Cleaning composition

Abstract

The present invention relates to a cleaning composition containing, based on a total weight of 100%, 10 to 30% by weight of octylphenol ethoxylate, 0.1 to 5% by weight of 2-ethylhexyl alcohol ethoxylate, 0.1 to 5% by weight of an ethylene oxide-propylene oxide block copolymer, and the balance purified water. The cleaning composition of the present invention exhibits excellent virus removal effect, eliminating at least 99.99% of coronaviruses in 30 seconds. At the same time, it possesses selective properties that do not kill various bacteria, providing a safe cleaning composition with low skin irritation. Furthermore, this cleaning composition exhibits excellent detergency and is useful in a variety of applications, including the removal of coronaviruses, grease stains, stubborn kitchen stains, bathroom cleaning, cleaning machinery and parts, and removing grease stains from clothing.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] This application claims the benefit of the filing date of Korean Patent Application No. 10-2020-0137612, filed with the Korean Intellectual Property Office on October 22, 2020, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

[0002] The present invention relates to a cleaning composition, and more particularly, to a cleaning composition capable of effectively removing coronaviruses. [Background technology]

[0003] Coronaviruses (CoV) are RNA viruses that cause widespread respiratory and digestive infections in animals, including humans, and are named "corona" because of the characteristic crown-shaped projections on their surface when viewed under a microscope.

[0004] COVID-19, also known as "novel coronavirus disease," is an epidemic that broke out in Wuhan, Hubei Province, China in December 2019 and is known as a viral disease caused by a variant of the coronavirus.

[0005] Initially known only as a respiratory infection of unknown cause, it has since been discovered to be a new type of coronavirus similar to the 2003 SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome) and 2012 MERS (Middle East Respiratory Syndrome) epidemics.

[0006] Viruses are organisms that have characteristics of both living and non-living things, and basically have a simple structure with genetic material, nucleic acid (DNA or RNA), inside a protein coat. Viruses cannot carry out vital activities on their own, but when they invade a host cell, they parasitize the host cell's vital activities and increase their numbers by replicating their genetic material and protein coat.

[0007] Coronaviruses are RNA viruses, which have lower genetic stability than DNA viruses and undergo frequent mutations, which can lead to the development of mutants with high infectiousness and high lethality that can cross species barriers, such as between animals and humans. These coronaviruses have a phospholipid bilayer membrane derived from their RNA hosts.

[0008] In addition, when the structure of coronavirus is observed with a transmission electron microscope (TEM), it is found to be composed of a double phospholipid membrane. 10 ~C 18 It has a structure with a long carbon chain.

[0009] Meanwhile, alcohol-based cleaners, which are currently widely used as cleaning agents for the COVID-19 virus, contain ethanol as their main ingredient, which exerts a disinfecting effect by dissolving the virus's outer coat (phospholipids), and are currently widely used in South Korea.

[0010] The COVID-19 virus has a lipid bilayer structure. Ethanol dissolves the viral envelope, which is made up of a phospholipid layer and proteins, so that the virus, which does not have an envelope, is either killed on the outside or, even if it is lucky enough to enter the host, is prevented from invading the host's cells and replicating.

[0011] The new coronavirus that causes COVID-19 infects human lung cells, but in order to do so it must enter the lung cells. To do so, the coronavirus attaches to a receptor on the lung cells and attempts to invade, and the site that binds to this receptor is the spike protein present on the coronavirus's outer coat. When ethanol dissolves and removes the outer coat, the spike protein also disappears, and in that state, even if it enters the body, it loses its ability to invade cells.

[0012] However, cleaning agents that are mainly made of alcohol such as ethanol contain various chemical ingredients for moisturizing the skin, sterilizing, and bleaching, and if the irritation caused by these ingredients continues or if rashes, itching, etc. continue to occur during use, it is difficult to ensure stability. In addition, although it is true that the alcohol dissolves the outer coat of the coronavirus and kills the virus, it takes a certain amount of time for the virus that has lost its outer coat to die. Therefore, no matter how evenly the hand sanitizer is applied, there is a possibility that the virus whose outer coat has not been destroyed remains. Therefore, the only way to completely block this dangerous element is to wash your hands.

[0013] For example, Patent Document 1 (Japanese Patent No. 6688929 B2), a conventional technology containing alcohol, discloses a disinfectant composition containing protamine and / or a salt thereof and ethanol in order to exert a high bactericidal effect while fully exerting the effect of inactivating viruses. The disinfectant composition has a pH of 8.0 to 14.0, and the proportion of ethanol in the disinfectant composition is 30% by mass or more.

[0014] Patent document 2 (US Patent Publication 2011-0287054) discloses a multivalent influenza immunogenic composition comprising a plurality of influenza antigens or materials for producing antigens, at least one of which is selected from a strain associated with a pandemic outbreak, and an oil-in-water emulsion, wherein the oil-in-water emulsion further comprises an emulsifier, the emulsifier being selected from polyoxyethylene sorbitan monooleate, polyoxyethylene sorbitan trioleate, octylphenyl ethoxylate, lecithin, and mixtures thereof.

[0015] However, in order to effectively kill coronaviruses, a new cleaning agent is needed that can effectively remove the phospholipid membrane contained in coronaviruses and that does not irritate the human body when used. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0016] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent 6688929 B2 [Patent Document 2] U.S. Patent Publication 2011-0287054 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0017] The present invention aims to provide a detergent composition that is mild to the skin and can effectively remove coronaviruses by selecting components contained in the detergent composition having a complex structure and effectively binding to and removing the phospholipid membrane contained in coronaviruses while maintaining a variety of microorganisms (bacteria). [Means for solving the problem]

[0018] The cleaning composition according to the present invention is characterized by comprising, based on a total weight of 100%, 10 to 30% by weight of octylphenol ethoxylate, 0.1 to 5% by weight of 2-ethylhexyl alcohol ethoxylate, 0.1 to 5% by weight of an ethylene oxide-propylene oxide block copolymer, and the balance being water.

[0019] The composition may further comprise lauryl alcohol ethoxylate in an amount of 0.1 to 5% by weight of the total cleaning composition.

[0020] Furthermore, the coronavirus removal rate in a diluted solution containing up to 0.1% by weight of the cleaning composition is 99.99% in 30 seconds.

[0021] In addition, the cleaning composition has the characteristic that bacteria are not removed when removing coronaviruses.

[0022] The cleaning composition of the present invention has no skin toxicity.

[0023] The cleaning composition can be used to remove coronavirus, remove oil stains, remove stubborn stains in the kitchen, clean the bathroom, clean machinery and parts, and remove oil stains from clothes.

[0024] The cleaning composition according to the present invention can maintain a neutral pH of 6.5 to 7.

[0025] The cleaning composition is preferably used after diluting with water to a content of 5% by weight or less.

[0026] Furthermore, the remaining amount of water may contain ethanol up to 20% by weight. Effect of the Invention

[0027] In the present invention, the main component of the detergent composition is a substance having a complex structure that is a mixture of aromatic and branched structures, rather than a linear structure, and this effectively dissolves the phospholipid membrane contained in coronaviruses. This provides an excellent virus removal effect that removes more than 99.99% of coronaviruses in 30 seconds. At the same time, the detergent composition has selective properties that do not kill various bacteria, and is safe and satisfies the property of low skin irritation.

[0028] This cleaning composition has excellent cleaning power and can be used for a variety of purposes, including removing coronaviruses, removing oil stains, removing stubborn stains from the kitchen, cleaning bathrooms, cleaning machinery and parts, and removing oil stains from clothing. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0029] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 shows the results of measuring the coronavirus removal rate in a diluted solution containing the cleaning composition according to Example 2 of the present invention at a concentration of 0.1% by weight. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 shows the results of evaluation of the basic cytotoxicity of the cleaning composition according to Example 2 of the present invention. [Diagram 3]FIG. 3 shows the results of a detergency test on vegetable oil for cleaning compositions according to examples of the present invention and comparative examples, and photographs showing the turbidity of the solutions. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 shows the results of a detergency test on vegetable oil for cleaning compositions according to the examples of the present invention and comparative examples, and photographs showing the turbidity of the solutions. [Diagram 5] FIG. 5 shows the results of a detergency test on vegetable oil for cleaning compositions according to examples of the present invention and comparative examples, and photographs showing the turbidity of the solutions. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 shows the results of a detergency test on vegetable oil for cleaning compositions according to examples of the present invention and comparative examples, and photographs showing the turbidity of the solutions. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a photograph showing the results of a turbidity measurement of a solution, illustrating the results of a test of the detergency of the detergent compositions according to Example 2 of the present invention and Comparative Example 1 against animal oil. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0030] The present invention will now be described in further detail.

[0031] The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the invention.

[0032] As used herein, the singular includes the plural unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. Furthermore, as used herein, "comprise" and / or "comprising" indicate the presence of stated features, numbers, steps, operations, components, elements, and / or combinations thereof, but do not exclude the presence or possible addition of one or more other features, numbers, steps, operations, components, elements, and / or combinations thereof.

[0033] The present invention relates to a cleaning composition that is effective in removing viruses, particularly coronaviruses.

[0034] The cleaning composition according to the present invention contains, based on a total weight of 100%, 10 to 30% by weight of octylphenol ethoxylate (the number (n) of ethylene oxide contained in the ethoxylate is 2 to 15), 0.1 to 5% by weight of 2-ethylhexyl alcohol ethoxylate, 0.1 to 5% by weight of an ethylene oxide-propylene oxide block copolymer, and the balance water.

[0035] The octylphenol ethoxylate is included as a main component of the cleaning composition of the present invention and plays a role in removing and inhibiting coronaviruses.

[0036] The octylphenol group in the octylphenol ethoxylate of the present invention is a C8 alkyl group containing an aromatic phenol group, and since it has a branched structure containing aromatic groups rather than a linear structure, it can bind well to the hydrophobic portion consisting of a long carbon chain contained in the phospholipid membrane of coronavirus. In addition, the branched complex structure increases the hydrophobicity, which increases the aggregation number, and is expected to increase the solubilization degree of the phospholipid membrane of coronavirus.

[0037] Furthermore, when the molecule has a branched structure compared to a linear structure, the packing density in the micelle can be reduced due to the repulsive force between the complex phospholipid bilayer structure and the hydrophobic hydrocarbons during micelle formation, forming a structure that is far more favorable for dissolving the phospholipid bilayer.

[0038] In addition, the ethylene oxide portion plays a role in imparting hydrophilicity to the hydrophobicity of the long carbon chain. Therefore, n, which represents the number of ethylene oxides contained in the ethoxylate, may be 2 to 15, preferably 5 to 10, and it is preferable to use a mixture of two or more substances with different n numbers to adjust the desired hydrophilicity.

[0039] If n in the octylphenol ethoxylate is less than 2, the hydrophilicity is not sufficient to dissolve the phospholipid membrane of the coronavirus, and the component is trapped between the long carbon chains of the phospholipid membrane of the coronavirus, which makes it difficult to manufacture the formulation, which is undesirable.If n exceeds 15, the content of ethylene oxide is too high, resulting in excessive hydrophilicity and making it impossible to dissolve the phospholipid membrane of the coronavirus, which is undesirable.

[0040] Such octylphenol ethoxylate is contained in an amount of 10 to 30% by weight based on the total cleaning composition. If the content is less than 10% by weight, the effect of removing and inhibiting coronavirus is insufficient. If the content is more than 30% by weight, further effects are not exhibited, which is not preferable.

[0041] In addition, the cleaning composition according to the present invention preferably contains 2-ethylhexyl alcohol ethoxylate to enhance the penetration power of coronaviruses when they enter between the phospholipid bilayer membranes. The 2-ethylhexyl alcohol ethoxylate also has a less regular structure with a hydrocarbon substituted on the side chain, so that it is expected to have the effect of increasing the penetration power by spacing the space between the phospholipid bilayer membranes when entering the space. The 2-ethylhexyl alcohol ethoxylate with a hydrocarbon substituted on the side chain is contained in an amount of 0.1 to 5% by weight based on the total cleaning composition. If it is less than 0.1% by weight, the desired effect cannot be obtained, and if it exceeds 5% by weight, it is not preferable because the effect of further improving the penetration power cannot be obtained.

[0042] The ethylene oxide-propylene oxide block copolymer of the present invention is produced by copolymerizing ethylene oxide and propylene oxide, and can be added to suppress the generation of bubbles during the production of a cleaning composition. The block copolymer is effectively removed by adding it in an amount of 0.1 to 5% by weight based on the total weight of the cleaning composition.

[0043] The cleaning composition of the present invention further contains a residual amount of water in addition to the above-mentioned components. The water is not particularly limited, and examples thereof include ordinary tap water and purified water from which all impurities contained in ordinary water, such as dissolved ions, solid particles, microorganisms, and organic matter, have been removed.

[0044] Furthermore, if necessary, the purified water may contain ethanol in an amount of up to 20% by weight, which can reduce the viscosity of the final cleaning composition, remove air bubbles generated during the production of the cleaning composition, and improve the storage properties of the cleaning composition at low temperatures such as in winter.

[0045] In addition, the cleaning composition according to the present invention further contains lauryl alcohol ethoxylate in an amount of 0.1 to 5% by weight based on the total weight of the cleaning composition, and can be used as an auxiliary for the octylphenol ethoxylate to effectively dissolve phospholipid membranes.

[0046] The cleaning composition according to the present invention can be easily prepared by thoroughly mixing the above-mentioned components at room temperature (rt). The prepared cleaning composition has a hydrophobic-hydrophilic balance (HLB) value in the range of 12 to 15, and therefore, when used as a cleaning agent for various applications, it can form appropriate micelles in water to enhance the cleaning effect.

[0047] The cleaning composition according to the present invention can be used to remove coronaviruses, remove oil stains, remove stubborn stains in the kitchen, clean the bathroom, clean machinery and parts, and remove oil stains from clothing. It can be used to clean all kinds of contaminants, whether water-based or oil-based.

[0048] Among these, the cleaning composition according to the present invention is particularly effective in removing 99.99% of coronaviruses such as SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome), MERS (Middle East Respiratory Syndrome), and COVID-19 in 30 seconds.

[0049] In addition, the cleaning composition according to the present invention has the characteristic of removing coronaviruses while not removing bacteria. In other words, it has the selectivity to remove only the viruses that are to be removed, and not kill the various bacteria that may be present, regardless of whether they are harmful or harmless.

[0050] While viruses are far more lethal to the human body and always cause disease, bacteria are independent microorganisms with their own complexity and reproductive capabilities. Bacteria are also sometimes used in human organs, such as the intestinal flora that manages and maintains the pH value of the digestive tract. Of course, too many bacteria in the body or infection with pathogenic bacteria can lead to disease, and bacteriophages (so-called bactericidal bacteria) can be used to treat diseases.

[0051] From this perspective, it can be said that the cleaning composition according to the present invention has the effect of effectively removing and inhibiting the target coronavirus while not removing various bacteria present in the microbial system.

[0052] In addition, since the cleaning composition according to the present invention has a characteristic of being non-toxic to the skin, it can be safely used without any side effects when sprayed on the human body for preventing and removing coronavirus or for disinfecting hands.

[0053] The cleaning composition according to the present invention is characterized by having a neutral pH of about 6.5 to 7. This has the advantage of minimizing damage and deterioration of the material to be cleaned, and is characterized by excellent cleaning effect.

[0054] In addition, the cleaning composition prepared according to the present invention can be diluted with water and used in various predetermined and desired applications such as spraying, disinfection, and cleaning.

[0055] Preferred examples of the present invention will be described in detail below. These examples are merely illustrative of the present invention and do not limit the scope of the claims of the present invention. Note that, although specific compounds are used in the following examples, it is obvious to those skilled in the art that equivalent or similar effects can be achieved even when equivalents of these compounds are used.

[0056] Examples and Comparative Examples: Preparation of Cleaning Compositions Each cleaning composition was prepared according to the composition in Table 1 below by adding each component to purified water, mixing at 18°C, and thoroughly stirring. In Table 1 below, Comparative Example 1 is an example in which the range of n in octylphenol ethoxylate, the main component of the cleaning composition of the present invention, is outside the range of the present invention. Comparative Examples 2 and 3 are examples in which the range of n in octylphenol ethoxylate, the main component of the cleaning composition, is within the range of the present invention, but the content ratio is outside the range of the present invention.

[0057] [Table 1]

[0058] Experimental Example 1: Measurement of coronavirus removal rate In order to evaluate the coronavirus removal rate (coronavirus inactivation effect) of the cleaning composition (Clean V) according to Example 2 prepared above, the following experiment was carried out.

[0059] Vero cells (monkey kidney epithelial cells) were added to a 96-well cell plate at 1 × 10 per well. 4 Next, 1 × 10 3 ~5×10 3 After dispensing each infectious virus into an EP tube, the detergent composition was mixed with a virus cell culture medium (Gibco DMEM-0% FBS) to a concentration of 0.1% by weight, and reacted for 30 seconds, 1 minute, 5 minutes, and 10 minutes.

[0060] After the reaction, the cell culture medium was quickly frozen using dry ice, and the samples were stored in a deep freezer at -80°C. The prepared samples were serially diluted 10-fold using cell culture medium in a 96-well U-bottom plate. The cells cultured in the 96-well cell plate were washed once using 1x phosphate-buffered saline (PBS), and the serially diluted samples were transferred to the washed cells and reacted for 1 hour and 30 minutes. After the reaction was completed, the cell culture medium that had been previously in the plate was removed and replaced with cell culture medium containing a titrated concentration of TPCK trypsin.

[0061] The cell transformation state and the growth state of the SARS-CoV-2 virus were visually observed using a microscope for 2 to 3 days, and surviving cells were stained with 10% crystal violet stain on the third day after infection. The results are shown in Figure 1.

[0062] Referring to the results in Figure 1, cells killed by the virus or cells killed due to the toxicity of the detergent were not stained and were observed as transparent, while surviving cells were stained with crystal violet and were observed as a deep purple color.

[0063] When approximately 1,000 SARS-CoV-2 viruses were sterilized for 30 seconds using a cell culture medium containing a cleaning composition at a concentration of 0.1% by weight, the inhibition effect was approximately 100 times greater than that of a group infected with the same amount of virus when viewed with the naked eye.In all sterilization time conditions of 30 seconds, 1 minute, 5 minutes, and 10 minutes, the inhibition effect was approximately 100 times greater than that of a group infected with the same amount of virus when viewed with the naked eye.

[0064] In the following Experimental Example 2, it was shown that the virus was inactivated under all dilution conditions, including high concentrations at which about 1,000 to 5,000 SARS-CoV-2 viruses could grow, except for the cytotoxicity of the cleaning composition. Therefore, the coronavirus inactivation effect of the cleaning composition according to the present invention was confirmed to be 99% or more. In other words, it was confirmed that the cleaning composition (sample name: Clean V) prepared according to Example 2 of the present invention had a coronavirus (COVID-19) removal rate of 99.99% over 30 seconds to 10 minutes compared to the control group, even when diluted to a concentration of 0.1% by weight. In other words, it was confirmed that it had an effective coronavirus removal rate of 99.99% in just 30 seconds, which is a very short time.

[0065] Experimental Example 2: Evaluation of the cytotoxicity of cleaning compositions In order to evaluate the cytotoxicity of the cleaning composition (Clean V) according to Example 2, the following experiment was carried out.

[0066] Vero cells (monkey kidney epithelial cells) were added to a 96-well cell plate at 1 × 10 per well. 4 The cells were cultured individually. The detergent and cell culture medium were mixed under the same conditions as in Experimental Example 1. The prepared samples were serially diluted 2-fold using cell culture medium in a 96-well U-bottom plate. The cells cultured in the 96-well cell plate were washed once with 1x phosphate-buffered saline (PBS), and the serially diluted samples were transferred to the washed cells and reacted for 1 hour and 30 minutes. After the reaction time was over, the cell culture medium that had been in the cells before was removed and replaced with a cell culture medium containing an appropriate concentration of TPCK trypsin, and the deformation state of the cells was visually observed using a microscope for 2 to 3 days. On the third day after the treatment, the surviving cells were stained with 10% crystal violet stain. The results are shown in Figure 2.

[0067] Referring to FIG. 2, when a mixed cell culture solution containing a detergent composition having a concentration of 0.1 to 0.006% by weight was administered to non-infected cells, cytotoxicity was observed up to a maximum concentration of 0.025% by weight.

[0068] Experimental example 3: Testing the cleaning power of vegetable oil An experiment was conducted to compare the cleaning power of the cleaning compositions of the Examples and Comparative Examples against vegetable oil. The same amount and size of vegetable oil (perilla oil) was applied to a SUS surface of a certain size, and washed with water at 70°C. After that, each of the prepared cleaning compositions was washed with a solution of 4% by weight and 20% by weight of water at 60°C, and then dried. Next, 50 ml of methyl alcohol was added to the surface to dissolve the remaining vegetable oil, which was then collected and the same amount of water (50 ml) was added, and the surface condition and solution condition used in each test were visually observed. The results are shown in Figures 3-4 (surface) and Figures 5-6 (solution), respectively.

[0069] 3-4, the reaction rates of the compositions according to the examples of the present invention and the compositions according to the comparative examples were similar, but it was observed that the content of residual vegetable oil was low when the compositions according to the examples were used to clean a surface treated with vegetable oil.

[0070] Also, referring to FIGS. 5 and 6, when Comparative Example 1 was used, in which the number of ethylene oxide units in octylphenol ethoxylate was outside the range of the present invention, it was observed that the vegetable oil was not completely washed away and was separated from the mixture of methyl alcohol and water, with many floating particles floating on the surface.

[0071] In addition, in the case of Comparative Example 2 in which the number of ethylene oxide units in the octylphenol ethoxylate was the same but the content was outside the range of the present invention, it was observed that the vegetable oil was not completely washed away and remained in the mixed solution of methyl alcohol and water, as compared to Example 3 in which the number of ethylene oxide units was the same.

[0072] Experimental Example 4: Testing cleaning power against animal oils The cleaning power of the detergent compositions according to Example 2 and Comparative Example 4 was tested in the same manner as in Experimental Example 3, except that animal oil (pork oil) was used instead of the vegetable oil used in Experimental Example 3. The results are shown in Figure 7.

[0073] Referring to FIG. 7, in the case of the composition of Comparative Example 4, which uses a linear structure rather than an octylphenol ethoxylate having an aromatic structure and a branched structure as in the present invention, it was observed that the animal oil was not completely removed and separated from the mixture of methyl alcohol and water, and the solution was very cloudy, compared to the cleaning composition of Example 2 of the present invention.

[0074] These results confirm that the detergency varies greatly depending on the structural features of the components used in the detergent composition, and that the detergent composition having both an aromatic structure and a branched structure as in the present invention has a better detergency than the detergent composition having a linear structure.

Claims

1. Based on a total of 100% by weight, 10 to 30% by weight of octylphenol ethoxylate (wherein the number of ethylene oxides contained in the ethoxylate is 2 to 15) 0.1 to 5% by weight of 2-ethylhexyl alcohol ethoxylate; 0.1 to 5% by weight of an ethylene oxide-propylene oxide block copolymer; and a balance of water.

2. The cleaning composition of claim 1, further comprising lauryl alcohol ethoxylate in an amount of 0.1 to 5% by weight based on the total cleaning composition.

3. The cleaning composition according to claim 1, wherein the coronavirus removal rate in a diluted solution obtained by diluting the cleaning composition with a virus cell culture medium (Gibco DMEM-0% FBS) to contain 0.1% by weight of the cleaning composition is 99.99% in 30 seconds.

4. The cleaning composition of claim 1, wherein the cleaning composition is non-toxic to skin.

5. 10. The cleaning composition of claim 1, wherein the cleaning composition is used for removing coronavirus, removing oil stains, removing stubborn stains in the kitchen, cleaning the bathroom, cleaning mechanical devices and parts, or removing oil stains from clothing.

6. The cleaning composition according to claim 1, wherein the cleaning composition has a neutral pH of 6.5 to 7.

7. The cleaning composition according to claim 1, which is used by diluting the cleaning composition with water to a content of 5% by weight or less.

8. The cleaning composition according to claim 1 , further comprising ethanol in an amount of up to 20% by weight based on the remaining amount of water.

Images