Liquid Hard Surface Antimicrobial Cleaning Composition
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing hard surface disinfection compositions often require extended contact times for antimicrobial action, which is not efficient, and may contain harsh substances or essential oils that consumers dislike, necessitating a faster and more consumer-friendly alternative.
Innovation Solution
A liquid hard surface cleaning composition with a pH of 9 to 12, comprising benzalkonium chloride, di or tricarboxylic acid salts, and essential oils like thymol or terpineol, optionally with sodium tripolyphosphate, providing rapid antimicrobial action at lower concentrations and without the need for harsh disinfectants.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional disinfectants like bleaches or phenolics are used, then antimicrobial action is achieved, but the action takes a long time to occur
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the chemical parameters by using a specific combination of cationic surfactant (benzalkonium chloride) with essential oil actives (thymol and/or terpineol) at optimized concentrations (0.5-4% surfactant, 0.01-2% essential oil active). This parameter optimization enables rapid antimicrobial action in less than 5 minutes, preferably less than 2 minutes, resolving the time delay issue of conventional disinfectants while maintaining reliability
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a composite disinfection system by combining cationic surfactant with essential oil actives (thymol and/or terpineol) in specific ratios. This composite approach produces synergistic effects where the combination achieves rapid antimicrobial action faster than either component alone, addressing both the reliability and time consumption contradictions
2Reliability
If essential oils like thymol and terpineol are included at higher concentrations for efficient antimicrobial action, then antimicrobial efficacy is improved, but the medicinal odour becomes strong and is not liked by consumers
Solution Approach 1:
The patent optimizes the concentration parameter of essential oil actives to 0.01-2% in combination with cationic surfactant. This parameter optimization maintains efficient antimicrobial efficacy while reducing the medicinal odour intensity, making the composition more consumer-friendly compared to higher concentration formulations
Solution Approach 2:
The cationic surfactant acts as an intermediary that enhances the antimicrobial efficacy of lower concentrations of essential oil actives. This mediator effect allows the system to achieve the same antimicrobial result with reduced essential oil content, thereby reducing the unwanted medicinal odour
3Ease of operation
If surfactants are included to emulsify oily components or enable cleaning, then cleaning action is improved, but residual surfactants remain on surfaces requiring rinsing or wiping
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses biodegradable surfactants at optimized concentrations (0.5-4%) that provide effective cleaning action while minimizing harmful residues. The specific parameter optimization of surfactant concentration and selection of biodegradable types reduces residual effects on treated surfaces
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The composition achieves effective antimicrobial action in less than 5 minutes, preferably less than 2 minutes, and often in under 15 seconds, with enhanced efficacy and reduced odor from essential oils, while minimizing the use of harsh disinfectants.
Implementation Method 1
a combination of a cationic surfactant, a di or tricarboxylate salt, and an essential oil active selected from thymol and terpineol which interact synergistically to enable fast acting antimicrobial action
Implementation Method 2
Bleaches are compounds that liberate oxidising agents like chlorine, bromine, fluorine, nascent oxygen or other oxidizing agents that break the cell walls of microbes like bacteria and virus thereby disinfecting the surfaces thus treated
Implementation Method 3
Bleaches are compounds that liberate oxidising agents like chlorine, bromine, fluorine, nascent oxygen or other oxidizing agents that break the cell walls of microbes like bacteria and virus thereby disinfecting the surfaces thus treated
Implementation Method 4
These compositions include surfactants to either emulsify the oily components present therein or to enable cleaning via detergency action
Data Source
AI summary
The invention relates to a liquid hard surface cleaning and disinfection composition. The present inventors have found that inclusion of benzalkoniuim chloride and selected salts of di or tricarboxylic acid when combined with thymol or terpineol provides synergistic antimicrobial action in a rapid fashion and such efficacy is obtained at very low concentrations of thymol and/or terpineol.