Quaternary Ammonium and Anionic Surfactant Synergy
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Solution Overview
Problem
Quaternary ammonium compounds face challenges in retaining antimicrobial efficacy against gram-negative microbes and are inefficient at reduced temperatures and acidic pH, requiring enhanced antimicrobial activity and surface activity for various applications.
Innovation Solution
Combining quaternary ammonium compounds with anionic surfactants to create compositions that either enhance or deactivate antimicrobial efficacy, depending on the surfactant's ionic bond strength, thereby improving surface activity and pH compatibility.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If quaternary ammonium compounds are used at low concentrations, then cost is reduced and mildness is improved, but antimicrobial efficacy against gram-negative microbes is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines quaternary ammonium compounds with anionic surfactants to create synergistic compositions. This merging of two different chemical classes allows the system to achieve enhanced antimicrobial efficacy against gram-negative microbes while maintaining lower concentrations of the quaternary ammonium compound, thus resolving the contradiction between required concentration and effectiveness.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention creates composite antimicrobial compositions by formulating quaternary ammonium compounds with anionic surfactants. This composite approach leverages the complementary properties of both components, where the anionic surfactant enhances the activity of the quaternary ammonium compound, allowing effective antimicrobial action at reduced concentrations.
2Reliability
If quaternary ammonium compounds are used alone, then formulation simplicity is maintained, but surface activity and antimicrobial performance are insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges quaternary ammonium compounds with anionic surfactants in a single formulation. This combination provides synergistic surface activity and antimicrobial performance, where the anionic surfactant component enhances the surface-active properties of the quaternary ammonium compound, achieving better overall performance without overly complicating the formulation.
3Reliability
If higher concentrations of quaternary ammonium compounds are used, then antimicrobial efficacy is improved, but irritancy and residue increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines quaternary ammonium compounds with anionic surfactants to achieve synergistic antimicrobial efficacy at lower concentrations. This merging allows the system to maintain effective antimicrobial action while reducing the concentration of quaternary ammonium compound required, thereby decreasing irritancy and residue formation 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 compositions demonstrate enhanced antimicrobial activity and surface activity, effective at neutral to alkaline pH, reducing irritancy and residue, and overcoming limitations of quaternary ammonium compounds, such as improved performance against gram-negative microbes and reduced concentrations required for efficacy.
Implementation Method 1
Combining quaternary ammonium compounds with anionic surfactants to create compositions that either enhance or deactivate antimicrobial efficacy, depending on the surfactant's ionic bond strength
Data Source
AI summary
The invention provides activated or inactivated compositions combining quaternary ammonium compounds and anionic surfactants or acids. The invention further provides activated or inactivated compositions combining quaternary ammonium compounds and anionic chelants or polymers. Activated antimicrobial compositions comprised of a quaternary ammonium compound having less than a C20 chain length, and an anionic carboxylate surfactant having C6-C10 chain length are disclosed. Activated compositions of the invention have a pH of between about 1 and 7 and are substantially free of silanes, sulfates and oxidants. Inactivated antimicrobial compositions comprised of a quaternary ammonium compound having less than a C-20 chain length, and an anionic sulfate or sulfonate surfactant are disclosed. Compositions of the invention have a 10 mole to 1 moles ratio of quaternary ammonium compound to anionic surfactant or about 1 mole to 10 moles ratio. Methods of making and employing the compositions are disclosed.