WO2004000983A1

WO2004000983A1 - A hand cleansing agent comprising polystyrene sulfonate salts

Info

Publication number: WO2004000983A1
Application number: PCT/KR2003/001193
Authority: WO
Inventors: Moon-Sig Kang; Gyou-Jin Cho
Original assignee: Paru Co., Ltd.
Priority date: 2002-06-20
Filing date: 2003-06-18
Publication date: 2003-12-31
Also published as: AU2003240033A1; KR100503035B1; KR20030097241A

Abstract

The present invention relates to a hand cleaner containing polystyrene sulfonate salts. The hand cleaner comprises 60-80% by weight of ethanol, 1.3-3.0% by weight of isopropyl alcohol, 0.2-0.6% by weight of carbomer, 16-35% by weight of distilled water, and 0.03-0.05% by weight of polystyrene sulfonate salts. The hand cleaner of the present invention has excellent germicidal and antibacterial activities, and harmless to the skin even upon long-term application.

Description

A HAND CLEANSING AGENT COMPRISING POLYSTYRENE SULFONATE SALTS

Technical Field

The present invention relates to a hand cleaner containing polystyrene sulfonate salts.

Background Art

The infection of the human body, particularly the skin, with microbes, and the contamination of foods with microorganisms, are mainly mediated by contact with other persons contaminated with organisms, as well as environmental factors, contaminated food itself, and raw materials of foods. Thus, in order to prevent microbial contamination from being spread in persons engaged in the preparation of products sensitive to foods or a living body, the cleaning and sterilization of hand are more important than everything else.

Recently, a hand cleaner containing germicides or antifungals is used to minimize direct or indirect microbial infection through hand. For example, Korean patent laid-open publication No. 2000-64060 discloses a volatile hand cleaner containing ethanol and PCMX (p-chloro-m-xylenol) as antibacterial and ger icidal components. Korean patent laid-open publication No.

2001-44514 discloses a gel-type hand cleaner containing ethanol, triclosan and

PCMX, as antibacterial and germicidal components. Also, Korean patent laid-open publication No. 2001-110625 discloses a lotion-type hand cleaner prepared by uniformly mixing ethanol, isopropyl alcohol, benzalkonium chloride and a moisturizer, etc.

Such hand cleaners can maintain their antibacterial and germicidal activities by alcohol, tnclosan and PCMX, but upon long-term application, shows skin irritation and has a high possibility of causing inflammation and the like.

Thus, there is a need for the development of a hand cleaner, which has excellent antibacterial and germicidal activities, and at the same time, is harmless to the skin even upon long-term application.

Disclosure of Invention

Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a hand cleaner, which has excellent antibacterial and germicidal activities and is harmless to the human body even upon long-term application. The present invention provides a hand cleaner containing polystyrene sulfonate salts.

The hand cleaner according to the present invention contains polystyrene sulfonate salts at the amount of 0.03-0.05% by weight relative to the hand cleaner.

The hand cleaner according to the present invention comprises ethanol, isopropyl alcohol, carbomer, distilled water and polystyrene sulfonate salts.

The hand cleaner according to the present invention comprises 60-80% by weight of ethanol, 1.3-3.0% by weight of isopropyl alcohol, 0.2-0.6% by weight of carbomer, 16-35% by weight of distilled water and 0.03-0.05%o by weight of polystyrene sulfonate salts. Hereinafter, the hand cleaner according to the present invention will be described in detail.

Among the components forming the hand cleaner of the present invention, polystyrene sulfonate salts acts as an antibacterial agent of immobilizing and killing bacteria. Polystyrene sulfonate salts, which is used in the present invention, is prepared as described below with reference to a method described in POLYMER

ENGINEERING AND SCIENCE, 37, 1, 1997.

In a method of preparing polystyrene sulfonate salts, polystyrene is added to methylene chloride and refluxed. When the polymer is dissolved, it is reacted with sulfuric acid and acetic anhydride. At the end of the reaction, the solution is dropped in distilled water to give a polymer, which is then dried in a vacuum oven. The dried material is dissolved in ethanol, filtered, added with sodium hydrogen carbonate, filtered, and then dried to give polystyrene sulfonate salts.

The content of polystyrene sulfonate salts in the hand cleaner according to the present invention is preferably 0.03-0.05% by weight, and most preferably 0.047% by weight.

Among the components forming the hand cleaner of the present invention, ethanol has germicidal and evaporating actions. The ethanol content in the hand cleaner where ethanol has the most excellent germicidal activity is 60-80% by weight.

If the ethanol content is less than 60% by weight or more than 80% by weight, ethanol will have little or no sterilizing powder or germicidal effect.

Among the components forming the hand cleaner of the present invention, isopropyl alcohol is used for the purpose of supplementing or reinforcing the germicidal action of ethanol. The content of isopropyl alcohol in the hand cleaner according to the present invention is 1.3-3.0%) by weight. If isopropyl alcohol is used at an amount larger than 3.0%> by weight, the resulting hand cleaner will give persons some rejection due to a specific odor of isopropyl alcohol, but there will be no significant change in physical properties of the hand cleaner.

Among the components forming the hand cleaner of the present invention, carbomer is a gelling agent and includes carbomers 938, 940 and 941, etc. Carbomer 940 is most preferable for use in the present invention. Due to a difference in molecular weight of such carbomers, the viscosity of the hand cleaner will vary even when the carbomers are used at the same amount. Even when carbomer 941 is used at increased amount, the viscosity of the hand cleaner will not be increased. Generally, the higher the amount of carbomer, the viscosity of the hand cleaner is increased, and the lower the amount of carbomer, the viscosity of the hand cleaner is reduced. However, when the amount of carbomer is excessively increased as compared to the concentrations of alcohol and distilled water, the gelling time of the hand cleaner will be increased, and also the application of the hand cleaner on the hand will cause sticking and foreign substances. The preferred content of carbomer in the hand cleaner of the present invention is 0.2-0.6% by weight.

Among the components forming the hand cleaner of the present invention, distilled water plays the greatest role in gelling of carbomer. The preferred content of distilled water in the hand cleaner of the present invention is 16-35% by weight. If distilled water is used at an amount larger than 35 > by weight, the concentration of the gel will be reduced, whereas if it is used at an amount lower than 16%> by weight, the concentration of the gel will be increased. The viscosity of the resulting gel can be controlled by adjusting the amounts of distilled water and carbomer.

In addition to the essential components as described above, the hand cleaner of the present invention can contain a curing accelerator, a skin moisturizer and a nutrient.

The curing accelerator serves to accelerator curing and at the same time to neutralize the carboxylic group of acrylic acid in carbomer. Preferred examples of the curing accelerator, which is used in the present invention, include amine compounds, such as diisopropanolamine, aminomethylpropanol, aminomethylpropanediol, triethanolamine and the like. Among such substances, diisopropanolamine is most preferably used. The curing accelerator has some connection with the amount of carbomer, and the preferred content of the curing accelerator in the hand cleaner of the present invention is 0.2-1.7%) by weight. If the curing accelerator is used at an amount lower than 0.2%> by weight, the resulting hand cleaner will tend to have acidity due to a reduction in pH, whereas it is used at an amount larger than 1.7%» by weight, the resulting hand cleaner will have basicity and thus will be slick upon application on hand.

If the skin moisturizer is used at reduced amount, alcohol will be volatilized from hands after the application of the hand cleaner on hands, so that hands will somewhat roughen. On the other hand, if the skin moisturizer is used at excessive amount, some moisture will remain on hands after the application of the hand cleaner on hands, thereby causing sticky feeling on hands. Examples of the skin moisturizer, which is used in the present invention, include isopropyl myristate, propylene glycol, silicon derivatives, aloe vera, sorbitol, and a mixture thereof. The preferred content of the skin moisturizer in the hand cleaner of the present invention is 0.5-4.0% by weight. If the skin moisturizer is used at an amount smaller than 0.5%) by weight, skin moisturization will get worse rapidly, and if it is used at an amount larger than 4.0% by weight, the resulting hand cleaner will be too sticky and thus will give persons a bad feeling upon its application. The nutrient used in the present invention consists of oligosaccharide and chitosan. The preferred content of the nutrient in the hand cleaner of the present invention is 0.001-0.01%) by weight.

The hand cleaner formulation of the present invention is prepared according to the conventional method, and can be prepared in form of a gel, lotion, cream, or mineral oil-type formulation by addition of components, such as an antioxidant, perfume, a softening agent, an antimicrobial agent and the like.

Furthermore, the hand cleaner of the present invention can be prepared in form of various products, such as portable products, desk products, wall products, and body washers.

Brief Description of Drawings

FIG. 1 shows bacterial colony count after culturing a bacterial sample, which was taken from hand before washing the hand;

FIG. 2 shows bacterial colony count after culturing a bacterial sample, which was taken from hand just after washing the hand with water and soap and toweling the washed hand;

FIG. 3 shows bacterial colony count after culturing a bacterial sample, which was taken from hand after cleaning the hand with a cleaner prepared in Comparative Example 1; and

FIG. 3 shows bacterial colony count after culturing a bacterial sample, which was taken from hand after cleaning the hand with a hand cleaner prepared in Example 1. Best Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

The present invention will hereinafter be described in further detail by examples. It should however be borne in mind that the present invention is not limited to or by the examples.

Example 1: Preparation of hand cleaner

A beaker was charged with 61.61 of ethanol, 0.05g of perfume, 24.33g of distilled water, 0.5g of glycerin and 0.047g of polystyrene sulfonate salts, followed by stirring at 25 °C and 3,000 rpm for 1 minute. To the stirred mixture, 0.5g of propylene glycol, 1.5g of isopropyl alcohol, 0.5g of isopropyl myristate, 0.004g of oligosaccharide and 0.004g of chitosan were added, and stirred for about 1 minute while adding 0.2g of diisopropanolamine. After all the components were completely dissolved, 0.22g of a pigment and 0.3g of carbomer were added, and stirred at 3,000 rpm for about 30 minutes, thereby producing a hand cleaner gel. Examples 2-4 and Comparative Examples 1-2

Hand cleaner gels each having a composition shown in Table 1 below were prepared in the same method as described in Example 1.

Table 1:

Test Example 1 : Germicidal effect

In order to examine the germicidal effect of the hand cleaner according to the present invention, a test on the germicidal effect of the hand cleaner was carried out before and after washing hand.

1) Preparation of solid medium (Glucose Yeast Extra Agar (GYEA))

500 ml of distilled water was charged into each of two erlenmeyer flasks. One flask was charged with glucose and yeast, and the other flask was charged with agar. After confirming that all the components were mixed well, the contents of the two flasks ware combined into one flask. In this case, since agar is not completely dissolved, the contents of the flasks were quickly combined when agar was dissolved to some degree. An opening of the flask was closed with a sterilized cap, followed by sterilization at 121 °C under 1 atm for 20 minutes. The sterilized substances was cooled to a tepid degree, and then put in a sterilized petri dish so as to fill a half of the petri dish. The resulting medium was cooled in a sterilized room.

2) Culturing of bacteria

Cotton swabs were prepared and sterilized at 121 °C under 1 atm for 20 minutes. With the sterilized cotton swabs, bacteria were taken from hands washed according to the following conditions (l)-(4). The taken bacteria were transferred to the solid medium, and cultured overnight at 85%> humidity and 28 °C temperature. In this case, the above operation was carried out in a sterilized room such that the cotton swabs were not exposed to other bacteria.

Washing conditions of hands:

(1) no washing;

(2) washing with water and soap and then toweling;

(3) washing with a hand cleaner prepared in Comparative Example 1; and

(4) washing with a hand cleaner prepared in Example 1 of the present invention.

The results of the bacteria-culturing test were shown in Table 2 below and FIGS. 1 to 4.

Table 2:

As shown in Table 2 and FIGS. 1 to 4, it was found that there were no bacteria in the sample taken from the hand washed with the hand cleaner of the present invention.

Test Example 2: Observation of skin irritation

In order to examine if the hand cleaner of the present invention causes skin irritation, the sample according to the present invention and the sample according to Comparative Examples were applied on hands, and then a change in the skin was examined by sensory evaluation.

60 volunteers were divided into three groups each consisting of 20 volunteers, in which the three groups consist of a group where a hand cleaner is not used; a group where the hand cleaner of the present invention is used; and a group where the hand cleaners according to Comparative Examples are used. The hand cleaners were applied on the volunteers for 20 days three times a day, and then a change in the skin was observed.

The observed results showed that the group treated with the hand cleaner of the present invention had little or no skin problem like the group where the hand cleaner was not used. On the other hand, the group treated with the hand cleaners according to Comparative Examples showed skin irritation unlike the group where the hand cleaner was not used.

As a result, it can be found that the hand cleaner of the present invention has excellent germicidal and antibacterial activities and is harmless to the skin.

Industrial Applicability

As described above, the hand cleaner of the present invention has excellent germicidal and antibacterial activities, and harmless to the skin even upon long-term application.

Claims

What Is Claimed Is:

1. A hand cleaner containing polystyrene sulfonate salts.

2. The hand cleaner according to Claim 1, wherein polystyrene sulfonate salts is present at the amount of 0.03-0.05% by weight relative to the hand cleaner.

3. A hand cleaner comprising ethanol, isopropyl alcohol, carbomer, distilled water and polystyrene sulfonate salts.

4. The hand cleaner according to Claim 3, which comprises 60-80% by weight of ethanol, 1.3-3.0% by weight of isopropyl alcohol, 0.2-0.6% by weight of carbomer, 16-35% by weight of distilled water, and 0.03-0.05%o by weight of polystyrene sulfonate salts.

5. The hand cleaner according to any one of Claims 1 to 4, which additionally comprises a curing accelerator.

6. The hand cleaner according to Claim 5, wherein the curing accelerator is selected from amine compounds, including diisopropanolamine, aminomethylpropanol, aminomethylpropanediol and triethanolamine.

7. The hand cleaner according to any one of Claims 1 to 4, which additionally comprises a skin moisturizer.

8. The hand cleaner according to Claim 7, wherein the skin moisturizer is one or more selected from isopropyl myristate, propylene glycol, glycerin, silicon derivatives, aloe vera, and sorbitol.

9. The hand cleaner according to any one of Claims 1 to 4, which additionally comprises a nutrient.

10. The hand cleaner according to Claim 9, wherein the nutrient consists of oligosaccharide and chitosan.

11. The hand cleaner according to any one of Claims 1 to 4, which consists of a gel, lotion, cream, and mineral oil-type formulation.