic additives, preservatives, herbal extracts, aromatic substances and medicines. Any suitable combination or ratio of these ingredients that produce a microemulsion can be applied.

An important aspect of this cold lotion that is used is that when the liquid lotion comes into contact with the fibers or non-woven substrate, it undergoes an in-situ phase transition from the liquid to the immobilized semi-solid or solid form. This phase transition of the lotion ends when the surface fibers absorb the continuous external phase of the microemulsion, which can also be a non-polar or polar emollient. Subsequently, the percentage of the external phase of the microemulsion within the composition decreases, leading to an increase in the percentage of the dispersed phase of the microemulsion and a shift of the original lotion composition from point A (liquid microemulsion) to point B or C (semi-solid state), which are located outside the microemulsion region ( see Fig. one). The immobilized antimicrobial lotion is restored into a transmittable form upon contact with water and is capable of forming an aqueous gel. The compositions of the present invention are preferably selected to be within the microemulsion region of the composition. All percentages, ratios and ratios of ingredients within the compositions of the present invention are determined by the microemulsion region of the triple state diagram of formulations of the polar emollient / non-polar emollient / auxiliary surfactant / nonionic surfactant (PE / NPE / COS / NIS). Outside the microemulsion region, a semi-solid or solid region is preferably present on the low percent side of polar or non-polar emollients. The microemulsion is thermodynamically stable and extremely transparent in the visible region of the spectrum, which generally indicates that the particle size diameter is preferably less than about 0.1 microns or so. When the particle size diameter is greater than about 3200 Å (about 0.32 microns), the liquid is no longer considered a microemulsion, but it is an emulsion that can often appear cloudy and be thermodynamically unstable. The micellar structure of a microemulsion can be either a “direct” type (head out / tail inward) or a “reverse” type (head in / tail out). Liquid microemulsion increases the surface area of the lipophilic element, thus, it contributes significantly to the maintenance of the present composition in pure form. Flowability on the surface of the skin, small particle size, large surface area and highly hydrophilic character are very desirable properties for cleaning purposes, either when the substrate is applied separately, or when the products treated with lotion are again wetted with water. Any combination or proportion of these ingredients that forms a microemulsion can be used.

The hot lotion composition used in connection with the present invention is selected so that its ΔH above about 37 ° C is above about 10 calories / grams, ΔH below about 37 ° C is above about 15 calories / grams, total ΔH (total energy melting point) above about 37 ° C is above about 25 calories / grams. Further, the retention / separation means is preferably selected so that it has a melting point predominantly higher than about room temperature, but lower than about 65 ° C, so that the melting onset temperature of the lotion is in the range from about 30 ° C to about 45 ° C. This allows the lotion composition to maintain a predominantly solid state at approximately room temperature and a partially molten state at human skin temperature.

It should be noted that for the purposes of this description, human skin temperature is between about 30 ° C to about 37 ° C, and room temperature is between about 20 ° C to about 25 ° C.

An important aspect of the applied hot lotion is that it partially melts due to body heat to transfer to the skin partially liquefied and partially solid emollients (a), particles of the retention / separation agent and other ingredients. Partial melting of the lotion is important because when the lotion completely melts to the liquid due to body heat, it is perceived as too greasy, and when the lotion does not melt enough due to body heat, it would not easily spread to the skin. At least a portion of the partially melted lotion re-hardens on the skin to form a smooth and moisturizing layer. Further details regarding suitable hot lotion compositions are found in United States Patent No. 5871763, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein in its entirety.

Optionally included in antimicrobial lotions are suitable antiviral agents, including those that are effective against or at least slow down the Corona virus, Picorna virus, Rhino virus, Herpes simplex, Herpes genitalis, Herpes labialis, Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV), Parainfluenza, Cytomegalovirus, Adenovirus, Condyloma virus and certain synergistic conditions of the disease, which may involve the virus and protozoa, or viral and any unfriendly enzymes, such as protease, lipase and amylase, which cause development of damaged skin melting preceding the development of a viral infection. Certain antiviral agents suitable for use in lotions include bioflavonoids such as hesperitin, isohesperidin, cathecin, and certain selected amino acids of the follicular origin, such as L-canavanin and an analog of L-arginine; dicarboxylic acids such as malonic, glutaric, citric, succinic and diglycolic acids; alpha hydroxycarboxylic acid such as D-galacturonic acid from Sterculia urens; vegetable oil from the seeds of Indian azadirachta (Azadirachta indica) in its undenatured form; Sandalwood oil (Santalum album L.) in its undenatured form. Optionally, the antiviral agent may be mixed with a protease inhibitor of at least about 50% by weight of an antiviral agent, such as zinc oxide or other suitable zinc salt.

The cold or hot lotion composition may include other additional components, typically present in this type of lotion. These additional components include a plant extract such as aloe extract, avocado oil, basil extract, sesame oil, olive oil, jojoba oil, chamomile extract, eucalyptus extract, peppermint extract, as well as liquid animal fats such as emu oil, cod liver oil, hoplostet oil, mink oil and the like.

The lotion of the present invention may also optionally include a hygroscopic substance. Hygroscopic substances are hygroscopic materials with a double action of moisturizing, including equilibrium moisture absorption and water absorption. Hygroscopic substances prevent the loss of moisture from the skin and help draw moisture from the environment. Preferred hygroscopic substances include glycerin, hydrolyzed silk, ammonium lactate, hydroxypropyltrimonium, hydrolyzed silk, hydroxypropylchitosan, hydroxypropyltrimonium hydrolyzed wheat protein, lactamidopropyltrimonium chloride and hydrolyzed silk ethyl ester. The plant extract, animal fat, or hygroscopic substance is preferably present in an amount of less than about 3% when used in a lotion base formulation. Further optional components include a skin freshener, such as encapsulated water in oil, eucalyptus oil and menthol oil. All of these additional materials are widely known in the art as additives to such formulations and can be used in an adequate amount in the lotion compositions of the present invention by those skilled in the art.

The lotion may optionally include an aromatic substance. This aromatic substance may be present in an amount of from 0.01% to about 2%. Suitable aromatic substances include volatile aromatic esters, non-aromatic esters, aromatic aldehydes, non-aromatic aldehydes, aromatic alcohols, non-aromatic alcohols, heterocyclic chemical aromatic substances and natural floral aromatic substances such as flowering, cloves, gardenia, geranium, iris, hawthorn and hyacinth .

The lotion may optionally include a natural or synthetic powder, such as talc, mica, boron nitride, organosilicon material, or mixtures thereof.

The towel fiber of the present invention can be any suitable cellulosic fiber, which optionally becomes more durable when wet, and which optionally includes a synthetic fiber material, such as meltblown polyethylene, polypropylene, polyethylene copolymers. The substrate may also be embossed.

The wet strength agent that can be added includes both temporary and permanent wet strength agents. Suitable wet strength agents include glyoxal; glutaraldehyde; uncharged chemical moieties selected from the group consisting of dialdehydes, aldehyde-containing polyhydric alcohols, uncharged aldehyde-containing polymers, and cycloureas and mixtures thereof, and an aldehyde-containing cation-containing starch; mixtures of polyvinyl alcohol and salts of multivalent anions such as boric acid or ammonium carbonate zirconium; glyoxylated polyacrylamide; polyamide epichlorohydrin; polyamine epichlorohydrin; urea formaldehyde; melamine formaldehyde; polyethyleneimine; and latex emulsions.

The present invention includes cellulose fibers treated with the lotion of the present invention on at least one side thereof, preferably in an amount of from about 0.1% to about 25%, more preferably from about 0.5% to about 20%, by weight of the dried fiber with antimicrobial lotion.

The cellulosic substrate can be prepared according to generally accepted techniques (including TAD, CWP and variants thereof) known to those skilled in the art. A preferred towel fiber is a fabric-creped towel fiber, as used in Example 18. The lotion can be applied to a substrate according to conventional application methods known to those skilled in the art.

Examples 1-7

Anhydrous lotion formulations were prepared in which the components, their ratios and conditions were selected in order to provide a microemulsion subject to an in-situ phase transition upon contact with the cellulosic substrate, varied as shown in the following Examples.

In the preparation of each subsequent composition, the general procedure was applied. The polar propylene glycol phase was mixed with the surfactant and auxiliary surfactant in a hot container at about 60 ° C to about 70 ° C until the chemicals completely melted. The non-polar oil phase was added to the mixture with moderate stirring for approximately 10 minutes, then cooled to room temperature. At this point, the lotion was a clear liquid form and ready for application to the substrate. A microemulsion formed spontaneously without the need for a high mechanical shear device was infinitely stable.

Examples 1-7 were prepared in accordance with the application for United States Patent No. 10/141442, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. These lotion formulations were liquid at room temperature, transparent, very stable, and accordingly the ratios of the lotion ingredient were in the microemulsion region of the state diagrams, such as in FIG. 1, which is a partial state diagram of the composition of Example 1. Surprisingly, the lotion of the present invention is characterized as having a good sensation on the arm and a non-formal sensation on the arm that is thought to be due to the particle size of the microemulsion being too small to be detected in the oil th phase by the fingertips.

Table I Ingredients Project 1
(%) Etc. 2
(%) Etc. 3
(%) Etc. four
(%) Etc. 5
(%) Etc. 6
(%) Etc. 7
(%) Propylene glycol 35 35 5 fifteen fifteen thirty 35 Finsolv TN ⁽¹⁾ 12.5 0 16 0 thirty fifteen 0 Clove oil ⁽²⁾ 0 0 0 0 0 0 12.5 Isopropyl myristate 0 fifteen 0 thirty 0 0 0 Lambert CE 2000 ⁽³⁾ 0 0 four 0 0 0 0 Myristyl alcohol (C ₁₄ ) 12.5 fifteen 0 0 0 0 12.5 Kalcol 1618 ⁽⁴⁾ 0 0 7.5 0 5.5 5.5 0 Gluck P-20 Distearate ⁽⁵⁾ 0 0 67.5 0 49.5 49.5 0 Gyukamat SSE-20 ⁽⁶⁾ 40 35 0 55 0 0 40 ⁽¹⁾ Finsolv TN: C ₁₂ -C ₁₅ alkyl benzoate ester from Finetex Inc.
⁽²⁾ Clove: Mineral oil from Witco Corporation.
⁽³⁾ Lambert CT 2000 - trioctyldodecyl citrate (Guerbet ester) from Lambert Technologies.
⁽⁴⁾ Kalcol 1618: A mixture of 50/50 cetyl alcohol (C16) and stearyl alcohol (C18) from Kao Corporation.
⁽⁵⁾ Glucam P-20 Distearate: PEG-20 methyl glucose distearate from Amer-chol.
⁽⁶⁾ Glucamate SSE-20: PEG-20 methyl glucose sesquistearate from Amer-chol.

Example 8

The lotion prepared in Example 1 was applied to the main fabric layer at a 5% weight gain, then was converted into a two-layer tissue product. The product was tested for the amount of lotion transferred to the skin. The results were compared with commercially available lotion-treated tissues by comparing the light reflection of the residual cold lotion on glass with the other two products. Light scattering caused by smearing the lotion on a microscope slide was measured using a UV visible spectrophotometer in the wavelength range from 700 nm to 400 nm. The lotion was transferred onto the slide by keeping it between two layers of tissue treated with the lotion for 30 seconds and then wiping the tissue along the slide 20 times for 15 seconds. A glass slide with a smear of lotion was placed under the beam for a sample of a two-beam UV visible spectrophotometer for measuring light scattering. The results show that the light scattering caused by the smear of the lotion on the slide wiped with the tissue treated with the lotion in Example 1 seemed identical to the control (untreated tissue). However, the two tested commercially available lotion-treated face scarf products tested produced a significant amount of light scattering compared to the lotion-treated fabric of the present invention. In fact, the containers for these commercial products specifically state ones are “not recommended for cleaning eyepieces”. In addition, from the result of a laboratory test, the amount of lotion was transferred by means of a lotion-treated substrate of the present invention to the skin was measured to be approximately 4.2 mg / cm ² .

The lotion-treated substrate product of the present invention was able to transmit the lotion to the skin to enhance the beneficial effects of skin care, while also being able to “wipe off the lenses of the glasses and still provide a clear visual perception”. These properties of the present invention present significant advantages over prior art treated lotions.

Anhydrous emulsion compositions according to the present invention have numerous properties that make them particularly suitable for paper towels. As one of them, anhydrous microemulsions form low-viscosity aqueous microemulsions with a relatively small amount of water, so that the immobilized lotion on the substrate is restored to an easily transmitted form when wetted or mixed with water. Thus, when paper towels come into contact with the user's wet hands, for example, the lotion is readily transferred from the towel to the skin of the user's hands.

Another unique feature of the invention is that the emulsion of the lotion is capable of forming adhesive gels with water, since the amount of water mixed with the lotion is increased. Gels are generally more sticky than liquids, thus being more desirable as hand lotions.

Details regarding these features are presented in Examples 9-16 below.

Examples 9-16

The composition of Example 1 was mixed with water and tested for viscosity using a Brookfield Digital Viscometer at 73 ° F. Examples 9, 10, 11 and 16 were tested with spindle No. 2, while Examples 12, 13, 14 and 15 were tested with spindle No. 5. Details of the composition and test conditions are presented in Table 2 below.

table 2
Properties of water phases Example No. /
Description Spindle No. Speed (RPM) Viscosity (cps) Appearance and properties 9/100% Lotion Example 1 2 fifty 182 Clear liquid 10/95% Lotion Example 1 + 5% Water 2 fifty 218 Clear liquid 11/90% Lotion Example 1 + 10% Water 2 fifty 348 Clear liquid 12/85% Lotion Example 1 + 15% Water 5 10 4600 Viscous gel 13/80% Lotion Example 1 + 20% Water 5 10 22000 (2) Elastic gel 14/70% Lotion Example 1 + 30% Water 5 10 13000 (2 & 3) Crystal gel 15/50% Lotion Example 1 + 50% Water 5 10 3500 Viscous cloudy gel 16/20% Lotion Example 1 + 80% Water 2 fifty 140 Cloudy emulsion

Table 2 shows that the aqueous / emulsion mixtures remained microemulsion to an aqueous concentration between 10% and 15% by weight of the composition (Examples 9-12). At 15% water, the emulsion of the lotion turned into a viscous gel, which became even more viscous with the addition of water additionally. At 20% water, the composition became an elastic gel with a viscosity of 22,000 cps, making it difficult to measure viscosity. At 30% water (Example 14), the gel showed some turbidity and seemed to acquire a crystalline structure that seemed almost labile. Due to the difficulty of measuring viscosity as well as the elastic and sticky properties of the elastic gel of Example 13, the actual difference in viscosity between Examples 13, 14 may be less than what is shown in Table 2.

At 50% by weight of water, the viscosity sharply decreased, and the composition seemed to be a viscous, cloudy gel, which was somewhat translucent. While the viscosity of Examples 12 and 15 was similar, the composition of Example 14 was significantly more cloudy. In 80% water, the viscosity was again low; however, the composition was no longer transparent and seemed to be an emulsion that was somewhat cloudy.

The phase behavior of the mixtures of Table 2 is illustrated in the partial state diagram of Figure 2, which shows that Examples 9, 10 and 11 are within the microemulsion region of the state diagram. Examples 12, 13, 14 and 15 are in “semi-solid” form, while Example 16 is a two-phase liquid.

Example 17 and Comparative Example A

Still further features of the invention that are highly desirable include a WAR delay, which helps transfer the lotion to the skin and the antimicrobial effect of the paper towel. These features are appreciated by forming the discussion that follows.

The base layer of the towel was prepared using 100% Douglas Fir Kraft fiber using crepe fabric / Yankee dry class process disclosed in co-pending provisional application No. 11/451111 entitled “Crepe Fabric Sheet for Dispensers” filed June 12, 2006 (Attorney Label No. 20079; GP-05-10), the corresponding disclosure of which is incorporated herein in its entirety by reference. The lotion was applied to the base layer through 1 "strips along the machine direction (alternating with 1" strips of untreated towel lotion) using the Dynatec ™ class applicator noted in United States Patents No. 5,404,298; 5902540 and 5882573, the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference. The composition of Example 1 lotion was applied, containing an additional 2% by weight lotion of a triclosan antimicrobial compound, 2,4,4'-trichloro-2'-hydroxydiphenyl ether. Additional details are presented in Table 3 below.

The towel was treated for antimicrobial properties by placing the wetted towel sample disc in a Petri dish on grafted agar. Antimicrobial properties are marked as “negative” if microbial contamination is observed on or in the towel after incubation and “positive” if a “ring” is observed around the control sample, indicating that microbial growth was inhibited by the towel.

The results of antimicrobial testing are also presented in Table 3.

Table 3
Antimicrobial and towel properties Example A Example 17 Properties No lotion Processed by lotion Antimicrobial properties: Staphylococcus aureus negative positive E.coli negative positive Salmonella sps negative positive Physical properties: Rate of addition (% of product weight) 0% 8 to 10% Base Weight (lbs / rm) 22.2 23.5 Caliper (mils / 8 sheets) 46.0 46.1 Dry MD Extensibility (g / 3 ") 6531.2 5528.9 Dry CD extensibility (g / 3 ") 3912.0 3435.1 MD Strain (%) 7.4 7.7 CD Stretch (%) 3.3 3,7 Wet Tear Resistance MD (g / 3 ") (Finch) 1976.1 2040.1 Tear resistance wet CD (g / 3 ") (Finch) 1041.0 1122.1 WAR (seconds) (TAPPI) 34.3 67.6 MacBeth 3100 Brightness (%)
UV excluded 77.5 75,5 Opacity (%) 60,2 56.6 SAT Capacity (g / m ^ 2) 125.1 123.0 SAT Time (seconds) 643.7 823.6 GM Kink Ratio 1025,2 829.0

As shown in Table 3, the antimicrobial lotion was effective against Staphylococcus aureous, E. coli, and Salmonella sps.

It was also shown that the absorbent capacity (SAT) of the control and lotion-treated towels remained predominantly the same, WAR times or absorption rates were significantly lengthened, possibly due to gel blockage; which is consistent with the data in Table 2 above. Higher WAR times are generally undesirable; however, the adhesive gel feeling and initial “moisture” felt by the towel user are a positive result, offsetting the lower measured absorption rates and encouraging a more wiping effect, thus the antimicrobial lotion is more effective in preventing or improving contamination. Obvious gel blockage also increased wet CD's tear resistance, a common source of towel failure.

Examples 18-22

The lotion compositions in the following examples include a base lotion with and without a pH balancer. Suitable pH balancing agents include glycolic acid, alpha acetyl glycolic acid, lactic acid, tartaric acid, alpha acetyl lactic acid, alpha hydroxybutyric acid, salicylic acid, mandelic acid, orthoacetylmindic acid, benzoic acid, orthoacetic acid, orthoacetic acid, orthoacetic acid , gluconic acid, pyruvic acid, sorbic acid, and combinations thereof. Examples 18 and 19 are comparative and do not contain pH-balancing substances, and Examples 20-22 relate to lotion compositions combined with a pH-balancing substance. Additional details are shown in United States Patent No. 6352700, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein in its entirety.

The lotions in Examples 20-22 were prepared according to the following procedure: the ingredients of the base lotion, i.e. emollient (s), release and retention agent and surfactants were mixed together and heated to 75 ° C while the mixture was not completely melted. Note the components of the lotion composition in Table 4. The mixture of the lotion composition was maintained at 75 ° C for approximately 15 minutes with moderate stirring. Then a pH-balancing substance was added using vigorous stirring until the compound was completely melted and mixed. The pH value for each lotion was determined by emulsifying 0.276 g of solid lotion (equivalent to the amount of lotion contained in 5 sheets of 15% lotion-treated tissue) in 20 ml of tap water (pH = 8.65) at 23 ° C. The emulsion was shaken for 5 minutes before measuring the pH using a standard calibrated pH meter.

Table 4
pH balanced lotions Chemical compounds Example 18
(%) Example 19
(%) Example 20
(%) Example 21
(%) Example 22
(%) Finsolv
TN-C12-C15 alkyl benzoate thirty 35 35 thirty thirty Crodacol CS 50 (Cetearyl alcohol) 57 65 63 56 55 Glucate SS (methyl glucose sesquistearate) 3 0 0 3 3 Glucamate SSE-20 (PEG-methylglucose sesquistearate) 10 0 0 10 10 Glycolic acid 0 0 2 one 0 Lactic acid 0 0 0 0 2 pH 7.8 7.2 4.6 4.9 5.3

While the invention has been described in connection with numerous examples, modifications of those examples within the spirit and scope of the invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art. In view of the foregoing discussion, relevant knowledge in the field of technology and references, including the concurrently reviewed applications disclosed above, the relevant disclosures of which are all incorporated herein by reference, further description is deemed unnecessary.

Claims (26)

1. Antimicrobial cellulose sheet for a paper towel, including:
a) cellulose fiber;
b) a lotion composition capable of surface transfer comprising an emollient and an antimicrobial agent, the lotion composition is immobilized on cellulose fiber in solid or semi-solid form,
where the composition of the lotion capable of being transferred to the surface is transferred in contact with water and includes a polar emollient and a non-polar emollient, as well as a surfactant, where the microemulsion of the lotion is essentially liquid at room temperature, emollients and surface the active substances are selected so that the emulsion of the lotion is immobilized on the fiber in a semi-solid or solid state, and where further the emulsion of the lotion is capable of forming an aqueous gel in contact with water;
where a lotion composition capable of being transferred onto a surface deposited on a fiber is selected and used in amounts such that the cellulosic fiber can retain the absorption rate of water by at least about 25%. 2. The antimicrobial cellulosic sheet according to claim 1, where the lotion is a microemulsion, which is essentially an anhydrous microemulsion. 3. The antimicrobial cellulose sheet according to claim 1, where the lotion is a microemulsion in which:
i) the polar emollient includes a polar polybasic emollient selected from propylene glycol, glycol, glycerol, sorbitol, diethylene glycol, methylene glycol, polypropylene glycol and polyethylene glycol; and
ii) the non-polar emollient is selected from linear chain aromatic or esters, Guerbet ester, mineral oil, squalane, squalene and liquid paraffin. 4. The antimicrobial cellulose sheet according to any one of claims 1 and 2 or 3, wherein the lotion is a microemulsion, which consists mainly of a softening agent and a nonionic surfactant selected from PEG-20 glucose methyl sesquistearate, PPG-20 glucose methyl ester , PPG-20 methyl glucose ether distearate, PEG-20 methyl glucose distearate, PEG-120 methyl glucose dioleate and ethoxylated methyl glucose containing from about 10 to about 20 units of ethoxy groups. 5. The antimicrobial cellulosic sheet according to any one of claims 1 and 2 or 3, wherein the lotion is a microemulsion in which the surfactant comprises an auxiliary active substance, which is a fatty alcohol selected from C ₁₂ -C ₁₈ fatty alcohols, biphenyl alcohol, cetyl alcohol, stearyl alcohol, isoacetyl alcohol and isostearyl alcohol. 6. The antimicrobial cellulosic sheet according to any one of claims 1 and 2 or 3, wherein the surface-transferring lotion composition applied to the fiber is selected and applied in amounts such that it provides the cellulosic fiber with the ability to delay the absorption rate of water at least approximately 75%. 7. The antimicrobial cellulosic sheet according to any one of claims 1 and 2 or 3, wherein the cellulosic sheet has a SAT value of at least about 3.5 g / g. 8. The antimicrobial cellulosic sheet according to any one of claims 1 and 2 or 3, wherein the cellulosic sheet has a SAT value of from about 3 g / g to about 5 g / g. 9. The antimicrobial cellulosic sheet according to any one of claims 1 and 2 or 3, wherein the cellulosic sheet has a WAR value of at least about 50 seconds. 10. The antimicrobial cellulosic sheet according to any one of claims 1 and 2 or 3, wherein the cellulosic sheet has a WAR value of from about 55 seconds to about 75 seconds. 11. The antimicrobial cellulosic sheet according to any one of claims 1 and 2 or 3, wherein the surface transfer lotion is applied to the cellulosic fiber in an amount of about 3 percent to about 20 percent by weight. 12. The antimicrobial cellulose sheet according to any one of claims 1 and 2 or 3, wherein the untreated lotion cellulose fiber has a base weight of from about 25 g / m ² to about 50 g / m ² . 13. The antimicrobial cellulose sheet according to any one of claims 1 and 2 or 3, wherein the lotion composition comprises from about 0.01% to about 10% by weight of the antimicrobial substance. 14. The antimicrobial cellulose sheet according to any one of claims 1 and 2 or 3, wherein the lotion composition comprises from about 0.05% to about 5% by weight of the antimicrobial substance. 15. The antimicrobial cellulose sheet according to any one of claims 1 and 2 or 3, comprising an antimicrobial agent selected from: 2,4,4′-trichloro-2′-hydroxydiphenyl ether; 3,4,4′-trichlorocarbonylanilide; 3,4,4′-trifluoromethyl-4,4′-dichlorocarbonylidene; 5-chloro-2-methyl-4-isothiazolin-3-one; iodopropinylbutylcarbamate; 8-hydroxyquinoline; 8-hydroxyquinoline citrate; 8-hydroxyquinoline sulfate; 4-chloro-3,5-xylene; 2-bromo-2-nitropropan-1,3-diol; diazolidinyl urea; butoconazole; nystatin; terconazole; nitrofurantoin; phenazopyridine; acyclovir; clotrimazole; chloroxylenol; chlorhexidine; chlorhexidine gluconate; miconazole; terconazole; butylparaben; ethyl paraben; methyl paraben; methylchloroisothiazoline; methylisothiazoline; mixtures of 1,3-bis (hydroxymethyl) -5,5-dimethylhydantoin and 3-iodo-2-propynylbutylcarbamate; hydroxyquinoline, EDTA, tetrasodium EDTA; benzoic acid p-hydroxyl ester; alkyl pyridinium compounds; coconut phosphatidyl PG-dimonium chloride; chlorhexidine digluconate; chlorhexidine acetate; chlorhexidine isethionate; chlorhexidine hydrochloride; benzalkonium chloride; benzethonium chloride; polyhexamethylene biguanide and mixtures thereof. 16. The antimicrobial cellulose sheet to any one of claims 1 and 2 or 3, wherein the antimicrobial substance is 2,4,4′-trichloro-2′-hydroxydiphenyl ether. 17. The antimicrobial cellulose sheet according to any one of claims 1 and 2 or 3, wherein the antimicrobial substance contains benzalkonium chloride. 18. The antimicrobial cellulosic sheet according to any one of claims 1 and 2 or 3, where the antimicrobial substance contains a zinc salt. 19. The antimicrobial cellulosic sheet according to any one of claims 1 and 2 or 3, where the fiber includes a substance to give strength in the wet state. 20. The antimicrobial cellulose sheet according to any one of claims 1 and 2 or 3, wherein the wet strength agent is selected from aldehyde-containing polyhydric alcohols containing aldehyde cationic starch, glyoxal, glutaraldehyde, dialdehydes, boric acid carbonate, ammonium carbonate glyoxylated polyacrylamide, epichlorohydrin polyamide, epichlorohydrin polyamine, urea formaldehyde, melamine formaldehyde, polyethyleneimine and latex emulsions. 21. The antimicrobial cellulosic sheet according to any one of claims 1 and 2 or 3, wherein the lotion is a microemulsion that comprises a polar emollient in an amount of from about 2% to about 40% by weight of the emulsion of the lotion. 22. The antimicrobial cellulosic sheet according to any one of claims 1 and 2 or 3, wherein the lotion is a microemulsion that includes a non-polar emollient in an amount of from about 10% to about 40% by weight of the emulsion of the lotion. 23. The antimicrobial cellulosic sheet according to any one of claims 1 and 2 or 3, wherein the lotion is a microemulsion in which the surfactant comprises a nonionic surfactant comprising fatty alcohol in an amount of from about 40% to about 70% by weight emulsion lotion. 24. The antimicrobial cellulose sheet according to any one of claims 1 and 2 or 3, wherein the lotion is a microemulsion in which the surfactant comprises a nonionic surfactant selected from PEG-20 methyl glucose sesquistearate, PPG-20 methyl glucose ester, PPG-20 methyl glucose ether distearate, PEG-20 methyl glucose distearate, PEG-120 methyl glucose dioleate, ethoxylated methyl glucose containing from about 10 to about 20 units of ethoxy groups. 25. The antimicrobial cellulose sheet according to any one of claims 1 and 2 or 3, wherein the lotion is a microemulsion in which the surfactant comprises an auxiliary surfactant selected from C ₁₂ -C ₁₈ fatty alcohols, biphenyl alcohol, cetyl alcohol , stearyl alcohol, isoacetyl alcohol and isostearyl alcohol in an amount of from about 0.1% to about 20% by weight of the emulsion lotion. 26. The antimicrobial cellulose sheet according to any one of claims 1 and 2 or 3, wherein the auxiliary surfactant is a mixture of cetyl alcohol (C ₁₆ ) and stearyl alcohol (C ₁₈ ).

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