Buffered glutaraldehyde sterilizing and disinfecting compositions

DETAILED DESCRIPTION I claim: 1.
A hard water compatible aqueous sterilizing and disinfecting solution, comprising from 0.
05 to 30% by weight of glutaraldehyde and containing a salt of nitrilo tris (ethyl phosphoric acid) as a buffering agent and the ratio of glutaraldehyde to the buffering agent is between 15 to 1 and 1 to 1 and which the salt of nitrilo tris (ethyl phosphoric acid) is the sodium or potassium salt or a mixed sodium and potassium salt.
2.
The solution of claim 1 containing from 0.
05 to 3.
6% glutaraldehyde.
3.
The solution of claim 1 containing a diol of the formula RO(CH.
sub.
2 CH.
sub.
2 O).
sub.
n CH.
sub.
2 CH.
sub.
2 OH wherein R is H or CH.
sub.
3 and n is an integer from 1 to 22, and the diol is present in a diol to glutaraldehyde ratio of from 2 to 1 to 5 to 1.
4.
The solution of claim 1 containing from 10 to 30% glutaraldehyde.
5.
The solution of claim 1 in which the glutaraldehyde content is from 2% to 3.
6% by weight, and the ratio of glutaraldehyde to the buffering agent is between 5 to 1 and 2 to 1.




Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1.
Field of the Invention The present invention relates to sterilizing and disinfecting solutions containing glutaraldehyde as the active ingredient.
The present solutions contain an improved buffering composition.
The solutions of the present invention are capable of being diluted with hard water without becoming turbid and without any reduction in the efficacy of the solution as a sterilizing or disinfecting solution.
2.
Prior Art Glutaraldehyde solutions are well known as sterilizing and disinfecting agents.
These solutions are buffered to maintain the solution at a specific pH range during use.
The following United States patents disclose such solutions and various compositions used as the buffering agent.
1.
Pepper et al.
U.
S.
Pat.
No.
3,016,328, which teaches disinfecting with a sporicidal composition containing saturated dialdehyde, such as glutaraldehyde, and an alkalinating or buffering agent in either an alcoholic solution, or an aqueous solution at above pH 7