Peroxycarboxylic acid based sanitizing rinse additives for use in ware washing

Abstract

A concentrated liquid sanitizing and rinse composition containing peroxycarboxylic acid(s) and compatible rinse aid surfactants is disclosed. The sanitizing and rinsing compositions are formulated in a single liquid concentrate, replacing a traditional dual product of a sanitizer and rinse aid. The sanitizing and rinsing chemistries are particularly effective at neutral pHs against gram negative organisms at elevated temperatures. Methods of using the concentrated liquid sanitizing and rinse composition are also disclosed.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A sanitizing rinse additive composition comprising:
 a C 1 -C 22  peroxycarboxylic acid;   a C 1 -C 22  carboxylic acid;   hydrogen peroxide; and   a nonionic defoaming and wetting surfactant(s);   wherein the composition is a low odor concentrate having less than about 2 wt-% peroxyacetic and peracid acid, and   wherein the composition when diluted from about 0.01% weight/volume to about 2% weight/volume provides at least a 5 log reduction in pathogenic organisms at a temperature of at least about 100° F.   
     
     
         2 . The composition of  claim 1 , wherein the nonionic defoaming surfactant is an alkyl-ethylene oxide-propylene oxide copolymer surfactant and wherein the nonionic wetting surfactant is an alcohol ethoxylate according to the following structure R—O—(CH 2 CH 2 O) n —H, wherein R is a C 1 -C 12  alkyl group and n is an integer in the range of 1 to 100. 
     
     
         3 . The composition of  claim 2 , wherein the alkyl-ethylene oxide-propylene oxide copolymer surfactant has a single hydroxyl functional group per molecule according to the following structure Alkyl-(EO)m-(PO)n-POH, wherein m is an integer in the range from 1 to 20 and n is an integer in the range from 1 to 20. 
     
     
         4 . The composition of  claim 1 , wherein the ratio of the nonionic defoaming surfactant to the nonionic wetting surfactant is from about 1.5:1 to about 10:1 
     
     
         5 . The composition of  claim 1 , wherein the C 1 -C 22  peroxycarboxylic acid is a C 2 -C 20  peroxycarboxylic acid and wherein the C 1 -C 22  carboxylic acid is a C 2 -C 20  carboxylic acid. 
     
     
         6 . The composition of  claim 1 , further comprising at least one additional agent selected from the group consisting of a hydrotrope or coupling agent, a solvent, a stabilizing agent and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         7 . The composition of  claim 1 , wherein the C 1 -C 22  peroxycarboxylic acid comprises from about 1 wt-% to about 40 wt-%, the C 1 -C 22  carboxylic acid comprises from about 1 wt-% to about 80 wt-%, the hydrogen peroxide comprises from about 1 wt-% to about 80 wt-%, and the nonionic surfactants comprise from about 1 wt-% to about 50 wt-% of the composition. 
     
     
         8 . The composition of  claim 1 , wherein the composition when diluted from about 0.01% weight/volume to about 0.05% weight/volume provides at least a 5 log reduction in pathogenic organisms in 30 seconds or less at a temperature of at least about 120° F. 
     
     
         9 . The composition of  claim 1 , wherein peroxycarboxylic acid in the concentrate contains less than about 1 wt-% peroxyacetic acid. 
     
     
         10 . A concentrated sanitizing rinse additive composition comprising:
 from about 1 wt-% to about 40 wt-% C 1 -C 22  peroxycarboxylic acid;   from about 1 wt-% to about 80 wt-% C 1 -C 22  carboxylic acid;   from about 1 wt-% to about 75 wt-% hydrogen peroxide;   from about 1 wt-% to about 25 wt-% alkyl-ethylene oxide-propylene oxide type nonionic surfactant; and   from about 1 wt-% to about 20 wt-% alcohol ethoxylate nonionic surfactant;   wherein the concentrate composition has low odor, and   wherein the composition when diluted from about 0.01% weight/volume to about 1% weight/volume provides at least a 5 log reduction in pathogenic organisms at a temperature of at least about 100° F., and   wherein the diluted composition has a pH of about 5 or greater.   
     
     
         11 . The composition of  claim 10 , wherein the C1-C22 peroxycarboxylic acid is a C2-C20 peroxycarboxylic acid selected from the group consisting of peroxyacetic acid, peroxyoctanoic acid, peroxysulfonated oleic acid and combinations thereof, wherein the C1-C22 carboxylic acid is a C2-C20 carboxylic acid selected from the group consisting of acetic acid, octanoic acid, sulfonated oleic acid and combinations thereof, and wherein the composition comprises less than about 2 wt-% peroxyacetic acid. 
     
     
         12 . The composition of  claim 10 , wherein the nonionic defoaming surfactant is an alkyl-ethylene oxide-propylene oxide copolymer surfactant according to the following structure Alkyl-(EO)m-(PO)n-POH, wherein m is an integer in the range from 1 to 20 and n is an integer in the range from 1 to 20, and wherein the nonionic wetting surfactant is an alcohol ethoxylate according to the following structure R—O—(CH 2 CH 2 O) n —H, wherein R is a C 1 -C 12  alkyl group and n is an integer in the range of 1 to 100. 
     
     
         13 . The composition of  claim 10 , further comprising at least one additional agent selected from the group consisting of a hydrotrope or coupling agent, a solvent, a stabilizing agent and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         14 . The composition of  claim 13 , wherein the stabilizing agent is a phosphate peroxycarboxylic acid stabilizer and/or dipicolinic acid peroxycarboxylic acid stabilizer. 
     
     
         15 . A method of sanitizing and rinsing comprising:
 providing a low odor, liquid concentrate, equilibrium peroxycarboxylic acid sanitizing rinse aid composition, wherein the composition comprises: a C 1 -C 22  peroxycarboxylic acid; a C 1 -C 22  carboxylic acid; hydrogen peroxide; an alkyl-ethylene oxide-propylene oxide type nonionic surfactant; and an alcohol ethoxylate nonionic surfactant; and   sanitizing a surface in need thereof without an additional rinsing step;   wherein the composition when diluted from about 0.01% weight/volume to about 1% weight/volume provides at least a 5 log reduction in pathogenic organisms at a temperature of at least about 100° F.   
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the composition is diluted from about 0.01% weight/volume to about 0.2% weight/volume with a diluent. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the composition is diluted from about 0.01% weight/volume to about 0.05% weight/volume with a diluent. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the sanitized surface is spot-free and film-free. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the sanitizing is a low or no odor application of use. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the utilities for a warewashing machine employing the sanitizing are substantially similar to or less than a low temperature ware wash machine employed for chlorine-based sanitizing.