Claims
- 1. A method for eradicating Legionella bacteria inhabiting in an air conditioning apparatus, comprising steps of:obtaining an amine oxide bactericide solution consisting of at least one amine oxide represented by the formulae (1) or (2) as an active bactericide ingredient, an optional low boiling point compound, an optional pH regulator, an optional additional surfactant, and an optional thickener, the bactericide solution having an amine oxide concentration greater than or equal to 0.096 mM: wherein R1 represents CnH2n+1(OC2H4)m, n varies from 12 to 18, m varies from 0 to 10, R2 represents a hydrogen or alkyl group having from 1 to 4 carbon atom(s), and the solid arrow represents a coordinate bond between a nitrogen and oxygen; wherein R1 represents CnH2n+1(OC2H4)m, n varies from 12 to 18, m varies from 0 to 10, R3 represents (CpH2p)OH with p varying from 1 to 4, and the solid arrow represents a coordinate bond between a nitrogen and oxygen, and wherein 0.42 mM of the bactericide solution eradicates 108 CFU/ml of the Legionella bacteria when the bactericide solution contacts the Legionella bacteria for fifteen minutes; and applying the amine oxide bactericide solution to a surface of the air conditioning apparatus occupied by Legionella bacteria so that the bactericide solution remains in contact with the bacteria to eradicate the bacteria.
- 2. A method for eradicating Legionella bacteria according to claim 1, wherein the amine oxide solution remains in contact with the Legionella bacteria for at least three hours.
- 3. A method for eradicating Legionella bacteria according to claim 1, wherein the amine oxide solution is canned with propellant gas and capable of being sprayed on the surface.
- 4. A method for eradicating Legionella bacteria according to claim 3, wherein the propellant gas is compressed gaseous nitrogen.
- 5. A method for eradicating Legionella bacteria according to claim 3, wherein the low boiling point compound has a boiling point between 10° C. and 40° C. to generate foam after spraying the amine oxide solution on the surface.
- 6. A method for eradicating Legionella bacteria according to claim 5, wherein the low-boiling foaming compound comprises an amount about 5% by weight of the amine oxide solution.
- 7. A method for eradicating Legionella bacteria according to claim 1, wherein the amine oxide concentration is less than or equal to 50 mM.
- 8. A method for eradicating Legionella bacteria according to claim 1, wherein the pH regulator regulates the pH value of the solution.
- 9. A method for eradicating Legionella bacteria according to claim 1, wherein the pH regulator is a basic agent.
- 10. A method for eradicating Legionella bacteria according to claim 9, wherein the basic agent is sodium metasilicate.
- 11. A method for eradicating Legionella bacteria according to claim 1, wherein the additional surfactant is an anionic-type surfactant.
- 12. A method for eradicating Legionella bacteria according to claim 11, wherein the additional surfactant has a concentration in the amine oxide solution from 0.01 to 15% by weight.
- 13. A method for eradicating Legionella bacteria according to claim 11, wherein the additional surfactant has a concentration in the amine oxide solution from 0.1 to 10% by weight.
- 14. A method for eradicating Legionella bacteria according to claim 1, wherein the additional surfactant is non-ionic-type surfactant.
- 15. A method for eradicating Legionella bacteria according to claim 14, wherein the additional surfactant has a concentration in the amine oxide solution from 0.01 to 15% by weight.
- 16. A method for eradicating Legionella bacteria according to claim 14, wherein the additional surfactant has a concentration in the amine oxide solution from 0.1 to 10% by weight.
- 17. A method for eradicating Legionella bacteria according to claim 1, wherein the thickener is a material selected from the group consisting of sodium alginate, propylene glycol alginate esters, carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) esters, sodium carboxymethyl cellulose, starch sodium glycolate, starch sodium phosphate esters, methyl cellulose, sodium polyacrylate, cellulose esters, alginic acid, casein, and poly-N-vinyl acetamide.
- 18. A method for eradicating Legionella bacteria according to claim 1, wherein the amount of amine oxide in the amine oxide solution is from 0.007 to 7% by weight.
- 19. A method for eradicating Legionella bacteria according to claim 1, wherein the surface includes a surface of a fin heat exchanger of the air conditioning apparatus.
- 20. A method for eradicating Legionella bacteria on heat exchange fins of an air conditioning apparatus, comprising steps of:obtaining a bactericide solution consisting of at least one amine oxide represented by the formulae (1) or (2) as an active bactericide ingredient and at least one low-boiling point compound having a boiling point between about 10 to about 40° C., the bactericide solution having an amine oxide concentration greater than or equal to 0.096 mM and the viscosity in the range of 5 to 1000 cp: wherein R1 represents CnH2n+1(OC2H4)m, n varies from 12 to 18, m varies from 0 to 10, R2 represents a hydrogen or alkyl group having from 1 to 4 carbon atom(s), and the solid arrow represents a coordinate bond between a nitrogen and oxygen; wherein R1 represents CnH2n+1(OC2H4)m, n varies from 12 to 18, m varies from 0 to 10, R3 represents (CpH2p)OH with p varying from 1 to 4, and the solid arrow represents a coordinate bond between a nitrogen and oxygen; packing the bactericide solution and compressed nitrogen gas in a spraying can; spraying the bactericide solution to the heat exchange fins; generating foam of the bactericide solution on the surface by evaporation of the low-boiling point compound; and contacting the foam of the bactericide solution with the bacteria for a predetermined period to eradicate the bacteria.
- 21. A method for eradicating Legionella bacteria according to claim 20, wherein the period is at least three hours when the concentration of the amine oxide in the bactericide solution is 0.096 mM.
- 22. A method for eradicating Legionella bacteria according to claim 20, wherein the period is at least fifteen minutes when the concentration of the amine oxide in the bactericide solution is 0.42 mM.
- 23. A method for eradicating Legionella bacteria inhabiting in an air conditioning apparatus, comprising steps of:obtaining a bactericide solution consisting of at least one amine oxide represented by the formulae (1) or (2) as an active bactericide ingredient, at least one low-boiling point compound having a boiling point between about 10 to about 40° C., a surfactant agent, a thickener agent, and a pH regulator, the bactericide solution having an amine oxide concentration greater than or equal to 0.096 mM: wherein R1 represents CnH2n+1(OC2H4)m, n varies from 12 to 18, m varies from 0 to 10, R2 represents a hydrogen or alkyl group having from 1 to 4 carbon atom(s), and the solid arrow represents a coordinate bond between a nitrogen and oxygen; wherein R1 represents CnH2n+1(OC2H4)m, n varies from 12 to 18, m varies from 0 to 10, R3 represents (CpH2p)OH with p varying from 1 to 4, and the solid arrow represents a coordinate bond between a nitrogen and oxygen; and applying the amine oxide bactericide solution to a surface of the air conditioning apparatus occupied by Legionella bacteria so that the bactericide solution remains in contact with the bactericide to eradicate the bacteria.
Priority Claims (1)
Number |
Date |
Country |
Kind |
10-043929 |
Feb 1998 |
JP |
|
Parent Case Info
This application is a divisional of application Ser. No. 09/256,136, filed Feb. 24, 1999 now U.S. Pat. No. 6,172,029.
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