Chlorine bleaching after peracid treatment

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10513673-B2
Application number	US-201816015391-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 22, 2018
Priority date	Jun 22, 2017
Publication date	Dec 24, 2019
Grant date	Dec 24, 2019

Abstract

A method for enhancing bleaching efficacy for treatment of articles, including for example laundry is disclosed. Methods for antimicrobial disinfecting and/or sanitizing and bleaching laundry and other articles is provided by washing the articles with a peroxyformic acid composition at a first pH for effective antimicrobial efficacy, thereafter applying an alkaline source to increase the pH for addition of a bleaching component. The methods can be provided as part of a laundry operation and can be utilized in industrial and commercial applications.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of antimicrobial treatment sanitizing and/or disinfecting and bleaching laundry, the method comprising:
(a). washing the laundry with between about 5 ppm to about 200 ppm of a peroxyformic acid composition at a pH range from about 4 to about 7 in a laundry washing machine for effective antimicrobial efficacy on the laundry, wherein there is optionally a draining of the peroxyformic acid composition before adding the alkalinity step; thereafter
(b). adding an alkalinity source to the washing machine to increase the pH range to at least about 7 in the laundry washing machine, wherein there is optionally a draining step before adding the chlorine bleach; thereafter
(c). applying a chlorine bleach component in the laundry washing machine; and
(d). draining the peroxyformic acid composition and the chlorine bleach component from the laundry.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the laundry washing machine is an industrial machine or a consumer machine.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the peroxyformic acid composition is applied to the laundry in the laundry washing machine at a pH from about 5 to about 7.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the peroxyformic acid composition is applied to the laundry in the laundry washing machine for about 3 to about 15 minutes.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the peroxyformic acid composition comprises peroxyformic acid, formic acid and hydrogen peroxide.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the peroxyformic acid composition is provided to the laundry washing machine at an actives level from about 5 ppm to about 80 ppm.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the alkalinity source increases the pH range to at least above 10.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the chlorine bleach component is applied to the laundry in the laundry washing machine for about 3 to about 15 minutes.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the chlorine bleach component is hypochlorite.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the chlorine bleach component is a chlorine releasing component comprising one or more of dichloroisocyanurate, chlorinated trisodium phosphate, hypochlorite, monochloramine, dichloramine, [(monotrichloro)-tetra(monopotassium dichloro)] pentaisocyanurate, 1,3-dichloro-5,5-dimethylidantonone, paratoluene sulfodichloro-amide, trichloromelamine, N-chloramine, N-chlorosuccinimide, N,N′-dichloroazodicarbonamide, N-chloroacetyl-urea, N,N-dichlorbiurile, chlorinated dicyandiamide, trichlorocyanuric acid, and dichloroglycourea.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the peroxyformic acid composition further comprises any one or more of surfactants, chelants, polymers, enzymes, defoaming agents, anti-redeposition agents, stabilizing agents, solubility modifiers, dispersants, rinse aids, metal protecting agents, stabilizing agents, corrosion inhibitors, sequestrants, fragrances, dyes, rheology modifiers or thickeners, hydrotropes or couplers, buffers, and solvents.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the laundry is optionally rinsed with water in the laundry washing machine following the chlorine bleach step for at least about 1 minute.

13. The method of claim 1 , wherein the method further comprises applying an adjuvant use solution comprising at least one of souring agents, fabric softening agents, starch, anti-wrinkle agents, sizing agents, color-fastness agents, oil and water repellant agents, water conditioning agents, iron controlling agents, water threshold agents, soil releasing agents, soil shielding agents, optical brightening agents, fragrances, and mixtures thereof at any point in the method of antimicrobial treatment sanitizing and/or disinfecting and bleaching laundry.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the adjuvant use solution is applied to the laundry in the laundry washing machine at a pH from about 5 to about 8 for about 1 to about 6 minutes.

15. The method of claim 1 , wherein the method of antimicrobial sanitizing and/or disinfecting and bleaching laundry disinfects and/or sanitizes the laundry and removes bacteria, viruses or other contaminants from the laundry.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the antimicrobial step kills the bacteria, viruses or other contaminants before any wash waters are discharged from the laundry washing machine.

17. The method of claim 1 , wherein the temperature of the washing machine is less than about 120° F.

18. The method of claim 1 , wherein the method of antimicrobial sanitizing and/or disinfecting and bleaching laundry follows an initial washing step for the laundry.

Assignees

• Ecolab Usa Inc

Inventors

• Lang jason
• Crew Benjamin
• Fast Jonathan P
• Becker Angela
• Lundberg Steven

Classifications

• A61L2103/50

  Textiles, e.g. bedwear or towels · CPC title

• C11D3/395

  Bleaching agents · CPC title

• C11D7/06

  Hydroxides · CPC title

• C11D3/48

  Medical, disinfecting agents, disinfecting, antibacterial, germicidal or antimicrobial compositions · CPC title

• C11D3/044

  Hydroxides or bases · CPC title