SK163899A3 - Disinfecting compositions - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to the use, in a composition, of a peroxygen bleach and an essential oil or an active thereof or a mixture thereof, for delivering long lasting disinfection to a surface having been treated with said composition.

Description

The present invention relates to antimicrobial compositions that can be used to achieve long-term disinfection of living surfaces (e.g., human skin, mouth, etc.) and inanimate surfaces including, but not limited to, hard surfaces such as walls, tiles, table tops, glass surfaces in bathrooms, kitchen surfaces, containers as well as fabrics, fabrics, carpets and the like.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Antimicrobial or antibacterial compositions include materials that have the ability to disinfect. It is generally accepted that disinfectant material greatly reduces the incidence or destruction of microorganisms, e.g. bacteria that occur on the surface. Typical conventional compositions, although providing immediate disinfection after application to the surface to be disinfected, are not entirely satisfactory when also required to prevent subsequent re-contamination by microorganisms on the surface which has been first treated with said compositions. Such recontamination may occur when a surface that has been treated with an antimicrobial or antibacterial composition is later touched by contaminated hands or when it comes into contact with any other source of contamination.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide not only effective immediate disinfection, but also effective long-term disinfection.

This object can be achieved by a combination of a peroxygen bleach and an antimicrobial essential oil (i.e., an essential oil) or an active ingredient thereof or a mixture thereof. Indeed, it has surprisingly been found that by incorporating peroxide bleach and antimicrobial essential oil or its active ingredient into the composition, it provides long-term disinfection on the surface treated with the composition, even at a low overall level of active antimicrobial components.

The combination of a peroxygen bleach and an antimicrobial essential oil or its active ingredient ensures long-term disinfection on various surfaces, e.g. on a living surface (eg human skin) and a non-living surface. This technology is indeed particularly suitable for application to hard surfaces as well as to laundry applications, e.g. as a detergent or detergent additive in so-called soaking mode or through the wash mode, or even as a pretreatment agent in a pretreatment mode mode).

An advantage of the present invention is that effective long-term disinfection is provided over a wide range of purely bacterial strains. Growth according to the Gram method of positive and negative bacterial strains and more resistant microorganisms, such as fungi, is suppressed or even prevented on the surface if this surface is first treated with a composition comprising a peroxygen bleach and an antimicrobial essential oil or active ingredient thereof.

A further advantage of the present invention is that effective long-term disinfection is ensured with ingredients that consumers consider to be safe for treated surfaces and are environmentally friendly.

For example, EP-B-288 689 discloses a hard surface liquid comprising antimicrobially effective amounts of pine oil and at least one silica-soluble organic acid. No peroxide bleaches are described.

U.S. 5,403,587 discloses aqueous antimicrobial compositions which can be used for sanitizing, disinfecting, and cleaning hard surfaces. More specifically, US 5,403,587 discloses aqueous compositions (pH 1 to 12) comprising etheric essential oils (0.02% to 5%) which exhibit potency in antimicrobial properties such as thyme oil, eucalyptus oil, clove oil and the like. and a dissolving or dispersing agent sufficient to form an aqueous solution or dispersion of these essential oils in the aqueous carrier. Peroxygen bleaches are not described.

None of these known documents discloses that a combination of a blend of peroxide bleach and an antimicrobial essential oil or its active ingredient achieves long-term disinfection of the surface treated with it, even at low overall levels of antimicrobial components (i.e. under dilute conditions according to the invention).

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention encompasses the use of a blend of a peroxygen bleach and an antimicrobial essential oil or an active ingredient thereof, or mixtures thereof, for the long-term disinfection of a surface treated with the blend.

The first essential component of the present invention is a peroxygen bleach or a mixture thereof. A particularly preferred peroxygen bleach is hydrogen peroxide or a water-soluble source thereof or mixtures thereof. Most preferably, hydrogen peroxide is used.

The presence of said peroxygen bleach, in particular hydrogen peroxide, persulfate and the like. in the composition of the present invention contributes to the disinfectant properties of said compositions. Said peroxide bleach can attack the vital functions of microcellular organisms, for example, it can inhibit the association of ribosome units in the cytoplasm of microcellular organisms. The peroxygen bleach, such as hydrogen peroxide, is also an oxidizing agent that produces hydroxyl-free radicals that attack proteins and nucleic acids. Furthermore, the presence of said peroxygen bleach, in particular hydrogen peroxide, provides the benefits of strong stain removal, which is particularly noteworthy, for example, for washing and hard surfaces.

A hydrogen peroxide source, as used herein, means any compound that forms hydrogen peroxide when the compound is in contact with water. Suitable water-soluble sources of hydrogen peroxide for use in the present invention include percarbonates, persilicates, persulfates such as monopersulfate, perborate, and peracids such as diperoxide dodecanedioic acid (DPDA), magnesium perphthalic acid, and mixtures thereof.

In addition, other classes of peroxides may be used as an alternative to hydrogen peroxide and its sources or in combination with hydrogen peroxide and its source or in combination with hydrogen peroxide and its sources. Suitable classes include dialkyl peroxides, diacyl peroxides, preformed percarboxylic acids, organic and inorganic peroxides or hydroperoxides.

The peroxygen bleach or mixture thereof is generally present in the compositions of the present invention in an amount of at least 0.01% by weight of the total composition, preferably from 0.1 to 15% by weight, and even more preferably from 1% to 10% by weight.

A second essential component of the invention is an antimicrobial silica or an active ingredient thereof, or a mixture thereof.

Suitable antimicrobial essential oils used herein are those that exhibit antimicrobial activity. By active ingredient of the essential oil is meant here any component of essential oils that exhibits antimicrobial activity. It is speculated that said antimicrobial essential oils and their active ingredients act as protein denaturing agents. Said antimicrobial essential oils and their active ingredients are also compounds which contribute to the safety profile of the composition comprising them when the composition is used for surface disinfection. Another advantage of said antimicrobial essential oils and their activated components is that the supplied composition comprising them has a pleasant fragrance without the need to add perfume.

Such antimicrobial essential oils include, but are not limited to, those derived from thyme, citrus, lemons, oranges, anise, cloves, anise seeds, pine, cinnamon, geranium, roses, mint, lavender, lemon whiskers, eucalyptus, peppermint mint. , camphor, ajowan, sandalwood, rosemary, ironmonger, flea grass, lemon grass, rattan, cedar and mixtures thereof. Preferred antimicrobial essential oils used in the present invention are thyme oil, clove oil, cinnamon oil, geranium oil, eucalyptus oil, peppermint oil, lemon bean oil, ajowan oil, peppermint oil or mixtures thereof.

The active ingredients of the essential oils used herein include, but are not limited to, thymol (present eg in thyme, ajowane), eugenol (present eg in cinnamon and clove), menthol (present eg in mint), geraniol (present eg geraniums and roses, lemon whiskers), verbenone (present, for example, in ferrous iron), eucalyptol and pinocarvone (present in, eucalyptus), cedrol (present in, for example, cedar), anethole (present, for example, in anise), carvacrol, hinokitiol, ferulic acid, cinnamic acid, methylsalicylic acid, methylsalicilate, terpineol, limonene and mixtures thereof. Preferred active ingredients of the essential oils used in the present invention are thymol, eugenol, verbenone, eucalyptol, teipineol, cinnamic acid, methylsalicylic acid, limonene, geraniol or mixtures thereof.

Thymol is commercially available, for example, from Aldrich, eugenol is commercially available from, for example, Sigma, Systems-Bioinsustries (SBI) -Manheimer Inc.

The antimicrobial essential oil or its active ingredient or mixture thereof is present in the mixture in an amount of at least 0.003% by weight. % of the total weight of the composition, preferably from 0.006 wt. % to 10 wt.%, more preferably from 0.1 to 8 wt. and most preferably from 0.03% to 3% by weight.

It has now been found that combining said antimicrobial essential oils or their active ingredients, or mixtures thereof, with a peroxygen bleach in the composition not only imparts excellent disinfectant properties to the surface treated with the composition, but also long-lasting disinfectant properties. It is believed that the peroxygen bleach and the said essences, whether their active ingredients adsorb on the surface treated with the composition and thereby reduce or even prevent contamination by microorganisms over a given period, typically within 48 hours after the surface treatment with the composition. reaches long-term disinfection. In other words, it is believed that a microfilm-forming deposit of the active ingredients is formed on the surface treated with the composition, which for a certain period of time protects against re-contamination with microorganisms. These long-term disinfectant benefits are obtained with the compositions of the present invention which include a peroxygen bleach and antimicrobial essential oils, or active ingredients thereof, even when used under high dilution conditions, i.e.. j. up to a dilution of about 1: 100 (mixture: water).

Excellent long-term disinfection is obtained by treating the surface of compositions comprising a peroxygen bleach and an antimicrobial essence or active ingredient thereof, as described herein for a number of microorganisms, such as the growth of Gram positive bacteria such as Staphylococcus aureus and Gram negative bacteria Pseudomonas aeroginosa, as well as in fungi such as Candida albicans, where growth on the surface treated with this mixture is reduced or totally arrested.

The long-term disinfectant properties of the compositions herein can be measured by the bactericidal activity of the compositions. A test method suitable for evaluating the long-term bactericidal activity of a composition may be as follows: First, surfaces (e.g., glass) to be tested appropriately are treated with either a composition of the invention or a reference composition, for example a negative control composition consisting of pure water (e.g. by spraying the composition directly onto the surface or first spraying the composition onto a sponge used for surface cleaning or when the composition is applied in the form of a coating by coating the surface with it). After a variable period of time (e.g., 24 hours), each surface is inoculated with bacteria (10 ⁶ ' ⁷ cfu / glass) which are grown, for example, on TSB (Tryptone Soya Broth, ie Tryptone soy broth) and usually left there for a few seconds to 2 hours prior to evaluation of how many living bacteria remained. Possible living bacteria (if any) are recovered from the surface (by touching TSA + neutralization plates and resuspending the bacteria in the neutralization broth and plating them on agar) and incubating at a suitable temperature, e.g. 37 ° C by allowing them to grow overnight. Finally, a visual comparison of living bacteria is performed by comparing the side-by-side cultures and / or their solutions (e.g. 10 ' ² or 10' ¹ ) resulting from the surfaces of the treated compositions of the present invention and the reference composition.

Combinations of components of the invention, e.g. % of the peroxygen bleach and the antimicrobial essential oil, or active ingredient thereof, may be in the form of a mixture which is either solid, pasty or in liquid form. Where the compositions of the invention are in the form of solids, they are mixed with suitable solvents, typically water, before use. In liquid form, the compositions are preferably but not necessarily formed as liquid compositions. Liquid compositions are preferred herein for convenience of use.

In a preferred embodiment, the liquid compositions of the present invention are aqueous compositions which generally comprise 50% to 99% by weight, preferably 80% to 99% by weight. of the total weight of the mixture water. These aqueous compositions preferably have a pH of not more than 12.0, more preferably from 1 to 10, and most preferably from 2 to 9. The pH of the compositions can be adjusted using organic and inorganic acids or alkalinizing agents.

Other ingredients, if any:

In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, effective long-term disinfection is provided by the combination of ingredients of the present invention, wherein the compositions comprising the combination do not require the addition of additional antimicrobials, but in a particular embodiment of the invention other antimicrobial compounds which further contribute to the antimicrobial or antibacterial activity of the composition of the invention. Such antimicrobial components include parabens such as ethylparaben, propylparaben, methylparaben, glutaraldehyde or mixtures thereof.

The subject compositions may further include a number of other optional ingredients such as surfactants, chelants, solvents, surfactant activators, stabilizers, bleach activators, soil suspending agents, color release agents, pigments, perfumes, radical reactants, buffers pH, dyes or mixtures thereof.

The compositions of the invention may include any surfactant known to those skilled in the art, including nonionic, anionic, cationic, amphoteric and / or zwitterionic. Such surfactants are suitable because they contribute to the cleaning performance of the compositions herein.

The compositions of the invention generally comprise up to 50 wt. % surfactant or mixtures thereof, based on the total weight of the present composition, preferably from 0.3% to 30% by weight; and more preferably from 0.4% to 25% by weight.

Particularly suitable surfactants for use in the present invention include water-soluble salts or acids of the formula ROSO3M, wherein R is preferably a C 6 -C 24 hydrocarbyl, preferably alkyl or hydroxyalkyl having a C 8 -C 20 alkyl component. more preferably alkyl C 8 -C 16 or hydroxyalkyl and M is H or a cation, for example an alkali metal cation (e.g. sodium, potassium, lithium) or ammonium or substituted ammonium (e.g. methyl, dimethyl and trimethylammonium cations and quaternary ammonium cations such as tetramethylammonium and dimethylpiperidine cations and quaternary ammonium cations derived from alkylamines such as ethylamine, diethylamine, triethylamine and mixtures thereof, and the like).

Other suitable anionic surfactants for use in the present invention include alkyl diphenyl ether sulfonates and alkyl carboxylates. Other anionic surfactants may include salts (including, e.g., sodium, potassium, ammonium, and substituted ammonium salts such as mono-, di-, and triethanolamine salts) of soaps, primates, or secondary alkane sulfonates with a C 9 -C 20 alkane. olefin sulfonates with C8-C24 olefin, sulfonated polycarboxylic acids prepared by sulfonating the pyrolyzed alkali metal citrate product, e.g. as described in UK Patent 1,082,179, alkyl polyglycol ether sulfates with C8-C24 alkyl (containing up to 10 moles of ethylene oxide), alkyl ester sulfonates such as C14-C16 methyl ester sulfonates, acylglycerol sulfonates, fatty oleyl glycerosulfates, alkylphenol ether ethylene sulfonates, alkyl phenol ethylene oxide oxides, , N-acyltaurates, alkylsuccinamates and sulfosuccinates, sulfosuccinate monoesters (especially saturated and unsaturated C 12 -C 18 monoesters), sulfosuccinate diesters (especially C 6 -Ch saturated and unsaturated diesters), acylsarcosinates, sulfates of alkylpolysaccharides, sulfonates such as alkylpolysaccharides described below), branched primary alkyl sulphates, alkylpolyethoxycarboxylates such as those of the formula ROCC4C1H4CH2COO-M *, wherein R is C8-C22 alkyl, k is an integer from 0 to 10 and M is a soluble salt-forming cation. Resin acids and hydrogenated resin acids are also suitable, such as rosin, hydrogenated rosin and resin acids and hydrogenated resin acids present in or derived from tall oil. Further examples are given in "Surface Active Agents and Detergents" Vol. I and Π by Schwartz, Perry and Berch. A number of such surfactants are also generally described in U.S. Patent 3,929,678, col. 23, r. 58 to stl. 29, r. 23rd

Particularly preferred anionic surfactants for use in the present invention are C ₈ -C ₁₆ alkyl sulfonates, C ₈ -C ₁₆ alkyl alkoxylated sulfates (e.g., C ₈ -C ₁₆ alkylethoxylated sulfates), and mixtures thereof. Such anionic surfactants are preferred for the present invention because they have been found to contribute to the disinfectant properties of the disinfectant composition of the present invention. For example, C8-C18 alkyl sulfate acts by disorganizing the cell membrane of the bacterium, inhibiting enzymatic activities, disrupting cellular transport, or denaturing cellular proteins. It is believed that the improved disinfecting performance further associated with the addition of an anionic surfactant, particularly alkyl sulfonate with alkyl Cg-CI6, alkyl sulfate with alkyl C ₈ -C, ₆ and / or the alkyl alkoxylated sulphate _C8 -Ci6 the composition of the invention is likely to be thanks to the multiple mode of attack of these surfactants on bacteria.

Suitable nonionic surfactants for use in the present invention are fatty alcohol ethoxylates or propoxylates which are commercially available with a variety of fatty alcohol chain lengths and varying degrees of ethoxylation. The HLB values of such alkoxylated nonionic surfactants do indeed depend essentially on the chain length of the fatty alcohol, the nature of the alkoxylation and the degree of alkoxylation. The available surfactant catalogs list the amount of surfactant, including nonionic, together with their respective HLB values.

Particularly suitable as nonionic surfactants herein are hydrophobic nonionic surfactants having an HLB (hydrophilic-lipophilic balance) below 16, preferably below 15 and even more preferably below 14. It has been found that these hydrophobic nonionic surfactants provide good lubricating properties when cutting .

Particularly preferred hydrophobic nonionic surfactants for use in the compositions of the present invention are surfactants having an HLB below 16 having the formula RO (C2 H4 O) _n (C3 H6 O) _m H, wherein R is an alkyl chain of C 6 to C22 or an alkylbenzene chain of Ce to C28 and wherein n + m is from 0 to 20 and n is from 0 to 15 and m is from 0 to 20, n + m is from 1 to 15 and n is from 0.5 to 15, more preferably is n + m from 1 to 10 and from 0 to 10. Preferred R chains for use in the present invention are alkyl chains C 8 to C 22. Accordingly, hydrophobic nonionic surfactants suitable for use in the present invention are Dorbanol ^R 91-2 5 (HLB = 8.1; R is a mixture of C9 and Cn alkyl chains, n is 2.5 and m is 0) or Lutensol ^R TO3 (HLB = 8; R is a C13 alkyl chain, n is 3 and m is 0) or Lutensol ^R AO3 (HLB = 8; R is a mixture of C13 and C15 alkyl chains, n is 3 and m is 0) or Tergitol ^R 25L3 (HLB = 7 R is in the range of C12 to C15 alkyl chains, n is 3 and m is 0) or Dobanol ^R 23-3 (HLB = 8.1; R is a mixture of C12 and C13 alkyl chains, n is 3 and m is 0 or Dobanol ^R 23-2 (HLB = 6.2; R is a mixture of C12 and C13 alkyl chains, n is 2 and m is 0) or Dobanol ^R 45-7 (HLB = 11.6; R is a mixture of C14 and C15 alkyl chains, n is 7 and m is 0) or Dobanol ^R 23-6.5 (HLB = 11.9; R is a mixture of C12 and C13 alkyl chains, n is 6 , 5 am is 0) or Dobanol ^R 25-7 (HLB = 12; R is a mixture of C12 and C15 alkyl chains, n is 7 am is 0) or Dobanol ^R 91-5 (HLB = 11.6; R is a mixture of alkyl of chains C9 and Cn, n is 5 and m is 0) or Dobanol ^R 91-6 (HLB = 12.5; R is a mixture of alkyl chains C9 and Cn, n is 6 and m is 0) or Dobanol ^R 91-8 (HLB = 13,7; R is a mixture of C9 and Cn alkyl chains, n is 8 and m is 0) or Dobanol ^R 91-10 (HLB = 14,2; R is a mixture of C9 to Cn alkyl chains, n is 10 and m is 0) or mixtures thereof.

Particularly preferred are Dobanol ^R 91-2.5 or Lutensol ^R TO3 or Lutensol ^R AO3 or Tergitol ^R 2513 or Dobanol ^R 23-3 or Dobanol ^R 23-2 or mixtures thereof. These Dobanol ^R surfactants are commercially available from SHELL. These Lutensol ^R surfactants are commercially available from BASF and these Tergitol ^R surfactants are commercially available from UNION CARBIDE.

Other suitable surfactants also include conventional C6-C20 soaps (C6-C20 fatty acid alkali metal salts, preferably sodium salts).

Suitable amphoteric surfactants for use in the present invention include amine oxides having the following general formula R 1 R 2 R 3 NO, wherein each of R 1, R 2, R 3 are independently saturated substituted or unsubstituted, linear or branched hydrocarbon chains having from 1 to 30 carbon atoms. Particularly preferred amine oxide surfactants to be used herein are amine oxides having the following formula, R 1 R 2 R 3 NO, wherein R 1 is a hydrocarbon chain comprising from 1 to 30 hydrocarbon atoms, preferably from 6 to 20, more preferably from 8 to 16, most preferably from 8, to 12 and wherein R 2 and R 3 are independently substituted or unsubstituted linear or branched hydrocarbon chains comprising from 1 to 4 carbon atoms, preferably from 1 to 3 carbon atoms, and more preferably are methyl groups. R 1 may be a saturated substituted or unsubstituted linear or branched hydrocarbon chain.

Suitable amine oxides for use in the present invention are, for example, a natural mixture of Ce-C10 amine oxides as well as C12-C16 amine oxides commercially available from Hoechst.

Suitable zwitterionic surfactants for use in the present invention include both cationic and anionic hydrophilic groups on the same molecule at a relatively wide pH range. A typical cationic group is the quaternary ammonium group, although other positively charged groups such as phosphonium, imidazole and sulfonium groups may be used. Typical anionic, hydrophilic groups are carboxylates and sulfonates, although other groups such as sulfates, phosphonates and the like can be used. A generic formula for some of the zwitterionic surfactants used herein is R 1 -T (R 2) (R 2) where R 1 is a hydrophobic group, R 2 and R 3 are both C 1 -C 4 alkyl, hydroxyalkyl or other a substituted alkyl group which may also be linked to form ring structures with N; R4 is the moiety connecting the cationic nitrogen atom to the hydrophilic and is generally an alkylene, hydroxyalkylene or polyalkoxy group containing from 1 to 10 carbon atoms and X is a hydrophilic group which is preferably a carboxyl or sulphonate group Particularly preferred hydrophilic groups R 1 are alkyl groups containing from 1 to 24, preferably less than 18, even more preferably 12 to 14 carbon atoms, wherein R 2 and R 3 are hydrocarbon chains containing from 1 up to 3 carbon atoms, preferably 1 carbon atom, wherein n is an integer from 1 to 10, preferably from 1 to 6, even more preferably 1, Y is selected from the group consisting of carboxyl and sulfonyl radicals; and wherein the sum of the hydrocarbon chains R _b, R 2 and R 3 is from 14 to 24 carbon atoms or mixtures thereof.

Examples of particularly suitable betaine surfactants include C12-C18 alkyldimethylbetaine such as coconut betaine and C10-C18 alkyldimethylbetaine such as laurylbetaine. Coconut betaine is commercially available from Seppic under the trade name Amonyl 265®. Laurylbetaine is commercially available from Albright & Wilson under the trade name Empigen BB / L®.

Other specific zwitterionic surfactants have generic formulas:

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

R, -C (O) -N (R 2) - (C (R 3) 2) _n -N (R 2) 2 ⁽⁺⁾ - (C (R 3) ₂ ) _n -COO ⁽⁾ wherein each R 1 is a hydrocarbon, e.g. . an alkyl group containing from 8 to 20, preferably up to 18, more preferably up to 16 hydrocarbon atoms, each R ₂ being either hydrogen (when attached to an amide nitrogen), a short alkyl chain or a substituted alkyl containing from 1 to 4 carbon atoms, preferably groups selected from the group consisting of methyl, ethyl, propyl, hydroxy-substituted ethyl or propyl, and mixtures thereof, preferably methyl, wherein each R 3 is selected from the group consisting of hydrogen and hydroxy and each n is a number from 1 to 4, preferably from 2 to 3 , even more preferably 3, with no more than one hydroxy group in each half (C (R 3) 2). The R 1 groups may be branched or unsaturated. The R 2 groups can also be joined to form ring structures. A surfactant of this type is C10-C14 fatty acylamidopropylene (hydroxypropylene) sulfobetaine, which is available from Sherex Company under the trade name "Varion CAS sulfobetaine" ®.

The compositions herein may further comprise a chelating agent as a preferred optional ingredient. Suitable chelating agents may be all those known to those skilled in the art, such as those selected from the group consisting of phosphonate chelating agents, amine phosphonate chelating agents, substituted heteroaromatic chelating agents, aminocarboxylate chelating agents, other carboxylate poly chelating agents, chelating agents, biodegradable chelating agents such as ethylenediamine N, N'isuccinic acid, or mixtures thereof.

Suitable phosphonate chelating agents which can be used herein include etidronic acid, (1-hydroxyethylenediphosphonic acid (HEDP)) and / or alkali metal ethane 1-hydroxydiphosphonates.

Suitable amino phosphonate chelating agents which may be used herein include aminoalkylene poly (alkylene phosphonates), nitrilotris (methylene) triphosphonates, ethylenediaminetetramethylene phosphonates, and / or diethylene triamine pentamethylene phosphonates. Preferred amine phosphonate chelating agents that can be used herein are diethylene triamine pentamethylene phosphonates.

These phosphonate or amine phosphonate chelating agents may be present either in their acid form or as salts of different cations on some or all of the acid functional groups. Such phosphonate or amine phosphonate chelating agents are commercially available from Monsanto under the trademark DEQUEST®.

Substituted heteroaromatic chelating agents which can be used herein include hydroxypyridine N-oxide or derivatives thereof.

Suitable hydroxypyridine N-oxides and derivatives thereof which can be used according to the invention are according to the following formula:

Y wherein X is nitrogen, Y is one of the following groups: oxygen, -CHO, OH, - (CH 2) _n - COOH, wherein n is an integer from 0 to 20, preferably from 0 to 10 and even more preferably 0 and wherein Y is preferably oxygen. Accordingly, particularly preferred hydroxypyridine N-oxides and derivatives thereof to be used herein are 2-hydroxypyridine-N-oxide. Hydroxypyridine-N-oxides and derivatives thereof may be commercially available from Sigma.

Polyfunctionally substituted aromatic chelating agents may also be useful in the compositions herein (see U.S. Patent 3,812,044). Preferred compounds of this type in acid form are dihydroxydisulfobenzenes such as 1,2-dihydroxy-3,5-disulfobenzene.

A preferred biodegradable chelating agent for use in the present invention is ethylenediamine-N, N'-disuccinic acid, or an alkali metal, alkaline earth, ammonium or substituted ammonium salt thereof, or mixtures thereof. Ethylenediamine-N, N'-disuccinic acids, especially the isomer (S, S) have been extensively described in U.S. Patent 4,704,233. For example, ethylenediamine-N, N'-disuccinic acid is commercially available under the trade name ssEDDS® from Palmer Research Laboratories. Ethylenediamine-N, N'-disuccinic acid is particularly suitable for use in the compositions of the invention.

Suitable amino carboxylate chelating agents useful herein include ethylene diamine tetra acetates, dietyléntriamínpentoacetát (DTPA), N-hydroxyethylethylenediaminetriacetates, nitrilotriacetates, ethylenediamine, triethylenetetraaminehexa, ethanoldiglycines, propyléndiaminotetraoctová acid (PDTA) and methyl glycine di-acetic acid (MGDA), both in their acid form or in the alkali metal salt, ammonium salt and substituted ammonium salt. Particularly suitable for use herein are diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid (DTPA), propylenediaminetetraacetic acid (PDTA), which is, for example, commercially available from BASF under the trade name Trilon FS® and methylglycine diacetic acid (MGDA).

Other carboxyloate chelating agents used herein include malonic acid, salicylic acid, glycine, aspartic acid, glutamic acid, or mixtures thereof.

The compositions of the present invention generally comprise up to 5% by weight based on the total weight of the composition, chelating agent or mixture thereof, preferably from 0.1% to 3% by weight, and even more preferably from 0.01% to 1.5%.

The compositions herein may include a radical-destroying additive as another optional ingredient. Suitable radical killers for use in the present invention include the well-known substituted mono- and dihydroxybenzenes and their derivatives, alkyl and aryl carboxylates and mixtures thereof. Preferred radical killing additives for use in the present invention include diterbutylhydroxytoluene (BHT), p-hydroxytoluene, hydroquinone (HQ), diterbutylhydroquinone (DTBHQ), mono-tert-butylhydroxyquinone (MTBHQ), tert-butylhydroxysiol, benzoic acid, pHA, , 2,5-dihydroxyterephthalic acid, tolylic acid, catechol, t-butylcatechol, 4-allyl-catechol, 4-acetylcatechol, 2-methoxyphenol, 2-ethoxyphenol, 2-methoxy-4- (2-propenyl) phenol, 3,4- dihydroxybenzaldehyde, 2,3-dihydroxybenzaldehyde, benzylamine, 1,1,3-tris (2-methyl-4-hydroxy-5-t-butylphenyl) butane, tert-butylhydroxyanyline, p-hydroxyayline and n-propyl gallate. Highly preferred for use in the present invention are di-tert-butylhydroxytoluene, which is, for example, commercially available from SHELL under the trade name 1NOL CP® or tert-butylhydroxyanysol. These radical-destroying agents further contribute to the stability of the peroxide bleach-containing compositions.

The compositions of the invention generally comprise up to 5 wt. % of the total mixture of radical-destroying substances or mixtures thereof, preferably from 0.002% to 1.5% by weight; and even more preferably from 0.002% to 1% by weight.

The compositions herein may include as a preferred optional component a solvent or mixtures thereof. When used, solvents preferably enhance the cleaning performance of the compositions. Suitable solvents for incorporation into the composition of the invention include propylene glycol derivatives such as n-butoxypropanol or n-butoxypropoxypropanol, water-soluble CARBITOL® solvents or water-soluble CELLOSOLVE® solvents. The water-soluble CARBITOL® solvents are compounds of the 2- (2alkoxyethoxy) ethanol class wherein the alkoxy group is derived from ethyl, propyl or butyl. A preferred water-soluble carbitol is 2- (2-butoxyethoxy) ethanol, also known as butylcarbitol. CELLOSOLVE® water-soluble solvents are compounds of the 2-alkoxyethoxyethanol class, with 2-butoxyethoxyethanol being preferred. Other suitable solvents are benzyl alcohol, methanol, ethanol, isopropyl alcohol and diols such as 2-ethyl-1,3-hexanediol and 2,2,4-trimethyl-1,3-pentanediol and mixtures thereof. Preferred solvents for use in the present invention are n-butoxypropoxypropanol, butylcarbitol®, benzyl alcohol and / or isopropanol.

The solvents may generally be present in the compositions of the invention in an amount of up to 15% by weight, preferably from 2% to 7% by weight. based on the weight of the mixture.

In embodiments of the invention wherein the compositions are of a composition that is within the alkaline pH range, typically from 7.5 to 12, the compositions of the invention may further comprise a pH buffer or a mixture thereof, i. a system composed of a compound or combination of compounds whose pH changes only slightly when a strong acid or base is added.

Suitable pH buffers for use in the present invention include borate pH buffers, phosphonate buffers, silicate buffers, and mixtures thereof. Suitable borate pH buffers for use in the present invention include the alkali metal salts of borates and alkyl borates and mixtures thereof. Suitable borate pH buffers which can be used according to the invention are the alkali metal salts of borates, metaborates, tetraborates, octoborates, pentaborites, dodecaborates, borotrifluride and / or alkylborates containing from 1 to 12 carbon atoms and preferably from 1 to 4. Suitable alkyl borates include methyl borate, ethyl borate and propyl borate. Particularly preferred are alkali metal salts of metaborate (e.g. sodium metaborate), tetraborate (e.g. sodium tetraborate decahydrate) or mixtures thereof.

Boron salts such as sodium metaborate and sodium tetraborate are commercially available from Borax and Societa Chimica Larderello under the trade names sodium metaborate® and Borax®.

The compositions of the present invention may generally contain up to 15 wt. buffer or mixtures thereof, based on the total weight of the mixture, preferably from 0.01% to 10%, even more preferably from 0.01% to 5% by weight. and most preferably from 0.1% to 3% by weight.

Form of packing mixtures:

The compositions herein may be packaged in a variety of detergent packaging known to those skilled in the art.

The liquid compositions of the invention may be desirably packaged in manually operated spray dispensers, which are usually made of synthetic organic polymeric plastic materials, and preferably in trigger spray dispensers or pump spray containers. Said spray dispensers make it possible to evenly apply the liquid disinfectant composition of the present invention to a relatively large surface area to be treated. These spray type dispensers are particularly suitable for the treatment of vertical surfaces.

Suitable spray type dispensers which can be used according to the invention include hand-operated foam trigger dispensers sold e.g. by Specialty Packaging Products, Inc. or by Continental Sprayers, Inc. These types of dispensing containers are described e.g. U.S. Pat. No. 4,701,311 and U.S. Pat. No. 4,646,973 and U.S. Pat. No. 4,538,745. Particularly preferred in the present invention are spray dispensers such as T 8500® or T 8900®, which are commercially available from Continental Spray International or T 8100®, available commercially from Canyon, Northern Ireland. In such a dispensing container, the liquid mixture is divided into fine drops of liquid, resulting in a spray which is directed to the surface to be treated. In such a spray can, the composition contained in the dispenser body is directed through the spray head of the dispenser under the effect of the energy supplied by the user through the pumping mechanism as the user activates the pumping mechanism. More specifically, in the spray dispenser head, the mixture is pushed against an obstacle, e.g. a lattice or cone, etc., to provide shocks that assist atomization of the liquid mixture, i. aid in the formation of liquid droplets.

The compositions of the invention may also be in the form of wipes. "Wipes" means pieces of material, eg. paper towels which are impregnated with the liquid composition of the present invention. Said wipes are preferably wrapped in a plastic box. The advantage of this embodiment is the faster use of the disinfectant composition by the user, even outside the house, i. it is not necessary to pour the liquid compositions of the present invention onto the surfaces to be treated and dried with a cloth. In other words, wipes allow immediate and long-term disinfection of surfaces in one step.

The compositions of the present invention are used to treat surfaces to provide long-term disinfection to the surface. The term "treatment" as used herein refers to the application of the composition to the surface in a pure (in a preferred embodiment of the invention, when the composition is a liquid) or in a diluted form.

By " dilute form " it is meant herein that the compositions to be used are either in liquid or solid form, which are diluted by the user as a rule up to 100 times by weight of water, preferably 80 to 40, before being applied to the surface to be treated. by weight of water, and more preferably from 60 to 40 times by weight of water.

"Surface" means any surface, including a living surface, such as human skin, mouth, teeth and inanimate surfaces. Inanimate surfaces include, but are not limited to, hard surfaces that are typically found in homes such as kitchens, bathrooms, or car interiors, e.g. tiles, walls, floors, chrome surfaces, glass, smooth vinyl surfaces of various plastics, plastic wood, table tops, sinks, showers, shower curtains, washbasins, toilets and the like. as well as fabrics including textiles, curtains, decorative fabrics, bed linen, bathroom fabrics, tablecloths, sleeping bags, tents, upholstered furniture and the like. and carpets. Inanimate surfaces also include household appliances, including, but not limited to, refrigerators, freezers, washing machines, automatic dryers, radiators, microwave ovens, dishwashers, etc.

The invention will be further illustrated by the following examples:

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The following mixtures were made by mixing said components in the indicated proportions (in weight% unless otherwise stated).

Mixtures (in% by weight) I H m IV in VI hydrogen peroxide 7.0 2.0 1.0 2.0 4.0 3.0 thyme essence - 0.05 - - 0.5 - clove essence 0.5 - - 0.05 - 0.1 geranium essence - 0.07 - - - - eucalyptus essence 0.2 - 0.02 0.01 - 0.2 geraniol - - 0.5 - 0.5 0.1

alkyl sulfate 4 3 10 1 4 0.5 DETPMP 0.1 0.15 0,5 0,1 0.15 0.2 water and a small amount up to 100% H ₂ SO ₄ up to pH 4

Mixtures (in% by weight) in n in M IX X XI ΧΠ hydrogen peroxide 7.0 2.0 5.0 1.0 4.5 1.5 thyme essence - 0.4 - - 0.5 - clove essence 0.5 - - 0.2 - 0.1 geranium essence - 0.2 - - - - eucalyptus essence 0.2 - 0.2 0.2 - 0.2 geraniol - - 0.15 - 0,005 0.1 betaine 1.5 0.1 0.03 0.1 amine oxide 3 1.2 1.0 1 - 1.0 alkylsufát - - 1.5 - 4 - HEDP 0.1 - - 0.02 - 0.1 BHT - - 0.1 - - 0.05 DTPA 0.1 - 0.15 0.1 0.15 - DETPMP - 0.15 - - - 0.2 tetraborate - - 0.8 - - 1.0 water and small amounts up to 100% H2SO4 up to pH 4 PH 4 4 9 4 4 8

HEDP is 1-hydroxyethylene diphosphonic acid

DETPMP is ditylene triamine pentamethylene phosphonate

DTPA is diethylene triamine pentacetate alkyl sulfate is C 10 alkyl sulfate betaine is a coconut alkyldimethylbetaine which is available from Albright & Wilson under the trade name Empigen BB / L ® amine oxide is N-decyldimethylamine oxide.

The compositions of the examples above are of the invention and can be used neat or diluted, e.g. at a dilution level of 1: 50 or 1: 25 (water mixture) to ensure effective long-term disinfection effect on the treated surface.

Claims (10)

PATENT CLAIMS Use of a mixture of a peroxygen bleach and an antimicrobial essential oil or an active ingredient thereof, or mixtures thereof, as a disinfectant composition for long-term surface disinfection treated with the composition. Use according to claim 1, wherein said antimicrobial silica or an active ingredient thereof or a mixture thereof is present in said mixture in an amount of at least 0.003% by weight. % of the total composition, preferably from 0.006% to 10% by weight, more preferably from 0.1% to 8% by weight. and most preferably from 0.003% to 3% by weight. Use according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein said antimicrobial silica is selected from the group consisting of thyme essential oils, lemon whites, citrus, lemons, oranges, ajowan, anise, cloves, anise seeds, cinnamon, geranium, roses, lavender, lemon grass, eucalyptus, peppermint, mint, camphor, sandalwood, cedar, rosemary, pine, iron, flea grass, lemon grass, rattan, and mixtures thereof, preferably from essential oils of thyme, ajwan, lemon fuzzles, clove, cinnamon, , geranium, eucalyptus, peppermint, mint or mixtures thereof and / or wherein said active ingredient of essential oil is selected from the group consisting of ztymol, eugenol, menthol, carvacrol, verbenone, eucalyptol, cedrol, anethole, pinocarvone, geraniol, geraniol, hinol ferulic acid, cinnamic acid, methylsalicylic acid, methylsalicylate, terpinol, limonene and mixtures thereof; much of thymol, eugenol, verbenone, eucalyptol, teipinol, cinnamic acid, methylsalicylic acid, limonene, geraniol and / or mixtures thereof. Use according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein said peroxide bleach or a mixture thereof is present in said mixture in an amount of at least 0.01% by weight. % of the total mixture, preferably from 0.1% to 15% by weight, preferably from 1% to 10% by weight. Use according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein said peroxygen bleach is hydrogen peroxide or a water-soluble source thereof, generally selected from the group consisting of percarbonate, persilicate, persulfate, perborate, peroxyacid, dialkylperoxide, diacylperoxide, preformed percarboxylic acid, organic and inorganic peroxides, organic and inorganic hydroperoxides and mixtures thereof, preferably hydrogen peroxide. Use according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein said composition further comprises a surfactant in an amount up to 50% by weight. a whole composition, especially selected from the group consisting of anionic surfactants, nonionic surfactants, cationic surfactants, amphoteric surfactants, zwitterionic surfactants, and mixtures thereof. Use according to claim 6, wherein said surfactant is an amphoteric surfactant, preferably an amine oxide and / or a zwitterionic surfactant, preferably a betaine or sulfobetaine surfactant and / or an anionic surfactant, preferably C ₈ -C 16 alkyl sulfonate, C ₈ -C ₁₆ alkyl sulphate and / or C ₆ -C ₈ alkyl alkoxylated sulfate. Use according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein said composition further comprises at least some component selected from the group consisting of chelating agents, solvents, detergent activators, stabilizers, bleach activators, soil suspending agents, color transfer agents, brighteners, perfumes, antifouling agents. dust, enzymes, dispersants, anti-inking agents, pigments, perfumes, radical killers, paints and mixtures thereof. Use according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein said mixture is a liquid mixture, preferably an aqueous mixture having a pH of no more than 12, more preferably from 1 to 10, and most preferably from 2 to 9. rv Use according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein said mixture further comprises a pH buffer or a mixture thereof, preferably a borate pH buffer, more preferably an alkali metal borate salt, metaborate, tetraborate, octoborate, pentaborate, dodecaborate, boron trifluoride or C 1 -C 12 alkylborate. or a mixture thereof up to 15 wt. %, based on the total weight of the composition, preferably 0.01% to 10% by weight; and more preferably 0.1 to 3 wt.%.