Aqueous disinfectants and sterilants including transition metals
The present invention is drawn to disinfectant or sterilant compositions, which are human safe, e.g., food grade or food safe. In one embodiment, an aqueous disinfectant or sterilant composition can comprise an aqueous vehicle, including water, from 0.001 wt % to 50 wt % of a peracid, and from 0.001 wt % to 25 wt % of a peroxide. Additionally, from 0.001 ppm to 50,000 ppm by weight of a transition metal based on the aqueous vehicle content can also be present. The composition can be substantially free of aldehydes. Alternatively or additionally, the transition metal can be in the form of a colloidal transition metal.
1 . An aqueous disinfectant or sterilant composition, comprising:
a) an aqueous vehicle, including:
i) water;
ii) from 0.001 wt % to 50 wt % of a peracid; and
iii) from 0.001 wt % to 25 wt % of a peroxide,
b) from 0.001 ppm to 50,000 ppm by weight of a transition metal or alloy thereof based on the aqueous vehicle content,
with the proviso that the disinfectant composition is substantially free of aldehydes.
2 . A composition as in claim 1 , wherein the disinfectant composition is substantially free of chlorine and bromine-containing components.
3 . A composition as in claim 1 , wherein the disinfectant composition is substantially free of iodophore-containing components.
4 . A composition as in claim 1 , wherein the disinfectant composition is substantially free of phenolic-containing components.
5 . A composition as in claim 1 , wherein the disinfectant composition is substantially free of quaternary ammonium-containing components.
6 . A composition as in claim 1 , further comprising from 0.001 wt % to 95 wt % C 1 -C 24 alcohol as part of the aqueous vehicle.
7 . A composition as in claim 6 , wherein C 1 -C 24 alcohol is selected from the group consisting of methanol, ethanol, propanols, butanols, pentanols, and mixtures thereof.
8 . A composition as in claim 6 , wherein the C 1 -C 24 alcohol is a polyhydric alcohol.
9 . A composition as in claim 8 , wherein the polyhydric alcohol includes two alcohol groups.
10 . A composition as in claim 8 , wherein the polyhydric alcohol includes three alcohol groups.
11 . A composition as in claim 6 , wherein the C 1 -C 24 alcohol is present at from 1 wt % to 50 wt % as part of the aqueous vehicle.
12 . A composition as in claim 6 , wherein the C 1 -C 24 alcohol is present at from 5 wt % to 15 wt % as part of the aqueous vehicle.
13 . A composition as in claim 1 , wherein the transition metal or alloy thereof is a Group VI to Group XI transition metal or alloy thereof.
14 . A composition as in claim 1 , wherein the transition metal or alloy thereof is a Group X to Group XI transition metal or alloy thereof.
15 . A composition as in claim 1 , wherein the transition metal or alloy thereof is selected from the group consisting of ruthenium, rhodium, osmium, iridium, palladium, platinum, copper, gold, silver, alloys thereof, and mixtures thereof.
16 . A composition as in claim 1 , wherein the transition metal or alloy thereof is a colloidal transition metal or alloy thereof.
17 . A composition as in claim 16 , wherein the colloidal transition metal is colloidal silver.
18 . A composition as in claim 16 , wherein the colloidal transition metal or alloy thereof has an average particle size of from 0.001 μm to 1.0 μm.
19 . A composition as in claim 16 , wherein the colloidal transition metal or alloy thereof has an average particle size of from 0.030 μm to 0.5 μm.
20 . A composition as in claim 1 , wherein the transition metal or alloy thereof is an ionic transition metal.
21 . A composition as in claim 1 , wherein the transition metal or alloy thereof is present at from 15 ppm to 1500 ppm by weight.
22 . A composition as in claim 1 , wherein the peracid is an aliphatic peroxyacid.
23 . A composition as in claim 1 , wherein the peracid is an aromatic peroxyacid.
24 . A composition as in claim 1 , wherein the peracid is selected from the group consisting of peroxyformic acid, peroxyacetic acid, peroxyoxalic acid, peroxypropanoic acid, perlactic acid, peroxybutanoic acid, peroxypentanoic acid, peroxyhexanoic acid, peroxyadipic acid, peroxycitric, peroxybenzoic acid, and mixtures thereof.
25 . A composition as in claim 1 , wherein the peracid is present at from 0.001 wt % to 25 wt % as part of the aqueous vehicle.
26 . A composition as in claim 1 , wherein the peracid is present at from 1 wt % to 10 wt % as part of the aqueous vehicle.
27 . A composition as in claim 1 , wherein the peroxide is hydrogen peroxide.
28 . A composition as in claim 1 , wherein the peroxide is a metal peroxide.
29 . A composition as in claim 28 , wherein the metal peroxide is selected from the group consisting of sodium peroxide, magnesium peroxide, calcium peroxide, barium peroxide, and strontium peroxide, and mixtures thereof.
30 . A composition as in claim 1 , wherein the peroxide is a peroxyhydrate.
31 . A composition as in claim 1 , wherein the peroxide is generated in situ.
32 . A composition as in claim 31 , wherein the peroxide is hydrogen peroxide generated from sodium percarbonate.
33 . A composition as in claim 1 , wherein the peroxide is present at from 0.001 wt % to 10 wt % as part of the aqueous vehicle.
34 . A composition as in claim 1 , wherein the peroxide is present at from 1 wt % to 3 wt % as part of the aqueous vehicle.