Chemical combination for the generation of disinfectant and heat

• US 8,182,715 B2
• Filed: 05/26/2009
• Issued: 05/22/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 11/10/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The United States Of America As Represented By The Secretary Of The Army
• Original Assignee: The United States Of America As Represented By The Secretary Of The Army
• Inventors: Doona, Christopher, Curtin, Maria, Taub, Irwin A., Kustin, Kenneth
• Primary Examiner(s): Eashoo, Mark
• Assistant Examiner(s): Godenschwager, Peter F
• Application Number:
  US12/471,953
• Publication Number:
  US 20100086623A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,092 Days
• Field of Search: 252/187.23
• US Class Current: 252/187.23
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 2/186 Peroxide solutions
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 2/208 Hydrogen peroxide
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 2202/16 Mobile applications, e.g. portable devices, trailers, devices mounted on vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: C11D 3/0042 Reducing agents
• CPC Class Codes: C11D 3/046 Salts
• CPC Class Codes: C11D 3/1206 free metals, e.g. aluminium grit or flakes
• CPC Class Codes: C11D 3/2086 Hydroxy carboxylic acids-salts thereof
• CPC Class Codes: C11D 3/3947 Liquid compositions
• CPC Class Codes: C11D 3/3956 Liquid compositions
• CPC Class Codes: C11D 3/48 Medical, disinfecting agents, disinfecting, antibacterial, germicidal or antimicrobial compositions

Abstract

This invention comprises a lightweight, portable chemical combination of reagents for sterilizing or disinfecting objects in the absence of electrical power or fire. The chemical combination includes a chemical oxidant with the capacity to liberate a biocidal intermediate, a chemical reductant of the oxidant with the capacity to react with the oxidant, and an effector to induce a reaction between the oxidant and reductant. In one embodiment, the oxidant comprises chlorite, the reductant comprises sulfite, and the effector comprises ascorbate. In another embodiment, the chemical combination comprises the oxidant, reductant, effector and iron-activated magnesium. When water or water solutions are added to either embodiment, the chemical combination generates heat, steam and a biocidal intermediate that can destroy contaminating microorganisms. In one embodiment, the biocidal intermediate is a halogen-based biocidal intermediate, such as chlorine dioxide. In another embodiment, the biocidal intermediate is a halogen-free biocidal intermediate.

Claims

1. A chemical combination of constituents, for reacting to generate a biocidal intermediate, for use in disinfecting and sterilizing inert objects, said constituents comprising:

a liquid solvent constituent comprising an aqueous solution such as water or water solutions having the capacity to function as a source of steam, said liquid solvent being in a range of between about 0.22 mole and about 33.3 moles;

a chemical oxidant constituent having the capacity to liberate a biocidal intermediate, said chemical oxidant being in a range of between about 0.003 mole and about 2.1 moles;

a chemical reductant constituent having the capacity to reduce said chemical oxidant, said chemical reductant being in a range of between about 0.003 mole and about 1.0 mole;

an electron-transfer effector compound constituent in a range of between about 0.0012 mole and about 0.25 mole inducing electron-transfer reaction chemistry between said chemical oxidant and said chemical reductant in order to cause said chemical oxidant to liberate a biocidal intermediate, said effector being a reducing sugar parent compound, with the proviso that said effector excludes the acid form of the parent compound, such that the effector does not contribute protons for allowing a reaction through acidification; and

a metallic reductant and an activator constituents having the capacity to reduce said liquid solvent, said metallic reductant and an activator being in a range of between about 0.058 mole and about 3.3 moles;

wherein upon said combination of the constituents, the effector initiates a reduction of the oxidant by a transfer of an electron from the oxidant to the effector for causing a release of heat, a decrease in solution pH, and a release of biocidal intermediate in heated gaseous and aqueous forms, said reaction between the effector and oxidant inducing chemical reaction between the oxidant and reductant for producing heat and increasing solution pH for generating heated biocidal intermediate, with the proviso that said combination excludes an acid for lowering solution pH from near-neutral pH for affecting said objects to expose any contaminating microorganisms to said intermediate and sterilizing said objects; and

wherein said electron-transfer reaction is exothermic and generates heat, said heat sufficient for converting said aqueous solution to steam for further sterilizing said objects.

2. The chemical combination according to claim 1 wherein said activator is chosen from the group consisting of V, Cr, Mn, Co, Ni, or any other transitional or more noble metal than magnesium and mixtures thereof.

3. The chemical combination according to claim 1 wherein said metallic reductant is chosen from the group consisting of Li, Na, K, Be, Ca, Zn, their corresponding amalgams, and mixtures thereof.

4. The chemical combination according to claim 1 wherein said chemical oxidant is a halogen-based chemical oxidant.

5. The chemical combination according to claim 4 wherein said chemical oxidant comprises a chlorine-containing compound.

6. The chemical combination according to claim 5 wherein said chemical oxidant is chosen from the group consisting of sodium ion salt of chlorite and sodium ion salt of chlorate.

7. The chemical combination according to claim 5 wherein said chemical oxidant is chosen from the group consisting of the lithium ion salt of chlorite and the lithium ion salt of chlorate.

8. The chemical combination according to claim 5 wherein said chemical oxidant is chosen from the group consisting of the potassium ion salt of chlorite and the potassium ion salt of chlorate.

9. The chemical combination composition according to claim 5 wherein said chemical oxidant comprises a metal ion salt of a salt chosen from the group consisting of chlorite or chlorate.

10. The chemical combination according to claim 1 wherein said chemical oxidant is free of chlorine.

11. The chemical combination according to claim 10 wherein said chemical oxidant is chosen from the group consisting of hypobromite, bromite and bromate.

12. The chemical combination according to claim 1 wherein the chemical reductant is chosen from the group consisting of sodium sulfite, sodium dithionite, hypophosphorus acid, and iron(II).

13. The chemical combination according to claim 1 wherein the biocidal intermediate is a halogen-based biocidal intermediate.

14. The chemical combination according to claim 1 wherein the biocidal intermediate comprises chlorine dioxide.

15. The chemical combination according to claim 1 wherein said metallic reductant is configured in a form powers, turnings, ribbons, or wires.

16. A chemical combination of constituents, for generating a biocidal intermediate, for use in disinfecting and sterilizing objects, said constituents comprising:

a liquid solvent constituent comprising an aqueous solution such as water or water solutions having the capacity to function as a source of steam, said liquid solvent being in a range of between about 0.22 mole and about 33.3 moles;

a chemical oxidant constituent, comprising chlorite, having the capacity to liberate a biocidal intermediate, said chemical oxidant being in a range of between about 0.003 mole and about 2.1 moles;

a chemical reductant constituent, comprising sulfite, having the capacity to reduce said chemical oxidant, said chemical reductant being in a range of between about 0.003 mole and about 1.0 mole;

an electron-transfer effector compound constituent in a range of between about 0.0012 mole and about 0.25 mole, said effector compound being a reducing sugar, inducing an electron-transfer reaction between said chemical oxidant and said chemical reductant in order to cause said chemical oxidant to liberate a biocidal intermediate, said biocidal intermediate being chlorine dioxide; and

a metallic reductant and an activator constituent being in a range of between about 0.058 mole and about 3.3 moles, said metallic reductant being chosen from the group consisting of Li, Na, K, Be, Ca, Zn, their corresponding amalgams, and mixtures thereof, and the activator being chosen from the group consisting of V, Cr, Mn, Co, Ni, or any other transitional or more noble metal than magnesium and mixtures thereof, having the capacity to reduce said liquid solvent;

said oxidant, chemical reductant, effector, and metallic reductant are mixed for forming a mixture in a single reactor vessel, and said mixture is combined with said aqueous solution for forming said combination, and wherein upon said combination of the constituents, the effector initiates a reduction of the oxidant by a transfer of an electron from the oxidant to the effector for causing a release of heat, a decrease in solution pH, and a release of biocidal intermediate in heated gaseous and aqueous forms, said reaction between the effector and the oxidant inducing chemical reaction between the oxidant and reductant for producing heat and increasing solution pH for generating heated biocidal intermediate at approximately near-neutral pH of about 5 to about 8 for affecting said objects to expose any contaminating microorganisms to said intermediate and sterilizing said objects; and

wherein said electron-transfer reaction is exothermic and generates heat, said heat sufficient for converting said aqueous solution to steam for further sterilizing said objects.