Method for reducing malodors in hydrotropic compositions

Abstract

A method for reducing malodors in hydrotropes, such as alkyl aryl sulfonates, is provided that reduces and/or eliminates some or all of the detectable residual odoriferous compounds from hydrotropic compositions using a malodor treatment material, such as, for example, activated carbon. In one aspect of a preferred embodiment of the invention, a malodor treatment material enables the reduction and/or elimination of residual odoriferous compounds from hydrotropic compositions while keeping intact the active hydrotrope solids.

1 . A method for reducing the detectable level of odoriferous compounds in hydrotropic compositions comprising: 
 providing a hydrotropic composition comprising a hydrotrope and a detectable amount of an odoriferous compound; and,    contacting at least a portion of said hydrotropic composition with a malodor treatment material, wherein said malodor treatment material with contacting decreases the detectable level of said odoriferous compound in said hydrotropic composition without substantially decreasing the amount of said hydrotrope in said hydrotropic composition.    
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1  wherein said step of providing a hydrotropic composition comprises providing a hydrotropic composition comprising an alkyl aryl sulfonate.  
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1  wherein said step of providing a hydrotropic composition comprises providing sodium cumene sulfonate, ammonium cumene sulfonate, ammonium xylene sulfonate, potassium toluene sulfonate, sodium toluene sulfonate, or sodium xylene sulfonate.  
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1  wherein said step of providing a hydrotropic composition comprises providing toluene sulfonic acid, xylene sulfonic acid, sodium polynaphthalene sulfonate, sodium polystyrene sulfonate, sodium methyl naphthalene sulfonate, or disodium succinate.  
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1  wherein said step of providing a hydrotropic composition comprises providing a hydrotropic composition wherein said odoriferous compound comprises xylene.  
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1  wherein said step of providing a hydrotropic composition comprises providing a hydrotropic composition wherein said odoriferous compound comprises cresol.  
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1  wherein said step of providing a hydrotropic composition comprises providing a hydrotropic composition wherein said odoriferous compound comprises toluene.  
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1  wherein said step of providing a hydrotropic composition comprises providing a hydrotropic composition wherein said odoriferous compound comprises cumene, styrene, naphthalene, polynaphthalene, and/or polystyrene.  
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1  wherein said step of contacting at least a portion of said hydrotropic composition with a malodor treatment material comprises contacting at least a portion of said hydrotropic composition with a malodor treatment material comprising activated carbon.  
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1  wherein said step of contacting at least a portion of said hydrotropic composition with a malodor treatment material comprises contacting at least a portion of said hydrotropic composition with a malodor treatment material comprising CAL™ brand activated carbon.  
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 9  wherein said step of contacting at least a portion of said hydrotropic composition with a malodor treatment material comprises contacting at least a portion of said hydrotropic composition with a malodor treatment material comprising activated carbon in a fixed bed column.  
     
     
         12 . An antibacterial composition comprising: 
 a polyhydric solvent;    a surfactant;    an antibacterial agent; and    a hydrotrope,    wherein said hydrotrope comprises a hydrotropic composition treated with a malodor treatment material such that the amount of odoriferous compounds in said hydrotropic composition are reduced without substantially decreasing the amount of said hydrotrope in said hydrotropic composition,    and wherein the antibacterial composition does not exhibit detectable malodors.    
     
     
         13 . The antibacterial composition of  claim 12  wherein said malodor treatment material comprises an activated carbon material.  
     
     
         14 . The antibacterial composition of  claim 13  wherein said hydrotrope comprises an alkyl aryl sulfonate.  
     
     
         15 . The antibacterial composition of  claim 14  wherein said hydrotrope comprises sodium xylene sulfonate.  
     
     
         16 . A method for reducing the level of detectable malodors in hydrotropic compositions comprising: 
 providing a hydrotropic composition comprising a hydrotrope and a residual odoriferous compound;    contacting at least a portion of said hydrotropic composition with activated carbon, wherein said activated carbon is capable of decreasing the amount of said residual odoriferous compound in said hydrotropic composition without substantially decreasing the amount of said hydrotrope in said hydrotropic composition to a substantially undetectable level; and    separating said activated carbon from said hydrotropic composition.