Environmental needs shape biocides future

06 January 1991 00:00  [Source: PCE]

The development of product portfolios in the biocides market is increasingly being shaped by heightened environmental awareness combined with consumer demand for environmentally friendly products. Janet Dansie talks to biocides manufacturers who are working to meet the environmental challenge

The biocides market is fast-moving in its requirements, which are now strongly influenced by the need for products to be environmentally friendly. New developments are particularly noticeable in the field of fungicides for wood and coatings.

One such biocides manufacturer is Harlow, UK-based Bactria Laboratories, an operating division of Revertex and part of chemicals major Yule Catto. A primary manufacturer and formulator of specialist biocides and preservatives, the company's products are targeted mainly at the preservation of paints, adhesives, printing inks, polymer emulsions and aqueous cutting fluids used in machine tooling.

Being very much a market-led company, Bactria has responded to the needs of paint, adhesive and polymer producers for environmentally acceptable alternatives to phenolic and heavy metal-based preservatives. The company embarked on a major R&D programme in 1989, which has resulted in the development of an innovative dry film fungicide/algicide. Comprising powerful low toxicity/fungicidal agents, together with specific photosynthesis-blocking algicides, this formulation spearheads a new generation of products for the paint industry.

Environmental considerations also play a major role in the rest of the Bactria product portfolio. This is particularly pertinent to the effluent-generating, metal-working fluids industry, where biocides come under severe scrutiny.

Bactria has recently produced a package of biodegradable bactericides, fungicides and biocidal system cleaning fluids, targeted on formulators of aqueous lubricants and end-users. The company has also launched what it claims is one of the widest ranges of formaldehyde-free preservatives available, many of which have FDA or BGA approval for indirect food contact applications.

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A major worldwide expansion programme is currently being undertaken, with operations recently established in Ireland, Italy and Scandinavia, while in March this year Bactria Industriehygiene GmbH was formed in Kirchheimbolanden, Germany.

Further afield, the company is very active in the developing Asia- Pacific markets, operating in Malaysia and Singapore through Revertex Malaysia and P T Revertex Indonesia. There are also sales operations in Australia and Taiwan, with experienced technical personnel to provide customer service. In southern Africa, Bactria operates as a division of Revertex Chemicals, based in Durban, with sales offices in Johannesburg and Cape Town.

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In the UK, Bactria is about to commission a new dedicated manufacturing facility at the group's Stallingborough production site. This will take the form of a multipurpose plant, for the production of single active molecules and comprehensive blending, dispersing and formulating facilities. There will be pilot plant and full-scale production facilities.

Still stressing the theme of environmental acceptability, Dr Straetmans Chemische Produkte of Hamburg, represented in the UK by Glasgow-based Ferguson & Menzies Ltd, places a premium on this property, together with toxicological profile and performance, in its range of biocides.

New and improved grades are offered to meet the needs of a rapidly changing market, including ES-2000, a highly compatible, nonstaining, non-foaming and non-corrosive fungicide, widely used in metal cutting, grinding and drawing fluids; ES-TP10, a development product which is a fungicidal formulative for watermiscible oil concentrates and ES-LB12, an additive for the production of bio-stable, boric acid-free cutting oils.

Biocides are seen as a key strategic business within Coalite Chemicals of Bolsover, Derbyshire, which acquired the biocides business of BDH/Merck on 1 January this year. This has enabled Coalite to integrate its existing range of disinfectants and phenolics with the BDH brands, such as Panacide, within a new Coalite Chemicals Biocides Division.

Dr Richard Eismore, previously business manager of Boots Microcheck Contract Laboratory, has been appointed technical manager of the new division. He will be responsible for product development as well as technical service to customers. Capital expenditure has already been earmarked for refurbishing the company's microbiology facilities.

As a result of the BDH acquisition, two new products have been added to the Coalite range; Panacide WS, which comes in the form of water-soluble sachets for water treatment and Panacide Sterling, a neutral pH emulsion for use in household products and preservation in non-alkaline solutions.

Another new product, introduced by Servo Delden, Fungitrol 11-50 S, is a liquid fungicide for non-aqueous coatings. This biocide is claimed to give permanent film protection against a aide spectrum of fungi. The product is a pumpable, low-viscosity dispersion, with applications in non-aqueous paints, wood stains and preservatives, to inhibit fungal growth and discoloration.

The main features of this new biocide are that it is non-toxic and non-dermatitic when used at the recommended levels, that it is said to be highly effective at a low cost and to be non-dusting. The non-toxic properties permit its use in paints for meat packaging, dairy produce and similar specialised applications. The recommended application levels for Fungitrol 11-50 S are between 1-2% by weight.

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In a similar vein, Troy Chemical Company of Vlaardingen, the Netherlands, offers Troysan Polyphase P100, an IPBC technical grade, as a low-toxicity fungicide/algicide. Troy has been producing IPBC commercially for over 10 years and it is an approved wood preservative in the UK and other countries.

Being stable in both organic solvents and water, its use is favoured by the current trend towards aqueous-based preparations. Its markets include remedial preparations, wood protection, covering wood destroying fungi, blue stain, algae and yeast, textiles, paper, plastics, metal working fluids, oilfield products and fuel protestant. It is also used as a dry film protestant in the coatings industry, for paint, stains, lacquers, creosote substitute products and printing inks.

Product availability

Various formulated products are now available including: Troysan Polyphase AF1, a 40% solution of IPBC which is easy to use in water-based formulation; Troysan EC17, a 17% emulsifiable concentrate of IPBC suitable for any emulsion-containing product; Troysan EX 504, a 30% solution of IPBC in low odour, low-toxicity solvents, suitable for both solvent and water-based systems and Serpalit 2000, recommended specifically for use versus Serpula Lacrymans, the dry rot fungus. This has been proved effective down to 1% w/w by the BAM Institute in Germany.

The algicidal properties of IPBC have been shown to be effective at levels as low as 0.1-0.2% over extended periods.

Also from Troy, Troysan 186/174, are non-formaldehyde release bactericides, based on mammalian low toxicity, hetero-alicyclic chemistry, which are completely miscible with water for use in systems with a pH level of 7 or above. Applications extend to any water-based product requiring anti-bacterial protection. Use level is normally in the range 0.15-0.25% w/w on product. A highly effective, low-toxicity biocide package may be produced by combining Troysan 186/174 with IPBC.

Bayer AG has developed a new fungicide for wood treatment, Preventol A8, which it claims fills a longstanding gap in the market. The fungicide includes a patented active ingredient called Tebuconazole, which has a good spectrum of activity against wood-rotting fungi.

Preventol AS can be used in both solvent and aqueous-based wood preservatives. It is non-leachable, light stable, heat-stable and non-volatile and meets all the requirements for long-term protection. This new fungicide is compatible with the usual components of wood preservatives, as well as with insecticides like Permethrin and blue stain fungicides like Preventol A4S.

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After evaluating extensive toxicological and ecotoxicological documents, the German public health office has given this new fungicide the RAL symbol, which confirms its acceptability for use in wood preservatives. The German office for the research and testing of materials (BAM) has issued certificates for Preventol AS.

Recent development

A very recent development from Hoechst is its broad spectrum quaternary biocide Dodigen 3519, intended for applications in specialist disinfectant and sanitising products. It is said to be especially effective in the disinfection of surgical instruments, moth no danger of corrosion to V2A and V4A stainless steels.

The core business of Angus Chemicals, based at Northbrook, Illinois, is the manufacture of nitroparaffins and their derivatives, with applications in the personal care market. These include Bronopol, Hexetidine, Amical, AMP Regular, AMP-95, AMPD and Tris Amino.

The company's Biocide Division has now received final approval from the EC Commission for its anti-microbial agent, Oxaban-A, as a cosmetic preservative. Oxaban-A may be used at concentrations up to 0.1% in both rinse-off and leave-on products, which have a pH not lower than 6.

The product is compatible with cationic, anionic or nonionic systems over a wide pH range, without loss of efficiency. It is water-and oil-soluble, easy to formulate and microbiogically and chemically versatile. EC approval is also given to a companion preservative from Angus, Oxaban-E, at concentrations up to 0.3%.

Personal care is also the application area for Rohm & Haas' Kathon CG, which is claimed to, be effective at low levels and which breaks down rapidly after usage, leaving no measurable impact on the environment.

Ironically, it is this very property which has caused Rohm & Haas to have problems getting US government approval for Kathon CG. The argument has been that, as the residual particles are too small to be assessed for their effect on the environment, the product cannot be given official approval. According to a company spokesman, this situation has now been resolved and Kathon CG also has EC approval in Europe.

Growth for bromine specialities

Great Lakes Chemical is a major producer of bromine and brominated speciality chemicals, based in West Lafayette, Indiana, US. Its affiliate Octel is one of the few European bromine producers, at its Amlwch facility in the Isle of Angelsey, UK. One of the fastest growing sectors within the company's bromine speciality products is bromine-based biocides.

This growth has taken place as a result of three major factors, says Jeffery Conley, business manager Water Treatments. First, there is the increased emphasis on environmental impact made by traditional biocides. Following on that, there is the rising importance of health and safety issues when selecting biocides. Finally, the broad spectrum cost-effectiveness of bromine-based biocides must be taken into account.

One of the uses of bromine-based biocides is as a replacement for chlorine in cooling-water treatment. Advantages resulting from this application are said to include lower chemical costs, reduced requirement for mechanical and chemical cleaning of main surface condensers, avoidance of dechlorination, restoration of lost output at plants with condensers of marginal design surface area and avoidance of condenser retubing necessitated by under-deposit corrosion.

Studies have been carried out by Great Lakes into the potential use of bromochlorodimethylhydantoin (BromiCide) against legionella pneumophila (Legionnaire's Disease) in industrial cooling water, with encouraging results. Under laboratory conditions, BromiCide was shown to react rapidly with water to generate powerful antimicrobial agents, predominantly hypobromous and hypochlorous acids.

Comparisons undertaken elsewhere between the relative efficacy in wastewater disinfection of Pseudomonas, Escherichia and Streptococcus, between chlorine and bromine, clearly showed that the effect of pH favours bromine-based disinfection treatments, according to Great Lakes.

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