LIQUID DISINFECTANT CONCENTRATE

DESINFECTANT LIQUIDE CONCENTRE

English Abstract

A B S T R A C T
The invention relates to a liquid disinfectant
concentrate which comprises as active-oxygen component
peroxymonosulfuric acid and/or its salts. The concentrate
comprises as the surfactant component predominantly or
exclusively
i) primary or secondary alkylsulfonic acids
containing a linear, branched or cyclic alkyl group of 6 to
18 carbon atoms, and/or
ii) aromatic sulfonic acids of the formula
<IMG>
in which R is a branched or linear alkyl radical of 8 to 18
carbon atoms and m and n are in each case 0 or 1, with the
proviso that the total of m + n is either 1 or 2, and/or
iii) salts of these sulfonic acids.
The concentrate furthermore comprises water and,
if desired, stabilizers, agents for enhancing fungicidal
potency and other customary additives.

Claims

The embodiments of the invention in which an
exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as
follows:
1. A liquid disinfectant concentrate which comprises
A) as the active-oxygen component
peroxymonosulfuric acid and/or a salt thereof,
B) as the surfactant component predominantly or
exclusively
i) a primary or secondary alkylsulfonic acid
containing a linear, branched or cyclic alkyl
group of 6 to 18 carbon atoms, and/or
ii) a aromatic sulfonic acid of the formula
<IMG>
in which R is a branched or linear alkyl radical
of 8 to 18 carbon atoms and m and n are in each
case 0 or 1, with the proviso that the total of m
+ n is either 1 or 2, and/or
iii) a salt of these sulfonic acids
as well as water and, if desired, a stabilizer, agent for
enhancing the fungicidal potency or other customary
additive.
2. A liquid disinfectant concentrate according to
claim 1, in which the active-oxygen component A) is present
in the form of a mixture of KHSO5, K2SO4 and KHSO4
(caroate).
3. A liquid disinfectant concentrate as claimed in
claim 1, in which the concentration of the active-oxygen
component A) is between 1% by weight of the concentrate up
to the point of maximum solubility.
4. A liquid disinfectant concentrate as claimed in
claim 3, in which the concentration of the active-oxygen
component A) is 5 to 15% by weight.
5. A liquid disinfect;mt concentrate as claimed in

any of the preceding claims, in which the primary or
secondary alkylsulfonic acid B) i) contains 8 to 16 carbon
atoms in the alkyl group.
6. A liquid disinfectant concentrate as claimed in
any of claims 1-4, in which the group R in the formula of
the aromatic sulfonic acid B) ii) is a linear alkyl radical
of 10 to 16 carbon atoms.
7. A liquid disinfectant concentrate as claimed in
any of claims 1-4, in which in the formula of the aromatic
sulfonic acid B) ii) the total of m + n = 2.
8. A liquid disinfectant concentrate as claimed in
any of claims 1-4, in which in the formula of the aromatic
sulfonic acid B) ii) the alkyl radicals R are in the para
position to the ether oxygen bridge.
9. A liquid disinfectant concentrate as claimed in
any of claims 1-4, in which the sulfonic acid salt B) iii)
is an alkali metal salt, alkaline earth metal salt and/or an
ammonium salt.
10. A liquid disinfectant concentrate as claimed in
any of claims 1-4, in which the surfactant component B) is
present in an amount from 0.1 to 200%, based on the weight
of the active-oxygen component A).
11. A liquid disinfectant concentrate as claimed in
any of claims 1-4, which comprises not more than 0.5% by
weight of chloride.
12. A liquid disinfectant concentrate as claimed in
claim 11, in which the chloride content is 0.005 to 0.5% by
weight.
13. A liquid disinfectant concentrate as claimed in
any of claims 1-4, which comprises 40 to 90% by weight of
water.
14. A liquid disinfectant concentrate as claimed in
any of claims 1-4, which comprises a phosphonic acid, a
pyridinecarboxylic acid, a pyrrolidonecarboxylic acid,
and/or a salt thereof as a stabilizer.
15. A liquid disinfectant according to claim 14, in
which the phosphonic acid is 1-hydroxyethane-1,1-
diphosphonic acid, morpholinomethane-diphosphonic acid or

amino -tris-methylenephosphonic acid, the pyridine
carboxylic acid is pyridine-2,6-dicarboxylic acid, and the
pyrrolidonecarboxylic acid is 2-pyrrolidonle-5-carboxylic
acid.
16. A liquid disinfectant concentrate as claimed in
any of claims 1-4, which comprises stablizers in a
concentration from 0.01 to 2% by weight.
17. A liquid disinfectant concentrate as claimed in
any of claims 1-4, which comprises N-octyliso-diazol-3-one
and/or benzoic acid and/or a salt of these compounds as an
agent for enhancing fungicidal potency.
18. A liquid disinfectant concentrate as claimed in
claim 17, which comprises the agent for enhancing fungicidal
potency in a concentration from 0.1 to 3% by weight.
19. A liquid disinfectant concentrate as claimed in
any of claims 1-4, which has a pH from 0.5 to 2.5.
20. A liquid disinfectant concentrate as claimed in
any of claims 1-4, diluted with water as a ready-for-use
disinfectant solution.
21. A diluted disinfectant concentrate according to
claim 20, in which the liquid disinfectant concentrate is
diluted 20 to 400 fold.

Description

me invention relates to a liquid disinfectant
concentrate.
The biocidal acti~-ity of peroxymonosulfuric
acid (Caro's acid) and its salts is known.
U.S. Patents Nos. 3,873,696 and 3,584l119
disclose bactericidal and fungicidal agents containing
salts of Caro's acid.
U.S. Patent 4,404,191 discloses the use of
salts of peroxymonosulfuric acid (Caro's acid) as a
virucidal agent and that in formulating the
peroxymonosulfate salts, either in aqueous media or as
dry mixtures, it is preferable to add one or more
surfactants, especially of the class of nonionic
surfactants such a~ ethoxylated fatty alcohols and/or
anionic surfactants such as alkyl sulfonates, alkyl
benzene sulfonates and fatty acid ethionates. Two
specific formulations are exemplified, both dry mixtures
adapted for use in aqueous media. one of the
exemplified formulations includes inter alia 12.0
weight-percent commercial potas ium peroxymonosulfate
(contains 45~wt S KHSO5) and 5.0 weight percent sodium
alkane sulfonate and a 20% use-dilution thereof is
- disclosed. 20 Weight percent fatty acid ethionate
sodium salt is also included, which these represents the
predominant surfactant present.
:
~:

0~6~
In the meantime such pulverulent disinfectant
preparations are commercially available. To prepare
ready-for-use disinfectant solutions from these, the
user dissolves them in water immediately prior to use.
In the application concentration which is many times
lower than the concentration of a liquid disinfectant
concentrate, the incompatibil:ity in solution between
Caro's acid and the anionic surfactant, described above,
plays a very much lesser role.
The known pulverulent preparations have a
number of drawbacks. The metering of the required
amount, for example by means of a measuring cup, is
tedious. The particularly practical liquid metering
devices are unsuitable.
For reasons of technical requirements,
pulverulent preparations contain builders or inert
components which make no contribution to tha actual
application, i.e. disinfection, and may even cause
interference. In many cases they also create residues
in use. In addition, inert components increase the salt
content of effluents.
The preparation and the use of pulverulent
preparations are connected with the undesirable presence
of dust. The dust can irritate ~ucous membranes, ~ -
especially mucous membranes in the nose. For this
reason such preparations are objectionable from the
point of view of industrial medicine.
Pulverulent diæinfection preparations have the
further drawback that often considerable time is
required for complete dissolution in water. In
addition, the energy input for the preparation of
pulverulent products is higher than that for the
preparation of liquid products.
The larger the container, the more difficult
it is to control the thermal processes of solids
containing active oxygen, which can laad to uncontrolled
decomposition reactions.
- : :

Finally, inert substances which must~ X
inevitably be present in pulverul~nt preparations, may
impair the biocidal potency. The choice of formulation
components and their amount relstricted in the case o~
solid prepara~ions.
EP-A-188,025 (published European application)
discloses aqueous, thickened cLeansing agents which
contain peroxymonosulfuric acid or its salts, a strong
acid and the surfactants amine oxides, amines or
cationic compounds having a thickening effect. It is
expressly stated that anionic surfactants such as linear
alkyl sulfates, alkyl sulfonates and alkylbenzene-
sulfonates may only be added in small amounts (cf. EP-A-
188,025, column 3, lines 61-65).
No liquid, stable disinfectant concentrates
based on peroxymonosulfuric acid and/or its salts have
so far appeared on the market. This points to the fact
that problems regarding stability and technical
application have so far not been satisfactorily solved
for such liquid formulations.
It is the ob~ect of the invention to provide a
liquid disinfectant concentrate with a long shelf life
which contains as active-oxygen component
peroxymonosulfuric acid and/or its salts and has a
25 stability which is adequate for a commercial product as
well as satisfactory technical application
~haracteristics. ~ ;
The ob~ect is achieved by a liquid
disinfectant concentrate which comprises
A) as the active-oxygen component peroxymonosulfuric
acid and~or its salts,
B) as the surfactant component predominantly or
exclusively
i) primary or secondary alkylsulfonic acids
containing a linear, branched or cyclic alkyl
group of 6 to 18 carbon atoms, and/or
ii) aromatic sulfonic acids of the formula

o
R
(S03H)m (S03H~n
in which R is a branched or linaar alkyl radical of 8 to
18 carbon atoms and m and n are in each case O or 1,
with the proviso that the total of m + n is eith~r 1 or
2, and/or
iii) salts of these sulfonic acids as well as water
and, if desired, stabilizers, agents for enhancing the
fungicidal potency and other customary additives.
The disinfectant concentrate according to the
invention is chemically and physically stable. On th-
one hand the active-oxygen content is retained in the
concentrate over a long period of time. On the other
hand no phase separation takes place; no precipi~ates
form; the components are mutually compatible and remain
in clear solution over a long period of time.~The
surfactants used according to the invention support the
disinfection and cleansing action and reinforce these to
the extent of a synergistic rise of activity.
Surprisingly, in contrast to the claim of EP-
A-188,025 re~erred to above, it is precisely the
selected, special anionic surfactants which should be
used according to the present invention for the
preparation of liquid formulations of peroxymonosulfuric
acid and its salts with a long shelf life.
The overwhelming majority of commercially ~
available surfactants are unsuitable for the preparation
of disinfectant concentrat-s based on peroxy~onosulfuric
acid and its salts. Formulations consisting of 10 ~ by
weight of caroate, 2.5 % by~weight of surfactant and
87.5 ~ by weight of water normally exhibit
incompatibility between the components, as demonstrated
by phase separation, precipitation, non-homogeneity and
destabilization of the active-oxygen compound. In view

2g~6~
of the large number of unsuitable surfactants it is
surprising that it was possible to find special
surfactants which do not exhibit these
incompatibilities.
It is preferred according to the invention
that the active-oxygen component A) is present in the
disinfectant concentrate in the form of the mixture
(triple salt) designated as Caro-like, and contains
approximately 45 % by weight RHS05, 30 ~ by weight K2S04
and 25 ~ by weight KHS04.
The concentration of the active-oxygen
component A) in the disinfectant concentrate is usually
between 1 % by weight up to the point of maximum
solubility. The concentration of the active-oxygen
component A) is preferably 5 to 15 ~ by weight.
The primary or secondary alkylsulfonic acids
used as the surfactant component B) i) contain 8 to 16
carbon atoms in the alkyl group.
Regarding the aromatic sulfonic acids of the
formula
' \~R
(S03H)m (S03~)n
used as the surfactant component ~) ii), it is preferred
that the group R is a linear alkyl radical of 10 to 16
carbon atoms.
It is further preferred that in the formula of
the aromatic sulfonic acid B) ii) the total of
m ~ n = 2.
It i5 also preferred that in the formula of
the aromatic sulfonic acid B) ii) the alkyl radicals R
are in the para position to the ether oxygen bridge.
Regarding the sulfonic acid salts B) iiij, it
is preferred that they are alkali metal salts, alkaline
earth metal salts and~or ammonium salts.

- 6 ~
In the disinfectant concentrate according to
the invention the surfactant component B) is usually
present in an amount from 0.1 to 200 %, preferably 1 to
100 % and particularly preferably 5 to 50 %, based on
the weight of the active-oxygen component A).
To ensure good stability of the disinfectant
concentrate according to the invention, it is very
important that the chloride content in the liquid
concentrate does not exceed an upper limit. The
lo disinfectant concentrate according to the invention
preferably contains less than 0.5 % by weight of
chloride. On the other hand, very small amounts of
chloride can have a stabilizing action. It~is therefore
particularly preferred that the chloride content of the~
concentrate according to the invention is in the region
from 0.005 to 0.5 % by weight.
It may be expedient to add stabilizers to the
disinfectant concentrate according to the invention.
Certain phosphonic acids, especially l-hydroxyethane-
l,l-diphosphonic acid, morpholinomethane-diphosphonic
acid or amino-tris-methylenephosphonic acid, are
suitable for this purpose. Pyridinecarboxylic acids,
especially pyridine-2,6-dicarboxylic acid, are likewise
suitable stabilizers. Finally it is also possible to
use for thi~ purpose pyrrolidone acids, especially~2-
pyrrolidone-5-carboxylic acid. The said stabilizers may
also be employed in the form of their salts or in
combination with their salts. It is preferred that the
stabilizer are present in the disinfectant concentrate
according to the invention in a concentration from 0.01
to 2 % by weight.
For some applications it may be desirable that
the disinfectant concentrate according to the invention
contains an agent for~enhancing fungicidal potency~ The
agents prefsrred for this purpose are N-octylisodiazol-
3-one and/or benzoic acids and/or salts of these~
compounds. Theee agents for enhancing fungicidal

- 7 ~ X
potency are preferably present in the disinfectant
concentrate accordinq to the invention in a
concentration from 0.1 to 3 % by weight.
The typical watQr cont~nt of the disinfectant
concentrate according to the invention is in the rQgion
from 40 to g9 % by weight, prefera~ly 60 to 95 % by
weight and most preferably 80 to 90 % by weight.
The pH of the disin~ectant concentrate
according to the invention is normally 0 to 6,
lo preferably 0.5 to 2.5.
The invention also relates to the use of the
liquid disinfectant concentrate for the preparation o~ a
ready-for-use disinfectant solution by dilution with
water. The concentrate according to the invention is
normally diluted for this purpose with water to a 20 to
400 fold volume. The diluted, ready-for-use
disinfectant solution prepared in this manner has a
typical pH in the region from 2 to 4. It is suitable
for carrying out disinfection in the greatest variety of
fields. Examples are surfaces, equipment, instruments,
materials for use in the medical, industrial and
commercial sectors (for example in breweries, dairies,
abattoirs, pharmaceutical sector, foodstuff sector), in
the house and kitchen, and in the sanitary and
veterinary sectors. The ready-for-use disinfectant may
be used inter alia in the following manners: spraying,
wiping, pouring, dipping, insertion, by a high-pressure
method, moist fabrics. The disinfectants may be
employed for cleansing,~cleansing with a disinfectant
action, disinfection and reduction of microorganism~
count. The disinfectant~may be used in combination with
suitable cleansing agent~ or other disinfectants. The
disinfectant solutions according to the invention~have a
wide spectrum of activity, for example against bacterià,
molds, yeast~, mycobacteria, viruses with and without ~ ;
envelopes, and both vegetative microorganisms as well as
their permanent forms.

- 8
Dyes, odorants and corrosion inhibitors may be
additionally added to the disinfectant concentrate
according to the invantion.
The examples below elucidate the invention in
greater detail.
~xample 1
87.5 % by weight of water, FD (fully
demineraliZQd)
lO % ~y weight of caroate ("Caro-likel' above)
lo 2.5 % by weight of a 45 % by weight solution
of the sodium salt B) iii) of the aromatic
sulfonic acid Dowfax 3B2 (Clo linear alkylated
sodium diphenyloxide disulphonate~
A clear, faintly yellowish and virtually
odorless concentrate which was visually unchanged even
after one month, was obtained. The KHS05 content
immediately after the preparation was 4.3 ~ by weight.
After one month a content of 4.3 % by weight was
det~rmined. After 4 months the content was 4.0 ~ by
20 weight.
Example 2
87.3 % by weight of water, FD
10 % by weight of caroate
2.5 % by weight of a 45 % by weight solution
of Dowfax 3B2
0.2 % by weigh$ of amino-tris-
methylenephosphonic acid.
A clear, yellowish~and virtually odorless
concentrate was obtained which was visually unchanged
after one month. Immediately after the preparation a
KHS05 content of 4.4 % by weight was determined. After
one month and after 4 months the content in each case~
was 4.0 % by weiqht.
Exampie 3
87.3 % by weight of water, FD
lO % by weight of caroate
2.5 % by weight of a 45 % by weight solution

- 9 - ~ o:~
of Dowfax 3B2
O.1 % by weight of pyridine-2,6-dicarboxylic
acid
0.1 % by weight of amino-tris-
methylenephosphonic acid.
A clear, yellowish and virtually odarless
concentrate was obtained which was visually unchanged
after one month. Immediately after the preparation a
KHSO5 content of 4.3 S by weight was determined. After
one month the content was 4.2 % by weight, after 4
months at room temperature the content was 3.9 % by
weight.~
Example 4
87.5 % by weight of water, FD
10 % by weight of caroate
2.5 % by weight of alkylsulfonic acid as its
sodium ~alt B) iii) = Nergolat W-93
(Bayer A.G.), C10-Cl8 linear a}kyl
sodium alkyl sulfonate)
The above components gave rise to a clear,
almost colorless and odorless concentrate which was
visually unchanged after one month. Immediately after
the preparation the KHS05 content was 4.0 % by weight.
After one month a content of 3.9 % by weight was
determined, after 4 months the content was 3.7 % by
weight.
Example 5
87.3 % by weight of water, FD
10 % by weight of caroate
2.5 % by weight of Mergolat W-93
0.2 % by weiqht of amino-tris- ;~
methylenephosphonic acid.
A clear, almost oolorless and virtually
odorless concentrate which was visually unchanged even
after one month, was obtained. Immediately after the
preparation the KHS05 content was 4.0 % by weight.
After one month a content o~ 3.9 % by weight was

- 10
determined. After 4 ~onths the content was 3.7 % by
weight.
Example 6
87.3 % by weight of water, ~D
10 % by weight of caroate
2.5 % by weiyht of Mergolat W-93
O.1 % by weight of pyridine-2,6-dicarboxylic
acid
0.1 ~ by weight of amino-tris-
methylenephosphonic acid.
A clear, almost colorless and virtually
odorless concentrate which wàs visually unchanged after
one month, was obtained. Immediately aft~er the
preparation a KHS05 content of 4.0 % by wleight wa
determined. After one ~onth the content ~as 3.8 % by
weight, after 4 months the content was 3.4 % by weight.
The above Examples l to 6 illustrate the good
stability of the disinfectant concentrate according to
the invention. The examples below illustrate the
application of the disinfectant concentrates to the
invention for the preparation of ready-for-use solutions
which are good disinfectants.
Example 7
85.3 % by weight of water, FD
12.0 % by weight of caroate
2.5 % by weight of a 45 % by weight solution
of Dowfax 3B2
0.2 ~ by weight of amino-tris-
methylenephosphonic acid.
The above components gave rise to a clear,
faintly yellowish and virtually odorless disinfectant
concentrate. Ready-for-use solutions, containing 3.00,
2.00, 1.00, 0.50 and 0.25 % by volume of the
concentrate, were prepared from this concentrate by
dilution with water. (It is of course possible, if
d~sired, to use a higher concentration, for exa~ple with
a higher degree of soiling or for resistant micro-
.

organisms.)
These ready-for-use solutions of different
dilution were used for suspension tests in accordance
with the guidelines for the te'sting of chemical
disinfectants, issued by the G,erman Society for
Veterinary Nedicine, produced by the committee
"Disinfection in veterinary medicine", new edition 1984.
The tests were carried out both with albumin and without
albumin, once using 10 % bovine serum and once using 20
% bovine serum. The results are given in Table I below.
The figures in the table indicate in each case the time
required for killing the micro-organisms.
The table illustrates th~ good disinfectant
action of the ready-for-use solutions prepared according
to the invention.

-- 12 --
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D ~D lD ~ D
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C~ U A A A ~ A A A A
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,8
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O ~11~ Ir) It~ D U~ D ~D
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D ~ D ~D ~D
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a. ~
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U~ ~ A A ~ A A
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- 13 -
Example 8
80.8 % by weight of water, FD
12.0 % by weight of caroate
5.0 % by weight of a 45 ~ by weight solution
of Dowfax 3B~
0.2 % by weight of amino-tris-
methylene~phosphonic acid.
0.2 ~ by weight of benzoic acid
2.0 % by weight of a mixture of 45 parts by
lo weight of N-octylisothiazolone and
55 parts hy weight of 1,2-propylene
glyc~
The above components gave rise to a clear
disinfectant concentrate. Ready-for-use solutions
containing 3, 2 and 1 ~ hy volume of the concentrate,
were prepared from the concentrate by dilution with
water.
The ready-for-use solutions of different
dilution were subjected to a suspension test according
to the "Guide-lines for the testing and evaluation o~
chemical disinfection processes" of the German society
for Hygiene and Microbiology (cf. Zentralblatt fl~r
Bakteriologie, Mikrobiologie und Hygiene, Series B:
Hygiene, environmental hygiene, hospital hygiene,
industrial hygiene, preventive medicine; volume 172, No.
6 (1981)).
The tests were carried out with Candida
albicans and Aspergillus niger. They were carried out
with and without albumin, the latter tests with 10 %
bovine serum.
The results are given in Table II below. It
is clear from the table that this di~infectant had an
improved fungicidal potency.

Table II
Concentration Candida Aspergillus
used [~] albicans niger
3 5 5
without 2 5 5
serum 1 5 5
3 5 30
with 2 5 30
10% serum 1 :30 30
Examples 9 to 13
Disinfectant concentrates were prepared having
compositions as stated in Table III. Virtually odorless
concentrates were obtained; their appearance immediately
after the preparation is described in Table III.
Samples of these concentrates were retained for 9 months
at room temperature (RT) and at a slightly elavated
temperature (40). Table III shows the change of the
KHSO5 content in relation to storage temperature and
time. In addition, the appearance after 9 months is
listed.
Examples 9 to 13 indicate that a small amount
of chloride in the concentrate has a favorable influence
on stability.

- 15 ~ L~
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_ 0 O, U- Co~l o~J o ~ ~ L ~ D _ D ~
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