Solid antimicrobial glutaraldehyde compositions and their uses
A solid glutaraldehyde composition is provided having an increased glass transition temperature. The glutaraldehyde can be used in a method of treating a wellbore or a subterranean formation, by introducing the composition to a wellbore or to an injection line within a wellbore in an amount effective to reduce biodegradation of crude oil, reduce corrosion of metal surfaces from sulfur-reducing bacteria, or to reduce the introduction of bacteria into the formation, reduce microbial contamination of a fluid introduced into the wellbore, or reduce microbial contamination of a pipeline.
1. A solid antimicrobial composition comprising:
from 2 to 70 wt. % glutaraldehyde;
from 10 to 79.9 wt. % sucrose;
from 0.1 to 20 wt. % polyacrylic acid; and
less than 10 wt. % water,
wherein the composition is derived from a molten blend comprising the glutaraldehyde, sucrose and polyacrylic acid; and the glass transition temperature of the composition is at least 5° C. greater than the glass transition temperature of the same composition devoid of polyacrylic acid.
2. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the glass transition temperature of the composition is 5 to 10° C. greater than the glass transition temperature of the same composition devoid of polyacrylic acid.
3. The composition of claim 1 , comprising from 20 to 70 wt. % glutaraldehyde; from 10 to 79.9 wt.% sucrose; from 0.1 to 10 wt. % polyacrylic acid; and less than 10 wt. % water.
4. The composition of claim 1 , comprising from 30 to 60wt. % glutaraldehyde; from 33 to 68 wt. % sucrose; from 2 to 5 wt. % polyacrylic acid; and less than 5 wt. % water.
5. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the polyacrylic acid has a molecular weight greater than 50,000 Daltons.
6. The composition of claim 5 , wherein the polyacrylic acid has a molecular weight ranging from 75,000 to 250,000 Daltons.
7. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the composition is in the form of a rod, a powder, a block, pastilles or granules, or a pressed or extruded solid made from powder, pastilles or granules.
8. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the composition does not contain a silica.
9. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the polyacrylic acid is soluble in an aqueous glutaraldehyde solution.
10. The composition of claim 1 , further comprising a monovalent or polyvalent metal.
11. The composition of claim 10 , wherein the polyvalent metal comprises magnesium, calcium, zinc, or a combination thereof.
12. A method of making the solid antimicrobial composition of claim 1 , the method comprising:
adding the sucrose to aqueous glutaraldehyde to form a mixture;
heating the mixture to dissolve the sucrose to form a clear homogeneous solution;
adding the polyacrylic acid to the mixture before or during heating of the mixture; and
removing volatiles from the solution to form the solid antimicrobial composition.
13. The method of claim 12 , further comprising adding to the mixture or the homogeneous solution from 0.01 to 10 wt. % of a source of a polyvalent metal ion, based on the total weight of the homogenous solution.
14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the polyvalent metal ion comprises magnesium or calcium.
15. A method of preserving, sanitizing, disinfecting or sterilizing a contaminated surface or material, the method comprising:
exposing the contaminated surface or material to an effective amount of the composition of claim 1 .
16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the contaminated surface or material is at least a portion of a cooling water system, a heating, ventilation or air conditioning system, medical equipment, dental equipment, food and beverage handling equipment, a food or beverage container, a textile, clothing, a mining operation, a hydraulic fracturing operation, a gas storage system, an oil storage system, a phase separation system or tank, a pipeline pigging operation, an oil well, a crude oil, a natural gas stream, a refined oil, an injection fluid, a pipeline, a drilling fluid, a fracturing fluid, produced water or livestock hooves or teats.
17. A method of treating a wellbore or a subterranean formation, the method comprising:
introducing the composition of claim 1 to a wellbore or to an injection line within a wellbore in an amount effective to reduce biodegradation of crude oil, reduce corrosion of metal surfaces from sulfur-reducing bacteria, or to reduce the introduction of bacteria into the formation, reduce microbial contamination of a fluid introduced into the wellbore, or reduce microbial contamination of a pipeline.
18. The method of claim 17 , wherein the composition is introduced at a dosage rate of 10 to 10,000 ppm as active glutaraldehyde.