Claims
- 1. A method of substantially reducing the number of viable microorganisms within biofilm on a surface comprising the step of applying to the surface a composition comprising:
(a) between 0.1% and 10% by weight of an anionic surfactant selected from the group consisting of alkyl sulfates, alkyl sulfonates, and aryl sulfonates with alkyl or aryl substituents; (b) between 0.1% and 10% by weight of an acid, wherein the acid is selected from the group consisting of acids having a dissociation constant of about 1×10−2 to about 1×10−5 at 25° C.; and (c) between 0.5% and 10% by weight of a monohydric alcohol solvent selected from the group consisting of the following formulae:
(I) R—O—CH2CH2—OH, where R is butyl, pentyl, hexyl, phenyl, or benzyl; (II) R—O—(CH2CH2-0)2H, where R is butyl, pentyl, hexyl, phenyl, or benzyl; (III) R′—O—CH2CH—(CH3)OH, where R′ is propyl, butyl, pentyl, hexyl, phenyl, or benzyl; (IV) R′—O(CH2CH—(CH3)O)2H, where R′ is methyl, ethyl, propyl, butyl, pentyl, hexyl, phenyl, or benzyl, (V) R″—OH, where R″ is CnH2n+1, where n≧4, and (VII) R′″—OH, where R′″=benzyl, C6H5—CH2CH2, wherein the pH of the composition is between pH 1 and pH 5, and wherein the composition is applied to the surface and at least a log 4 reduction of viable gram negative and gram positive organisms occurs within 5 minutes.
- 2. The method of claim 1 wherein the reduction is at least log 5.0.
- 3. The method of claim 1 wherein the reduction takes place within 1 minute of application.
- 4. The method of claim 1 wherein the anionic surfactant is selected from the group consisting of:
(i) linear C8 to C16 alkyl sulfates; (ii) linear C8 to C16 alkyl sulfonates; (iii) C8 to C16 alkyl benzenesulfonates; (iv) C6 to C16 alkyl diphenyloxide disulfonates; and (v) C4 to C16 alkylated naphthalene sulfonates.
- 5. The method of claim 1 wherein the acid is selected from the group consisting of carboxylic acids having a dissociation constant of about 1×10−2 to about 1×10−5 at 25° C.
- 6. The method of claim 1 wherein the solvent is selected from the group consisting of:
(I) R—O—CH2CH2—OH, where R is pentyl, hexyl, phenyl, or benzyl; (II) R—O—(CH2CH2-0)2H, where R is pentyl, hexyl, phenyl, or benzyl; (III) R′—O—CH2CH—(CH3)OH, where R′ is butyl, or phenyl; (IV) R′—O(CH2CH—(CH3)O)2H, where R′ is butyl; (V) R″—OH, where R″ is CnH2n+1, where n≧4, and (VII) R′″—OH, where R′″=benzyl, C6H5—CH2CH2.
- 7. The method of claim 1 wherein the anionic surfactant is present in an amount from about 0.25% to about 8% by weight of the composition.
- 8. The method of claim 1 wherein the anionic surfactant is present in an amount from about 0.5% to about 5% by weight of the composition.
- 9. The method of claim 4 wherein the anionic surfactant has an alkali metal or ammonium cation counterion of (i) to (v).
- 10. The method of claim 4 wherein the anionic surfactant is sodium lauryl sulfate or sodium dodecylbenzene sulfonate.
- 11. The method of claim 1 wherein the acid is selected from the group consisting of citric acid, lactic acid, glycolic acid, gluconic acid, glucoheptonic acid, malic acid, malonic acid, glutaric acid, succinic acid, adipic acid, formic acid, oxalic acid, acetic acid, propanoic acid, benzoic acid, phthalic acid, sorbic acid, fumaric acid, tartaric acid, and mixtures thereof.
- 12. The method of claim 1 wherein the acid is selected from the group consisting of low molecular weight poly(acrylic) acid, poly(maleic acid) homopolymers and copolymers, and mixtures thereof.
- 13. The method of claim 1 wherein the acid is present in an amount from about 0.25% to about 8.0% by weight of the composition.
- 14. The method of claim 1 wherein the acid is present in an amount from about 0.5% to about 5.0% by weight of the composition.
- 15. The method of claim 1 wherein the amount of solvent is in the range from about 1.0% to about 5% by weight of the composition.
- 16. The method of claim 1 wherein the solvent is selected from the group consisting of aliphatic alcohols and glycol ethers having a maximum solubility in water of about 20% by weight.
- 17. The method of claim 1 wherein the composition additionally comprises less than about 10% by weight of a low molecular weight alcohol selected from the group consisting of ethanol, n-propanol, iso-propanol, ethylene glycol mono-propyl ether, propylene glycol mono-ethyl ether, diethylene glycol mono-ethyl ether, and diethylene glycol mono-propyl ether.
- 18. The method of claim 16 wherein the glycol ether is selected from the formulae:
(I) R—O—CH2CH2—OH, where R is pentyl, hexyl, phenyl, or benzyl; (II) R—O—(CH2CH2-0)2H, where R is pentyl, hexyl, phenyl, or benzyl; (III) R′—O—CH2CH—(CH3)OH, where R′ is butyl, pentyl, hexyl, phenyl, or benzyl; and (IV) R′—O(CH2CH—(CH3)0)2H, where R′ is butyl, pentyl, hexyl, phenyl, or benzyl; and mixtures thereof.
- 19. The method of claim 1 wherein the solvent is selected from the group consisting of n-butanol, benzyl alcohol, 2-phenylethanol, ethylene glycol phenyl ether, ethylene glycol n-pentyl ether, ethylene glycol n-hexyl ether, ethylene glycol benzyl ether, propylene glycol phenyl ether, propylene glycol benzyl ether, propylene glycol n-butyl ether, diethylene glycol n-pentyl ether, diethylene glycol n-hexyl ether, and dipropylene glycol n-butyl ether.
- 20. The method of claim 1 wherein the solvent is a mixture selected from a first group consisting of at least one completely water-miscible aliphatic alcohol or glycol ether, in combination with a second group consisting of at least one aliphatic alcohol or glycol ether having a maximum solubility in water of about 20% by weight.
- 21. A composition comprising (a) between 0.1% and 10% by weight of an anionic surfactant selected from the group consisting of alkyl sulfates, alkyl sulfonates, and aryl sulfonates with alkyl or aryl substituents, (b) between 0.1% and 10% by weight of an acid, wherein the acid is selected from the group consisting of having a dissociation constant of about 1×10−2 to about 1×10−5 at 25° C., and (c) between 0.5% and 10% of a monohydric aliphatic alcohol or glycol ether solvent selected from the group consisting of the following formulae:
(I) R—O—CH2CH2—OH, where R is butyl, pentyl, hexyl, phenyl, or benzyl, (II) R—O—(CH2CH2-0)2H, where R is butyl, pentyl, hexyl, phenyl, or benzyl, (III) R′—O—CH2CH—(CH3)OH, where R′ is propyl, butyl, pentyl, hexyl, phenyl, or benzyl, (IV) R′—O(CH2CH—(CH3)O)2H, where R′ is methyl, ethyl, propyl, butyl, pentyl, hexyl, phenyl, or benzyl, (V) R″—OH, where R″ is CnH2n+1, where n≧4, and (VI) R′″—OH, where R′″=benzyl, C6H5—CH2CH2, wherein the pH of the composition is between pH 1 and pH 5.
- 22. The composition of claim 21 wherein the anionic surfactant is selected from the group consisting of:
(i) linear C8 to C16 alkyl sulfates; (ii) linear C8 to C16 alkyl sulfonates; (iii) C6 to C16 alkyl benzenesulfonates; (iv) C6 to C16 alkyl diphenyloxide disulfonates; and (V) C4 to C16 alkylated naphthalene sulfonates.
- 23. The composition of claim 21 wherein the acid is selected from the group consisting of citric acid, lactic acid, glycolic acid, gluconic acid, glucoheptonic acid, malic acid, malonic acid, glutaric acid, succinic acid, adipic acid, formic acid, oxalic acid, acetic acid, propanoic acid, benzoic acid, phthalic acid, sorbic acid, fumaric acid, tartaric acid, and mixtures thereof.
- 24. The composition of claim 21 wherein the acid is selected from the group consisting of low molecular weight poly(acrylic) acid, poly(maleic acid) homopolymers and copolymers, and mixtures thereof.
- 25. The composition of claim 21 wherein the solvent is selected from the group consisting of monohydric aliphatic alcohols and glycol ethers having a maximum solubility in water of about 20% by weight.
- 26. The composition of claim 21 wherein the monohydric alcohol solvent is a mixture selected from a first group consisting of at least one completely water-miscible aliphatic alcohol or glycol ether, in combination with a second group consisting of at least one aliphatic alcohol or glycol ether having a maximum solubility in water of about 20% by weight.
- 27. The composition of claim 25, additionally comprising not more than 10% of a low molecular weight alcohol selected from the group consisting of ethanol, n-propanol, iso-propanol, ethylene glycol mono-propyl ether, propylene glycol mono-ethyl ether, diethylene glycol mono-ethyl ether, and diethylene glycol mono-propyl ether.
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
[0001] This application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. Ser. No. 091587,453, filed Jun. 5, 2000.
Continuation in Parts (1)
|
Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
09587453 |
Jun 2000 |
US |
Child |
10166510 |
Jun 2002 |
US |