Shelf stable, reduced corrosion, ready to use peroxycarboxylic acid antimicrobial compositions

Abstract

The present invention relates to shelf stable and/or less corrosive peroxycarboxylic acid antimicrobial compositions, including ready-to-use compositions. Shelf stable compositions can include defined ratios of hydrogen peroxide to peroxycarboxylic acid and/or hydrogen peroxide to protonated carboxylic acid, but need not include strong acid. Reduced corrosion compositions can include carboxylic acid and corrosion inhibitor at acid pH. Compositions of the invention can have advantageous activity against spores.

1 . A shelf stable, ready to use peroxycarboxylic acid composition comprising:
 about 0.0001 to about 0.2 wt-% short chain peroxycarboxylic acid;   about 1 to about 5 wt-% hydrogen peroxide;   about 0.01 to about 5 wt-% short chain carboxylic acid;   about 0.01 wt-% to about 5 wt-% nonionic surfactant; and   about 0.01 wt-% to about 3 wt-% sequestrant;   wherein: the composition is free of added mineral acid;
 the pH of the composition is about 1 to about 4; 
 the ratio of hydrogen peroxide:peroxycarboxylic acid is about 30:1 to about 60:1; 
 the composition is stable such that greater than 85% of the initial concentration of peroxycarboxylic acid remains after 1 year of storage at room temperature; and 
 the ratio of hydrogen peroxide:protonated carboxylic acid is about 1:1 to about 2:1. 
   
     
     
         2 . The composition of  claim 1 , comprising: about 0.005 to about 0.2 wt-% short chain peroxycarboxylic acid; and about 0.5 to about 5 wt-% short chain carboxylic acid. 
     
     
         3 . The composition of  claim 1 , further comprising: about 0.0001 to about 0.004 wt-% medium chain peroxycarboxylic acid; and about 0.01 to about 0.3 wt-% medium chain carboxylic acid. 
     
     
         4 . The composition of  claim 1 , further comprising buffer, hydrotrope, corrosion inhibitor, or combination thereof. 
     
     
         5 . The composition of  claim 4 , comprising about 0.01 to about 2 wt-% buffer, the buffer comprising phosphate salt, citrate salt, formate salt, malate salt, or acetate salt. 
     
     
         6 . The composition of  claim 4 , comprising about 0.01 to about 2 wt-% buffer, the buffer being an acetate salt. 
     
     
         7 . The composition of  claim 4 , comprising about 0.01 to about 0.25 wt-% corrosion inhibitor. 
     
     
         8 . The composition of  claim 7 , wherein the corrosion inhibitor comprises a triazole corrosion inhibitor. 
     
     
         9 . The composition of  claim 8 , wherein the corrosion inhibitor comprises benzotriazole. 
     
     
         10 . The composition of  claim 1 , wherein the composition is ready to use with a concentration of from about 0.005 wt-% to about 0.2 wt-% of a peroxycarboxylic acid within about 2 to about 4 hours and wherein the composition is sufficiently stable that greater than 85% of the initial concentration of peroxycarboxylic remains after 1 year of storage at room temperature and ambient humidity. 
     
     
         11 . The composition of  claim 1 , further comprising about 0.01 to about 1 wt-% masking agent, the masking agent being chemically stable the composition for at least about 6 months at room temperature 
     
     
         12 . A low corrosion peroxycarboxylic acid composition comprising:
 about 0.0001 to about 0.2 wt-% peroxycarboxylic acid;   about 1 to about 5 wt-% hydrogen peroxide;   about 0.01 to about 5 wt-% medium chain mono carboxylic acid or benzoic acid derivative;   about 0.01 to about 2 wt-% buffer;   about 0.01 wt-% to about 5 wt-% nonionic surfactant; and   about 0.01 wt-% to about 3 wt-% sequestrant;   wherein: the composition is ready to use with a concentration of from about 0.005 wt-% to about 0.2 wt-% of the peroxycarboxylic acid within about 2 to about 4 hours;
 wherein the composition is stable such that greater than 85% of the initial concentration of peroxycarbonic acid remains after 1 year of storage at room temperature; 
 the composition is free of added mineral acid; 
 the pH of the composition is about 1 to about 4. 
   
     
     
         13 . The composition of  claim 12 , further comprising a corrosion inhibitor comprising a triazole corrosion inhibitor. 
     
     
         14 . The composition of  claim 13 , wherein the corrosion inhibitor comprises benzotriazole. 
     
     
         15 . The composition of  claim 12 , comprising about 0.01 to about 2 wt-% buffer, the buffer comprising phosphate salt, citrate salt, formate salt, malate salt, or acetate salt. 
     
     
         16 . The composition of  claim 12 , comprising about 0.01 to about 2 wt-% buffer, the buffer being an acetate salt. 
     
     
         17 . The composition of  claim 12 , comprising: about 0.005 to about 0.2 wt-% short chain peroxycarboxylic acid; and about 0.5 to about 5 wt-% short chain carboxylic acid. 
     
     
         18 . The composition of  claim 12 , comprising: about 0.0001 to about 0.004 wt-% medium chain peroxycarboxylic acid; and about 0.01 to about 0.3 wt-% medium chain carboxylic acid. 
     
     
         19 . The composition of  claim 12 , further comprising a hydrotrope. 
     
     
         20 . The composition of  claim 12 , wherein: the ratio of hydrogen peroxide:peroxycarboxylic acid is about 30:1 to about 60:1; and the ratio of hydrogen peroxide:protonated carboxylic acid is about 1:1 to about 2:1. 
     
     
         21 . The composition of  claim 12 , wherein the composition causes less than 200 mil per year corrosion of brass when evaluated according to ASTM G1-90 or ASTM G31-72. 
     
     
         22 . The composition of  claim 12 , further comprising about 0.01 to about 1 wt-% masking agent, the masking agent being chemically stable the composition for at least about 6 months at room temperature 
     
     
         23 . A method of reducing the population of bacterial endospores, comprising:
 contacting bacterial endospores with a composition comprising:
 about 0.0001 to about 0.2 wt-% short chain peroxycarboxylic acid; 
 about 1 to about 5 wt-% hydrogen peroxide; 
 about 0.01 to about 5 wt-% short chain carboxylic acid; 
 about 0.01 wt-% to about 5 wt-% nonionic surfactant; and 
 about 0.01 wt-% to about 3 wt-% sequestrant; 
 wherein 
 the composition is free of added mineral acid; 
 the pH of the composition is about 1 to about 4; 
 the ratio of hydrogen peroxide:peroxycarboxylic acid is about 30:1 to about 60:1; and 
 the ratio of hydrogen peroxide:protonated carboxylic acid is about 1:1 to about 2:1; 
   and   achieving greater than 5 log reduction in the population of bacterial endospores in less than 1 hour under ambient conditions.