WO2009105046A2

WO2009105046A2 - Eco friendly disinfectant

Info

Publication number: WO2009105046A2
Application number: PCT/SK2009/050003
Authority: WO
Inventors: Lubomir VOZÁR; Vladimir Vinogradov; Alexey Gaas; Svetlana Vinogradova
Original assignee: Vozar Lubomir; Vladimir Vinogradov; Alexey Gaas; Svetlana Vinogradova
Priority date: 2008-02-20
Filing date: 2009-02-19
Publication date: 2009-08-27
Also published as: WO2009105046A3; SK50172008A3

Abstract

Eco friendly disinfectantis a product of the electrophysical decomposition of the sodium chloride water solution and in the mass it contains 0.01 to 0.1 % of the active chlorine, 0.0001 to 0.0003 % chlorine dioxide, 0.1 to 0.2 % sodium chloride and the rest is water, its oxidation-reduction potential is between 600 and 1200 mVand the pH value is between 2 and 11. Source of the active chlorine is hypochlorous acid, sodium hypochlorite or molecular chlorine either individually or in the compounds.This disinfectant can contain trace amounts of oxidizing agents such as hydrogen peroxide, ozone, oxygen.

Description

Environmentally friendly disinfectant

Technology field

This invention concerns environmentally friendly disinfectant with a wide range of possible applications.

Current status of the technology

Currently known disinfectants are produced by chemical process and besides high level of active chlorine they also usually contain other toxic chemical compounds such as sodium hydroxide, ethanol, isopropanol, ammonium chloride, dichloroisocyanurate and the like; they are either highly alkaline (pH value higher than 10) or highly acidic (pH value between 2 and 6). When working with such substances it is necessary to use personal protective devices. Their vapors are harmful to health, leakage of larger amounts of these disinfectants causes water and soil contamination; they are harmful to the environment. They usually contain 1 to 5 % of the active chlorine in the mass in the form of molecular chlorine, hypochlorous acid, hypochlorite ions or chloramines, which are highly aggressive and harmful to health.

Water-soluble tablets, containing active chlorine, are also used for the purposes of disinfection.

There were attempts to produce disinfectants with lower content of harmful substances utilizing a more environmentally friendly method, which is electrolysis of the sodium chloride solution. Disinfectants produced in such way contain compound of chlorine based oxidizing agents, however they are very unstable, cannot be stored and therefore may only be used immediately in the place of their production.

The task of this invention is to produce highly effective disinfectant, which would be eco- friendly, sufficiently stable with a wide range of use.

Basis of the invention

Disinfectant proceeding from the presented invention fully meets the above mentioned criteria. The invention is based on the fact that this is product of the electrophysical decomposition of the sodium chloride water solution and in the mass it contains 0.01 to 0.1 % of the active chlorine, 0.0001 to 0.0003 % chlorine dioxide, 0.1 to 0.2 % sodium chloride and the rest is water, its oxidation-reduction potential is between 600 and 1200 mV and the pH value is between 2 and 11.

Active chlorine in such disinfectant is contained either in the form of molecular chlorine, hypochlorous acid or sodium hypochlorite or in the form of their mutual compounds. Molecular chlorine is more common in the acid medium, hypochlorous acid prevails when the pH value is between 5 and 7.49, while at the pH value of 7.5 the mass concentration ratio of the hypochlorous acid and sodium hypochlorite is 1 :1. Sodium hypochlorite is predominant with the pH values higher than 7.5.

Disinfectant proceeding from the presented invention can also contain other oxidizing agents such as hydrogen peroxide, ozone, oxygen, which depends on the quality and mineral composition of the input water used for the preparation of disinfectant solution and sodium chloride solution. Saturated solution of the sodium chloride is used in order to attain optimal conditions for the production of this disinfectant.

Principle of the production of this disinfectant is based on the process during which saturated solution of the sodium chloride gets into a reactor with cathodic and anodic chamber that are from each other separated by ion-permeable membrane. This solution is exposed to the action of electric current of 7 to 20 A with voltage between 25 and 45 V in the duration of 30 minutes. After that the disinfectant retained in the anodic chamber is drawn out and the waste product retained in the cathodic chamber is subsequently recycled or is drained into effluent stream.

This production technology represents a new special system of disinfectants production utilizing only water and sodium chloride. It is a technology of the multi-layer transformation, based on an electro-chemical-physical activation of the sodium chloride solution. Basic principle lies in decomposition of saturated solution of sodium chloride into disinfectant and waste product in the reactor with two chambers utilizing electro-physical-chemical method. Disinfectant containing highly effective oxidizing agents - active chlorine, chlorine dioxide, possibly molecular oxygen, ozone, hydrogen peroxide - is trapped in the anodic chamber of the reactor.

Waste substances trapped in the cathodic chamber can be recycled and returned into the system.

Amount and specifications of produced disinfectant within certain time depend on the size and type of used chambers and membranes.

Except for water and sodium chloride', no other chemicals are used in the production of this disinfectant. This fact significantly simplifies safety at work with such disinfectant, operating personnel does not work with hazardous materials, does not need any protective equipment and their health is not endangered. This technology is not energy intensive, for example to produce 40 liters of disinfectant only 0.024 kWh of electrical energy is used, consumption of the base raw materials, which are water and sodium chloride, is low. This disinfectant has minimal corrosive effect after application on technological equipment, soil contamination in the case of leakage is impossible.

Disinfectant produced in such a way in comparison with currently known disinfectants contains 100 times less of active chlorine (only from 0.01 to 0,1 % of the mass) and other possible oxidizing agents, such as hydrogen peroxide, ozone, molecular oxygen are present only in trace amounts. This disinfectant is not harmful to health; its shelf life is at least 6 months. It can be stored at room temperature.

The tests results of the disinfection efficiency showed that this disinfectant proceeding from the presented invention with the concentration 1:1 has bactericidal effect on gram-negative and gram-positive bacteria after 10 minute exposure, it has fungicidal effect on vegetative forms of fungus with the concentration 1 : 1 after 10 minute exposure and sporicidal effect on spores with the concentration 1 :1 already after 30 minute exposure. Disinfectant has antiviral effect already after 10 minutes of action of the solution diluted in the ratio 1 :1.

Disinfectant proceeding from this invention has been tested for acute oral toxicity, dermal toxicity, skin excitability and eye irritability. The tests proved that it is nontoxic; from the hygienic- toxicological aspect it is not harmful. It does irritate neither skin, nor conjunctival eye mucosa.

Disinfectant proceeding from the presented invention is eco-friendly, harmless and suitable to be used in a wide range of applications.

Overview of the pictures in the drawings

The invention will be described in more detail on examples with the reference to the enclosed pictures, where picture No.1 depicts the principle of decomposition of sodium chloride water solution in the reactor with cathodic and anodic chamber separated from each other by ion-permeable membrane, picture No.2 depicts relation of mass fractions in (%) HOCl and CLO^" to the pH value

Examples of implementation

Example No.1

Production of disinfectant containing 100 mg/1 of active chlorine.

30 liters of input water together with saturated solution of sodium chloride, comprising approximately 10% of the water volume, is brought to the reactor, which is depicted in the enclosed picture No.l, with two chambers, cathodic chamber 1.1 and anodic chamber 1.2, separated from each other by ion -permeable membrane 2. This solution is for 30 minutes exposed to electric current of 7 - A -

A and voltage 25 V. Only ions pass through the membrane 2 and as a result, electro-physical- chemical decomposition and fragmentation of saline solution occur and effective disinfectant is produced. Disinfectant is trapped in the anodic chamber 1.2 and is subsequently drawn out. Waste product trapped in the cathodic chamber 1.1 gets later recycled. If necessary, it can be drained into the effluent stream. The pH value of the resulting product - disinfectant was 7, oxidation-reduction potential 750 mV.

Example No.2

Production of disinfectant containing 300 mg/1 of active chlorine.

Procedure was the same as in the example No. 1 with the only difference that the electrical current that was applied to the sodium chloride solution was 9.5 A and voltage 28 V.

The pH value of the resulting product - disinfectant was 7, oxidation-reduction potential 800 mV.

Example No.3

Production of disinfectant containing 500 mg/1 of active chlorine.

Procedure was the same as in the example No. 1 with the only difference that the electrical current that was applied to the sodium chloride solution was 12.5 A and voltage 35 V.

The pH value of the resulting product - disinfectant was 7, oxidation-reduction potential 900 mV.

Example No.4

Production of disinfectant containing 700 mg/1 of active chlorine.

Procedure was the same as in the example No. 1 with the only difference that the electrical current that was applied to the sodium chloride solution was 15 A and voltage 39 V.

The pH value of the resulting product - disinfectant was 7, oxidation-reduction potential 950 mV.

Example No.5

Production of disinfectant containing 1000 mg/1 of active chlorine.

Procedure was the same as in the example No. 1 with the only difference that the electrical current that was applied to the sodium chloride solution was 20 A and voltage 45 V.

The pH value of the resulting product - disinfectant was 7, oxidation-reduction potential 1200 mV. Example No.6

Production of disinfectant containing 500 mg/1 of active chlorine.

The pH value of the resulting product - disinfectant was 4, oxidation-reduction potential 900 mV.

The stated values of electric current and voltage are applicable for the specific reactors and may differ for other types of reactors.

Content of the active chlorine in this disinfectant proceeding from the presented invention was detected using a standard method and was only between 0.01 and 0.1 % of the mass, related to the total mass of the disinfectant. Active chlorine is contained either in the form of molecular chlorine, hypochlorous acid or sodium hypochlorite or in the form of their mutual compounds. From the distribution system diagram HOCl and ClO,^" according to the picture No.2, it implies that molecular chlorine is more common in the acid medium, hypochlorous acid prevails when the pH value is between 5 and 7.49, while at the pH value of 7.5 the mass concentration ratio of the hypochlorous acid and hypochlorite ion i.e. sodium hypochlorite is 1 :1. Sodium hypochlorite is predominant with the pH values higher than 7.5.

Depending on the quality and mineral composition of the input water, this disinfectant proceeding from the presented invention can also contain trace amounts of oxidizing agents such as hydrogen peroxide, ozone, molecular oxygen.

Disinfective effect of this disinfectant proceeding from the presented invention was determined according to the Slovak technical standards. Bactericidal activity was determined according to the standard STN EN 1276 on tribes Pseudomonas aeruginosa 168/79 and Staphylococcus aureus 43/60, fungicidal activity was determined according to the standard STN EN 1275 on tribe Candida albicans NCTC 46/94 and sporicidal activity was tested on the tribe Bacillus subtilis CNCTC 4/42. The tests results showed that this disinfectant with the concentration 1 :1 has bactericidal effect on gram-negative and gram-positive bacteria already after 10 minute exposure; it has fungicidal effect on vegetative forms of fungus already after 10 minute exposure and sporicidal effect on spores already after 30 minute exposure.

Virus-inactivation effect of this disinfectant was determined by the inactivation method by means of the DNA bacteriophage ΦX174, whose host tribe is Escherichia coli ATCC 13706. The test method is based on the original procedure described in the work by Bydzovska O. Kneiflova J. 1983: Assessment of viral disinfection by means of bacteriophage ΦX174. J. Epid. Hyg. Mikrob. Imunnol. 37, 60-66.

The tests showed that this disinfectant has virus -inactivation effect after 10 minutes of action of the solution diluted in the ratio 1 :1. Enclosed table shows the overview of the disinfective effect of this disinfectant proceeding from the presented invention.

Overview of the disinfective effect of the disinfectant

Disinfectant proceeding from the presented invention was also tested for acute oral toxicity, dermal toxicity, skin excitability and eye irritability. The methods used for the tests were Bltris, B3, B4, B5 (TG 423,402,404,405 OECD) Guideline for Trstiny of Chemicals. The tests were performed in accordance with the criteria of the correct laboratory practice guidelines and Directive 2004/EC of European Parliament and the Council of 1 1 February 2004.

On the bases of the results of acute oral and dermal toxicity and according to the dangerous substances classification EEC issued by the Commission of the European Communities, this disinfectant is considered harmless, it does not irritate skin after multiple applications and does not irritate conjunctival eye mucosa after single application.

Industrial application

Disinfectant proceeding from the presented invention can be used in the wide range of applications in all fields where disinfection is required, such as disinfection of materials, environment, tools, etc. It can be used for disinfection in the households, in the hospitals, spas, for the disinfection of potable water, disinfection of pools, in the livestock and vegetable production, in the food industry.

Claims

PATENT CLAIMS

1. Eco friendly disinfectant with the outstanding feature that it is a product of the electrophysical decomposition of the sodium chloride water solution and in the mass it contains 0.01 to 0.1 % of the active chlorine, 0.0001 to 0.0003 % chlorine dioxide, 0.1 to 0.2 % sodium chloride and the rest is water, its oxidation-reduction potential is between 600 and 1200 mV and the pH value is between 2 and 11.

2. Eco friendly disinfectant according to the claim No. 1 , distinguished by the fact that the source of the active chlorine is hypochlorous acid, sodium hypochlorite or molecular chlorine either individually or in the compounds.

3. Eco friendly disinfectant according to the claims No. 1 and No. 2 with the feature that it can contain trace amounts of oxidizing agents such as hydrogen peroxide, ozone, oxygen.