Alcohol composition

Abstract

To provide a novel alcohol formulation with excellent foaming properties and foam stability.SOLUTION: An alcohol composition according to the present invention comprises a C1-4 lower alcohol, water, an anionic surfactant, an ampholytic surfactant, and a pH modifier which is an organic acid or inorganic acid, where a content rate of the lower alcohol is 20 vol.% or more, a molar ratio between the anionic surfactant and the ampholytic surfactant is 1:1 to 1:5, and a pH at 25°C is 2.0 to 5.5.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an alcoholic composition. [Background technology]

[0002] Alcohol disinfectant compositions containing lower alcohols such as ethanol are mainly used in medical settings for the purpose of disinfecting hands and fingers. Typical uses include spraying a liquid from a spray container, discharging a gel from a pump container, discharging a liquid in a foam form using a pump container, and the like.

[0003] Among these modes of use, the mode of spraying the liquid from a spray container is prone to dripping when sprayed onto hands and fingers, which can easily soil floors and the like, and may also splash and get into the eyes and mouth. In addition, the mode of discharging the gel from a pump container may cause the gel to solidify and clog the nozzle, or the gel may partially solidify at the tip of the nozzle, causing the discharge direction to deviate from the specified direction. In contrast, the mode of discharging the liquid from a pump container in the form of foam is less prone to dripping when discharged onto hands and fingers, and the foam disinfectant can be retained for a long time on the entire hands and fingers, making it easier to use. Furthermore, the mode of discharging the liquid from a pump container in the form of foam has the advantage that the disinfected area can be visualized by the presence of foam, resulting in an increased disinfection effect.

[0004] On the other hand, it is known that lower alcohols such as ethanol have a defoaming effect, and it is generally difficult to make an alcohol disinfectant composition into a foam and stably maintain the formed foam. For this reason, technological development is being carried out to make a composition containing a lower alcohol such as ethanol into a foam and stably maintain the formed foam.

[0005] For example, Patent Document 1 discloses an alcohol composition containing a lower alcohol having 1 to 4 carbon atoms, water, an aliphatic higher alcohol having 12 to 20 carbon atoms, and a surfactant other than the above-mentioned aliphatic higher alcohol, in which the content of the lower alcohol is 20% by volume or more.

[0006] Furthermore, Patent Document 2 discloses a disinfectant composition containing: (A) 50 to 70 v / v % of a lower alcohol having 1 to 4 carbon atoms; (B) 0.1 to 0.4 w / w % of an aliphatic higher alcohol having 12 to 16 carbon atoms; (C) 0.5 to 0.8 w / w % of an anionic surfactant; (D) 0.1 to 0.3 w / w % of a chloride salt, sulfate salt, phosphate salt, or carbonate salt of one or more metals selected from the group consisting of sodium, potassium, aluminum, magnesium, and calcium; and (E) water. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0007] [Patent Document 1] International Publication No. 2021 / 079903 [Patent Document 2] Patent Publication No. 2023-028016 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0008] However, the compositions described in Patent Documents 1 and 2 have a problem in that when stored at low temperatures (for example, around 0° C.), the aliphatic higher alcohol separates out, forming a precipitate, and foaming properties are lost. When a composition in which a precipitate has formed is returned to room temperature, the precipitate redissolves and foaming properties are restored, but in consideration of distribution in cold regions, etc., a composition that does not contain an aliphatic higher alcohol as an essential component is desired.

[0009] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a novel alcohol composition having excellent foaming properties and foam stability. [Means for solving the problem]

[0010] Specific means for solving the above problems include the following embodiments. <1> The composition contains a lower alcohol having 1 to 4 carbon atoms, water, an anionic surfactant, an amphoteric surfactant, and a pH adjuster which is an organic acid or an inorganic acid, The content of the lower alcohol is 20% by volume or more, the molar ratio of the anionic surfactant to the amphoteric surfactant is 1:1 to 1:5; An alcohol composition having a pH of 2.0 to 5.5 at 25°C. <2> The lower alcohol is ethanol. <1> The alcohol composition according to claim 1. <3> The amphoteric surfactant is an amine oxide amphoteric surfactant. <1> or <2> The alcohol composition according to claim 1. <4> Dispensing into a container equipped with a foamer mechanism; <1> ~ <3> The alcoholic composition according to any one of claims 1 to 7. Effect of the Invention

[0011] According to the present invention, a novel alcohol composition having excellent foaming properties and foam stability can be provided. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0012] [Figure 1] FIG. 2 is a graph showing the foam stability of an alcohol composition whose pH was adjusted to 5.0 in Test Example 1. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a graph showing the foam stability of an alcoholic composition in Test Example 1 in which the pH was not adjusted. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is a graph showing the foam stability of the alcohol composition prepared in Test Example 2. [Figure 4] FIG. 1 is a graph showing the dynamic surface tension of the alcohol composition prepared in Test Example 3. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0013] Hereinafter, specific embodiments to which the present invention is applied will be described. In this specification, a numerical range indicated using "to" indicates a range including the numerical values ​​before and after "to".

[0014] <Alcohol Composition> The alcohol composition according to the present embodiment contains a lower alcohol having 1 to 4 carbon atoms, water, an anionic surfactant, an amphoteric surfactant, and a pH adjuster which is an organic acid or an inorganic acid, the content of the lower alcohol is 20% by volume or more, the molar ratio of the anionic surfactant to the amphoteric surfactant is 1:1 to 1:5, and the pH at 25°C is 2.0 to 5.5. The alcohol composition according to the present embodiment is excellent in foaming property and foam stability, and can stably maintain the formed foam. The reason why the alcohol composition according to the present embodiment has excellent foam stability is not necessarily clear, but it is presumed that by adjusting the pH of the composition to 2.0 to 5.5, the interaction between the anionic surfactant and the cationized amphoteric surfactant is increased, and a dense adsorption film is formed at the gas-liquid interface of the foam.

[0015] Each component contained in the alcohol composition according to the present embodiment will be described below. Two or more of the components described below may be used in combination as necessary.

[0016] (Lower alcohols with 1 to 4 carbon atoms) Examples of lower alcohols having 1 to 4 carbon atoms include methanol, ethanol, n-propanol, isopropanol, n-butanol, isobutanol, sec-butanol, tert-butanol, etc. Among these, from the viewpoint of effective sterilization and disinfection, ethanol, n-propanol, and isopropanol are preferred, and ethanol is more preferred.

[0017] The content of the lower alcohol (25°C) is 20% by volume or more, preferably 20 to 90% by volume, more preferably 20 to 80% by volume, even more preferably 30 to 70% by volume, particularly preferably 40 to 70% by volume, and extremely preferably 50 to 70% by volume, based on the total amount of the alcohol composition according to this embodiment.

[0018] (water) As the water, ion-exchanged water, purified water, sterile purified water, distilled water, water for injection, etc. can be used.

[0019] The water content (25°C) is preferably 10 to 80 volume % relative to the total amount of the alcoholic composition according to this embodiment, more preferably 20 to 80 volume %, even more preferably 30 to 70 volume %, particularly preferably 30 to 60 volume %, and extremely preferably 30 to 50 volume %.

[0020] (anionic surfactant) Examples of anionic surfactants include N-acylamino acids, N-acyl-N-methyltaurines, higher fatty acids, alkyl ether carboxylic acids, alkyl phosphoric acids, polyoxyethylene alkyl ether phosphoric acids, alkyl sulfuric acids, polyoxyethylene alkyl ether sulfuric acids, sulfonic acid compounds having an alkyl group, and salts thereof (sodium salts, potassium salts, triethanolamine salts, ammonium salts, etc.).

[0021] The acyl moiety (R 1 -C(=O)-) 1 , and higher fatty acids (R 2 -COOH) 2 R is preferably a linear or branched, saturated or unsaturated hydrocarbon group, and more preferably a linear or branched alkyl group. 1 and R 2 The number of carbon atoms is preferably 6 to 30, more preferably 7 to 26, and further preferably 8 to 22.

[0022] The alkyl group in the alkyl ether carboxylic acid, alkyl phosphoric acid, polyoxyethylene alkyl ether phosphoric acid, alkyl sulfate, polyoxyethylene alkyl ether sulfate, and sulfonic acid compound having an alkyl group may be linear or branched. The number of carbon atoms in the alkyl group is preferably 6 to 30, more preferably 7 to 26, and further preferably 8 to 22.

[0023] Among these anionic surfactants, N-acylamino acids, N-acyl-N-methyltaurines, and salts thereof are particularly preferred because they are highly safe and can further improve the foaming properties and foam stability of the alcoholic composition.

[0024] Examples of the N-acyl amino acid include N-acyl glutamic acids such as N-lauroyl glutamic acid, N-myristoyl glutamic acid, N-stearoyl glutamic acid, and N-cocoyl glutamic acid; N-acylaspartic acids such as N-lauroyl aspartic acid, N-myristoyl aspartic acid, N-stearoyl aspartic acid, and N-cocoyl aspartic acid; N-acylalanines such as N-lauroyl alanine, N-myristoyl alanine, and N-cocoyl alanine; N-acyl-N-methylalanines such as N-lauroyl-N-methylalanine, N-myristoyl-N-methylalanine, and N-cocoyl-N-methylalanine; N-acyl glycines such as N-cocoyl glycine; and N-acyl sarcosines such as N-lauroyl sarcosine, N-myristoyl sarcosine, and N-cocoyl sarcosine.

[0025] Examples of N-acyl-N-methyltaurines include N-lauroyl-N-methyltaurine, N-myristoyl-N-methyltaurine, N-palmitoyl-N-methyltaurine, N-stearoyl-N-methyltaurine, and N-cocoyl-N-methyltaurine.

[0026] The content of the anionic surfactant is preferably 0.1 to 10 mass%, more preferably 0.1 to 5 mass%, even more preferably 0.1 to 1 mass%, and particularly preferably 0.2 to 0.5 mass%, relative to the total amount of the alcohol composition according to this embodiment.

[0027] (Amphoteric surfactant) Examples of the amphoteric surfactant include amine oxide type amphoteric surfactants, amidobetaine type amphoteric surfactants, betaine acetate type amphoteric surfactants, sulfobetaine type amphoteric surfactants, and imidazoline type amphoteric surfactants.

[0028] The amine oxide type amphoteric surfactant has three groups bonded to a nitrogen atom. One of the groups is preferably a linear or branched alkyl group having 8 to 18 carbon atoms which may be interrupted by an amide group or an ester group, more preferably an alkyl group having 8 to 16 carbon atoms, and even more preferably an alkyl group having 8 to 14 carbon atoms. The remaining two groups are preferably linear or branched alkyl groups having 1 to 3 carbon atoms, and more preferably a methyl group.

[0029] The amidobetaine type amphoteric surfactants, the acetate betaine type amphoteric surfactants, the sulfobetaine type amphoteric surfactants, and the imidazoline type amphoteric surfactants have a linear or branched alkyl group. The number of carbon atoms in the alkyl group is preferably 6 to 30, more preferably 7 to 26, and even more preferably 8 to 22. The amidobetaine type amphoteric surfactants have an amide moiety (R 3 -C(=O)-NH-) betaine. 3 indicates a linear or branched alkyl group. An acetate betaine type amphoteric surfactant is a betaine having an acetic acid moiety and a linear or branched alkyl group. A sulfobetaine type amphoteric surfactant is a betaine having a sulfonic acid moiety and a linear or branched alkyl group. An imidazoline type amphoteric surfactant is a betaine having an imidazolinium moiety and a linear or branched alkyl group.

[0030] Among these amphoteric surfactants, amine oxide type amphoteric surfactants are particularly preferred because they are highly safe and can further improve the foaming properties and foam stability of the alcoholic composition.

[0031] Examples of the amine oxide type amphoteric surfactant include dodecyl dimethylamine oxide, decyl dimethylamine oxide, tetradecyl dimethylamine oxide, hexadecyl dimethylamine oxide, coconut alkyl dimethylamine oxide, dodecyl diethylamine oxide, and lauric acid amidopropyl dimethylamine oxide.

[0032] The content of the amphoteric surfactant is preferably 0.1 to 10 mass%, more preferably 0.1 to 5 mass%, even more preferably 0.2 to 1 mass%, and particularly preferably 0.3 to 0.8 mass%, relative to the total amount of the alcohol composition according to this embodiment.

[0033] The molar ratio of the anionic surfactant to the amphoteric surfactant is 1:1 to 1:5, preferably 1:2 to 1:5, more preferably 1:2 to 1:4.5, and even more preferably 1:2 to 1:4.

[0034] (pH adjuster) The pH adjuster may be an organic acid or an inorganic acid. Examples of the organic acid include citric acid, lactic acid, malic acid, ascorbic acid, succinic acid, tartaric acid, acetic acid, maleic acid, and fumaric acid. Examples of the inorganic acid include hydrochloric acid, sulfuric acid, nitric acid, and phosphoric acid.

[0035] The content of the pH adjuster is not particularly limited as long as it is a content that allows the alcohol composition according to this embodiment to have a pH of 2.0 to 5.5 at 25° C. The pH of the alcohol composition according to this embodiment at 25° C. is preferably 2.0 to 5.0, more preferably 2.5 to 4.5, and even more preferably 3.0 to 4.0.

[0036] (Other Ingredients) The alcohol composition according to the present embodiment may further contain other components in addition to those described above. Examples of the other components include a moisturizer, a preservative, an antibacterial agent, a thickener, an oil, a solvent, and a fragrance.

[0037] <Method for preparing alcohol composition> The method for preparing the alcohol composition according to the present embodiment is not particularly limited. As an example of the preparation method, a method of mixing and stirring the above-mentioned components can be mentioned.

[0038] <Use of the alcohol composition> The alcohol composition according to the present embodiment is dispensed into a container (such as a pump former) equipped with a foaming mechanism, and used as an alcohol disinfectant composition. According to the alcohol composition according to the present embodiment, a foam with excellent foam stability is formed, so that the foam disinfectant can be retained for a long time on the entire hand and fingers, and is excellent in usability. The alcohol composition according to the present embodiment can be used for a wide range of purposes, such as disinfection and insecticidal purposes in living environments, food factories, etc., as well as for disinfecting hands and fingers. EXAMPLES

[0039] The present invention will be described in more detail below with reference to examples, but the present invention is not limited to these examples.

[0040] <Test Example 1> As an anionic surfactant and an amphoteric surfactant, N-stearoyl-N-methyl taurine sodium (SMT) and dodecyl dimethylamine oxide (DDAO) were prepared. To an aqueous ethanol solution (25°C) with an ethanol content of 60% by volume, a surfactant mixture with a molar ratio of SMT to DDAO of 3:1, 1:1, or 1:3 was added to give a final concentration of 1% by mass, and hydrochloric acid was further added to adjust the pH to 5.0 to prepare an alcoholic composition. For comparison, an alcoholic composition was prepared without adjusting the pH.

[0041] The obtained alcohol composition was vigorously shaken and then left to stand for 30 seconds. The foam state of the alcohol composition with pH adjusted to 5.0 immediately after shaking and 30 seconds after shaking is shown in Figure 1, and the foam state of the alcohol composition without pH adjustment immediately after shaking and 30 seconds after shaking is shown in Figure 2. As can be seen from Figures 1 and 2, by making the molar amount of the amphoteric surfactant equal to or greater than the molar amount of the anionic surfactant and adjusting the pH to weak acidity, the foam stability was improved compared to the case without pH adjustment.

[0042] <Test Example 2> To an aqueous ethanol solution (25°C) containing 60% by volume of ethanol, a surfactant mixture having a molar ratio of SMT and DDAO of 1:3 was added to give a final concentration of 1% by mass, and citric acid was further added to give a final concentration of 1%, 2%, or 5% by mass to prepare an alcoholic composition. For comparison, an alcoholic composition was prepared without adding citric acid.

[0043] The obtained alcohol composition was vigorously shaken and then allowed to stand for 30 seconds. The foam state immediately after shaking, 10 seconds after shaking, and 30 seconds after shaking is shown in Figure 3. As can be seen from Figure 3, the foaming property and foam stability improved with an increase in the content of citric acid.

[0044] <Test Example 3> In the same manner as in Test Example 2, alcohol compositions having final citric acid concentrations of 1 mass %, 2 mass %, or 5 mass % were prepared.

[0045] The dynamic surface tension of the obtained alcohol composition at 25° C. is shown in Figure 4. As can be seen from Figure 4, the alcohol composition showed the same surface tension reducing ability regardless of the content of citric acid.

Claims

1. The composition contains a lower alcohol having 1 to 4 carbon atoms, water, an anionic surfactant, an amphoteric surfactant, and a pH adjuster which is an organic acid or an inorganic acid, The content of the lower alcohol is 20% by volume or more, the molar ratio of the anionic surfactant to the amphoteric surfactant is 1:1 to 1:5; An alcohol composition having a pH of 2.0 to 5.5 at 25°C.

2. The alcoholic composition according to claim 1 , wherein the lower alcohol is ethanol.

3. The alcoholic composition according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the amphoteric surfactant is an amine oxide type amphoteric surfactant.

4. The alcoholic composition according to claim 1 or 2, which is dispensed into a container equipped with a foaming mechanism.

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