Hard surface cleaning and disinfecting compositions comprising essential oils

• US 6,114,298 A
• Filed: 05/13/1999
• Issued: 09/05/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 11/13/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: The Procter & Gamble Company
• Original Assignee: The Procter & Gamble Company
• Inventors: Serego Allighieri, Giadra, Petri, Marco, Trani, Marina, Romano, Nicoletta
• Primary Examiner(s): OGDEN JR, NECHOLUS
• Application Number:
  US09/308,062
• Time in Patent Office: 481 Days
• Field of Search: 510/417, 510/365, 510/367, 510/372, 510/123, 510/370, 510/375, 510/463, 510/503, 510/506
• US Class Current: 510/372
• CPC Class Codes: A01N 25/04 Dispersions, emulsions, suspoemulsions, suspension concentrates or gels foams A01N25/16
• CPC Class Codes: A01N 25/30 characterised by the surfactants
• CPC Class Codes: A01N 27/00 Biocides, pest repellants or attractants, or plant growth regulators containing hydrocarbons
• CPC Class Codes: A01N 31/02 Acyclic compounds
• CPC Class Codes: A01N 31/04 Oxygen or sulfur attached to an aliphatic side-chain of a carbocyclic ring system
• CPC Class Codes: A01N 31/08 Oxygen or sulfur directly attached to an aromatic ring system
• CPC Class Codes: A01N 31/16 with two or more oxygen or sulfur atoms directly attached to the same aromatic ring system
• CPC Class Codes: A01N 49/00 Biocides, pest repellants or attractants, or plant growth regulators, containing compounds containing the group , wherein m+n>=1, both X together may also mean —Y— or a direct carbon-to-carbon bond, and the carbon atoms marked with an asterisk are not part of any ring system other than that which may be formed by the atoms X, the carbon atoms in square brackets being part of any acyclic or cyclic structure, or the group , wherein A means a carbon atom or Y, n>=0, and not more than one of these carbon atoms being a member of the same ring system, e.g. juvenile insect hormones or mimics thereof containing hydrocarbons A01N27/00
• CPC Class Codes: A01N 59/00 Biocides, pest repellants or attractants, or plant growth regulators containing elements or inorganic compounds
• CPC Class Codes: A01N 65/00 Biocides, pest repellants or attractants, or plant growth regulators containing material from algae, lichens, bryophyta, multi-cellular fungi or plants, or extracts thereof containing compounds of determined constitution A01N27/00 - A01N59/00
• CPC Class Codes: C11D 17/0021 Aqueous microemulsions
• CPC Class Codes: C11D 3/0084 Antioxidants; Free-radical scavengers
• CPC Class Codes: C11D 3/18 Hydrocarbons C11D3/164 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C11D 3/2068 Ethers
• CPC Class Codes: C11D 3/3947 Liquid compositions
• CPC Class Codes: C11D 3/43 Solvents
• CPC Class Codes: C11D 3/48 Medical, disinfecting agents, disinfecting, antibacterial, germicidal or antimicrobial compositions
• CPC Class Codes: C11D 3/50 Perfumes

Abstract

In its broadest embodiment the present invention relates to the use of a microemulsion comprising a surfactant, an aqueous phase and droplets dispersed in said aqueous phase, said droplets comprising an essential oil or an active thereof, and said droplets having a particle sized of less than 100 nanometers, for disinfecting a surface. The present invention further encompasses a microemulsion suitable for disinfecting a surface, comprising a surfactant, an aqueous phase comprising a bleach, and droplets dispersed in said aqueous phase, said droplets comprising an essential oil or an active thereof, and said droplets having a particle size of less than 100 nanometers.

Claims

1. A composition in the form of a microemulsion suitable for disinfecting surfaces, said composition comprising:

a) an aqueous phase which comprises;

i) from 0.01% to 40% by weight, of a surfactant, wherein said surfactant is a betaine surfactant, an N-oxide surfactant, and mixtures thereof;

ii) from 0.001% to 15% by weight, of a peroxygen bleaching system;

iii) from 0.002% to 3% by weight, of a radical scavenger;

iv) the balance water; and

b) a non-aqueous phase which comprises;

i) from 0.005% to 5% by weight, of an essential oils, said essential oils are obtained from sources selected from the group consisting of thyme, lemon grass, lemons, oranges, anise, clove, cinnamon, geraniums, roses, mint, lavender, eucalyptus, citronella, peppermint, camphor, sandalwood, cedar, and mixtures thereof;

ii) the balance one or more hydroxylated solvents, said solvents selected from the group consisting of 2-hexyloxyethanol, ethyleneglycol ethyl ether, ethyleneglycol butyl ether, n-butoxypropyloxypropanol, butyl triglycol ether, butyl diglycol ether, diethyleneglycol butyl ether, 2-(2-butoxyethoxy)-ethanol, 2-(2-propoxyethoxy) propanol, 2-ethyl,-1,3-hexanediol, 2,2,4-trimethyl-1,3-pentanediol, 1,6-hexanediol, and mixtures thereof.

2. A composition according to claim 1 wherein said bleach is hydrogen peroxide.

3. A composition according to claim 2 wherein said essential oil comprises a terpene selected from the group consisting of geraniol, thymol, eugenol, eucalyptol, and mixtures thereof.

4. A composition according to claim 1 wherein said betaine surfactant has the formula:

##STR2## wherein R₁ is a hydrocarbon chain containing from 1 to 24 carbon atoms, R₂ and R₃ independently contain from 1 to 3 carbon atoms, the index n is an integer from 1 to 10, Y is selected from carboxyl, sulfonyl, or mixtures thereof, and the sum of the number of carbon atoms in R₁, R₂ and R₃ is from 14 to 24.

5. A composition according to claim 4 wherein said index n has the value of 1.

6. A composition according to claim 1 comprising from 0.05% to 15% by weight of a surfactant.

7. A composition according to claim 6 comprising from 0.1% to 12% by weight of a surfactant.

8. A composition according to claim 1 wherein said bleach is selected from the group consisting of hydrogen peroxide, percarbonates, persilicates, persulphates, perborates, peroxyacids, hydroperoxides, aromatic diacyl peroxides, aromatic diacyl peroxides, and mixtures thereof.

9. A composition according to claim 1 comprising from 0.1% to 10% by weight, of said peroxygen bleach.

10. A composition according to claim 9 comprising from 0.2% to 5% by weight, of said peroxygen bleach.

11. A composition according to claim 1 comprising from 0.002% to 1.5% by weight, of a free radical scavenger.

12. A composition according to claim 1 wherein said free radical scavenger is selected from the group consisting of di-tert-butyl hydroxytoluene, p-hydroxytoluene, hydroquinone, di-tert-butyl hydroquinone, mono-tert-butyl-hydroquinone, tert-butyl-hydroxyanisole, p-hydroxy-anisole, benzoic acid, 2,5-dihydroxyterephtalic acid, toluic acid, catechol, t-butyl catechol, 4-allyl-catechol, 4-acetyl-catechol, 2-methoxyphenol, 2-ethoxyphenol, 2-methoxy-4-(2-propenyl)phenol, 3,4-dihydroxybenzaldehyde, 2,3-dihydroxybenzaldehyde, benzylamine, 1,1,2-tris(2-methyl-4-hydroxy-5-t-butylphenyl)butane, and mixtures thereof.

13. A composition according to claim 1 comprising from 0.006% to 3% by weight, of said essential oil.

14. A composition according to claim 13 comprising from 0.05% to 1% by weight, of said essential oil.

15. A composition according to claim 6 wherein said aqueous phase further comprises from 0.005% to 5% by weight, of a shear thinning polymeric thickener.

16. A composition according to claim 6 wherein said aqueous phase further comprises from 0.01% to 2% by weight, of a shear thinning polymeric thickener.

17. A composition according to claim 16 wherein said aqueous phase further comprises from 0.01% to 1% by weight, of a shear thinning polymeric thickener.