Antimicrobial compositions
View Patent ↗What is described herein are antimicrobial compositions which are defined blends of a 1,2-diol and phenoxyethanol which show broad activity against bacteria, fungi and mold spores. This activity is potentiated by the addition thereto of small amounts of a co-biocide for which the blend acts as a delivery system for the otherwise water-insoluble co-biocide.
1. An antimicrobial composition which is active against gram-negative bacteria selected from the group consisting of E. coli and P. aeruginosa , gram-positive Staph aureus bacteria, C. albicans , yeast, B. cepacia and A. niger mold spores, said antimicrobial composition consisting essentially of, by wt.:
(a) 40-60% of a 1,2-diol selected from the group consisting of 1,2-pentanediol, 1,2-hexanediol, 1,2-octanediol and mixtures thereof,
(b) 40-60% phenoxyethanol; and
(c) 0-10% of a co-biocide selected from the group consisting of sorbic acid, benzoic acid, dibromodicyanobutane, and 1,2-benzisothiazolin-3-one.
2. An antimicrobial composition according to claim 1 in which (c) is present and is sorbic acid.
3. An antimicrobial composition according to claim 1 wherein (a) is about 44% and (b) is about 56%.
4. An antimicrobial composition according to claim 2 wherein the sorbic acid is present in an amount of about 5-7% of the composition.
5. An antimicrobial composition of claim 1 wherein (a) is 41-42%, (b) is 52-53%; and (c) is sorbic acid at 5-7%.
6. An antimicrobial composition of claim 1 wherein (a) is present in an amount of 43.3%; (b) is present in an amount of 55.3%; and (c) is present in an amount of 1.4%.
7. An antimicrobial composition consisting essentially of, by weight, based on the total weight of (a) and (b):
(a) 40-60% of a 1,2-diol selected from the group consisting of 1,2-pentanediol, 1,2-hexanediol, 1,2-octanediol and mixtures thereof;
(b) 40-60% phenoxyethanol; and
(c) 0-10% of a co-biocide selected from the group consisting of sorbic acid, benzoic acid, dibromodicyano-butane, 1,2-benzisothiazolin-3-one, and mixtures thereof,
wherein said antimicrobial composition is active against at least one of E. coli, Staph aureus, P. aeruginosa, B. cepacia, C. albicans , and A. niger.
8. An antimicrobial composition according to claim 7 in which (c) is present and is sorbic acid.
9. An antimicrobial composition according to claim 8 wherein the sorbic acid is present in an amount of about 5-7% of the composition.
10. An antimicrobial composition according to claim 7 wherein (a) is about 40% and (b) is about 60%.
11. An antimicrobial composition according to claim 10 wherein (a) comprises 1,2-octanediol.
12. An antimicrobial composition according to claim 10 wherein a co-biocide is present.
13. An antimicrobial composition according to claim 12 wherein the co-biocide is sorbic acid.
14. An antimicrobial composition according to claim 13 wherein the sorbic acid is present in an amount of about 5-7%.