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16.09.2008

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ProductPreservation
Preservation
Industrial Biocides
Q Edition 2009

Content
Introduction
Microbial Contamination
Applications
In-Can Preservation
Product Overview In-Can Biocides
Dry-film Preservation
Product Overview Dry-film Biocides
Product Overview Antimicrobial
Development & Technical Support
Shipping and Storage

Welcome to Clariant
Clariant is a global leader in the production of fine and specialty chemicals with about 18,000 employees and annual sales of more than CHF 7 billion. It is domiciled and headquartered in Muttenz near Basel, Switzerland, and
operates worldwide on 5 continents. The products and services are based on specialty chemicals which play a decisive role in clients manufacturing processes and upgrade their end products. Our employees recognize the challenges that customers face, tailor the products to their exact specifications, and collaborate with them to come up
with effective solutions.
As part of Clariant`s acquisition of BTP in 2000, the activities of Nipa Laboratories were integrated into the BU
Industrial and Consumer Specialities. Under the brand names Nipacide and JMAC Clariant offers a broad range of
different actives and blends to solve nearly every microbial challenge a customer can imagine.

Pontypridd
,
UK
Mt. Holly
USA

Zhenjiang
China
Madras (Chennai)
India

Souzano
Brazil

+ several small production locations in LATAM, ASIA and Australia

Introduction
In order to meet the increasing demands for environmentally compatible products, organic solvents in formulations
are more and more replaced by water-based systems. But the change from an organic solvent to water also brings
the problem of microbial contamination. Irrespective of the type of aqueous substance, spoilage occur in closed
containers or the outer surface of material. This can even result in the destruction of the top coating and render it
useless for the intended purpose.
For both economic and hygienic reasons the growth of microbes should be prevented by adding highly effective
preservatives. The right choice of a suitable preservative depends on the nature of the suspected contamination
(bacteria, fungi, yeast, algae), on the physico-chemical compatibility, on the eco-toxicological demand and on the
desired storage condition of the final product.
The aim of this brochure is to give you an overview of preservatives suitable for in-can preservation, dry-film protection and antimicrobial systems as well as different applications, starting from paint formulations up to the area
of construction blends. Afterwards, our technical team will be at your disposal to support you in choosing the ideal
preservative for your application.

Microbial Contamination
Microorganisms
Since microorganisms occur everywhere, their destructive activity is
basically unavoidable. The microbial growth in paint causes gassing,
discoloration, liquefaction, emulsion breakdown, pH variation and odor
inside the container. It can also result in surface disfigurement of the
coating after it is applied on the wall. Microbial spoilage could also be
the reason for undesired gelling and thinning. When polymer emulsions
are spoiled, poor adhesion, odors, gassing and visual contamination of
the dispersion due to microbial attack is seen. Thus microbial contamination has many adverse affects on
product quality. This invariably leads to product failure, product recall and also has potential human health
issues. Thus in order to achieve a specific shelf life it is often a requirement to ensure that raw materials
and finished goods are free of microbial contamination.
Bacteria
Bacteria are a large group of unicellular microorganisms, typically a few micrometres in length, which have a wide
variety of shapes, ranging from spheres to rods and spirals. There are typically 40 million bacterial cells in a gram of
soil and a million bacterial cells in a millilitre of fresh water; in all, there are approximately five nonillion (51030)
bacteria on earth, forming much of the world's biomass.
The bacterial cell is surrounded by a lipid membrane, or cell membrane, which encloses the contents of the cell and
acts as a barrier to hold nutrients, proteins and other essential components of the cytoplasm within the cell.

Fungi (Moulds / Yeast)

Moulds include all species of microscopic fungi that grow in the form of
multicellular filaments, called hyphae. In contrast, microscopic fungi that grow as
single cells are called yeasts. Like all fungi, moulds derive energy not through
photosynthesis but from the organic matter inside of which they live. Moulds
reproduce through small spores.
Some species of yeast are opportunistic pathogens, where they can cause
infection in people with compromised immune systems.
Algae
Algae are a large and diverse group of simple, typically autotrophic organisms, ranging from unicellular to
multicellular forms. They are photosynthetic like plants, and "simple" because they lack distinct organs found in
land plants. Algae are most prominent in bodies of water, but are also common in terrestrial environments.

Applications
Paints & Coatings
An inadequate preservation of paints and surface coatings will lead to visual contamination. In-can bacterial contamination can lead to undesired liquefaction, odours, gassing and discoloration. At this stage the paint is generally
beyond recovery. To avoid this, the addition of preserving biocides is absolutely necessary.
Facades are usually made of mineral materials such as stucco and gypsum, as well as wood materials which favor
the growth of micro-organisms. Once a painted surface is colonized by micro-organisms, the integrity of the paint is
compromised, and it may result in undesirable color changes and loss of adhesion. Then substrates are vulnerable
and breakdowns may result. Therefore surface coatings like exterior paints or interior paints for
special applications such as bathrooms or kitchens require dry film protection. The choice of the
correct biocide is depending on pH of the formulation as well as if it has to fulfill regulatory approvals like VOC contribution or Ecolabels.
Our broad range of biocide products will help you to protect your individual formulation.
Polymer Emulsions
The selection of a biocide for polymer emulsions depends on specific demands such as pH stability,
thermal treatment, indirect food approvals and in particular the presence of specific Redox systems.
Polymer emulsions based on styrene acrylates or SBR latex often have a high pH and therefore can reduce the performance of biocides containing e.g. CMIT / MIT. Hence BIT based systems are often the preservative of choice,
like Nipacide BIT 10 W or Nipacide BIT AS 20.
Strong reducing and oxidizing agents as initiators and post treatments to reduce free monomers may deactivate
certain biocide types. It should be considered that BIT is sensitive to oxidizing agents and CMIT/MIT to reducing
agents.

Construction Chemicals
Due to the variety of different chemical based systems used in the construction industry the selection of the appropriate preservation system has to be evaluated. This depends on e.g. the plasticizer basis like ligninsulphonates,
polynaphthalenesulphonates or polycarboxylates and the pH value. For systems with pH >9 and / or containing
amines CMIT/MIT based products can not be used. Therefore we recommend Nipacide TBXB or our Nipacide BIT
range.
Adhesives
Due to the wide range of chemical types used as components of adhesives an incompatible biocide is likely to be
deactivating or bring about chemical changes affecting the adhesive properties and performance.
For the selection of the biocide it is important to consider, beside the possible alkalinity, whether a proteinic adhesive (e.g. caseins or N.R. latex) or starch based adhesives have to be protected. Caseins can deactivate CMIT/MIT
based biocides, therefore BIT based systems like Nipacide BIT 10 W or Nipacide BIT AS 20 are preferred to be
used. For starch adhesives we recommend to use products from our Nipacide BIT range as well as Nipacide TBXB.

In-Can Preservation
An inadequate preservative which does not suppress bacterial or fungal growth will lead to visual contamination.
Clariant`s in-can biocides will help you to prevent microbial growth in your product in a wet state during manufacturing, storage and transportation. The right choice of biocide is necessary to reduce the risk of loss of product
properties, discoloration, pH reduction and gas formation.
1,2-Benzisothiazolin-3-one (BIT)
Benzisothiazolinone is well known as a broad effective molecule with excellent chemical and
thermal stability and can be used in neutral and even in alkaline systems with pH >9 and for
processes even above >60C where other biocide actives like CIT/MIT already show a reduced performance. BIT is relatively stable against reducing agents but starts to degrade in the
presence of strong oxidizing agents like hydrogen peroxide. The material is widely used because it overcomes the stability problems seen with other isothiazolinones. Typical use levels
are between 200-400 ppm of active ingredient. BIT is also effective in acid systems i.e. adhesives and polymer emulsions that are attacked by microorganisms.

O
N

5-Chloro-2-methyl-isothiazolin-3-one and 2-Methyl-isothiazolin-3-one (CMIT / MIT)

Another major isothiazolinone often used for in-can preservation is the mixture of Chloromethyl-isothiazolinone and Methylisothiazolinone. This economic mixture is effective against
gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria, yeast and fungi. Even at low concentrations usual
treat rates are below 15 ppm active ingredient. Particular note should be taken with use levels
>15 ppm because of labelling restictions with R 43 (sensitizing) e.g. in the European Union.

N CH3
S
Cl

O
N CH3
S

Bronopol (BNPD)
2-Bromo-2-nitropropane-1,3-diol is a highly active non-oxidizing biocide used in aqueous
systems. Its low mammalian toxicity (at in-use levels) and exceptional activity against bacteria
(especially the troublesome Gram-negative species) make it a popular preservative in many
industrial applications such as paints, polymer emulsions and as cooling water disinfection
plants. Bronopol has a relatively high organically bound content of AOX-relevant bromine.
Deactivation and hydrolysis starts at a pH value of 8, thus limiting its use in paint formulations
that have a pH of 8-9. In addition Bronopol sometimes leads to discoloration.

Br

HO

OH

N
O

1,2-Dibromo-2,4-dicyanobutane (DBDCB)
Br

DBDCB can be used for preservation for a wide range of formulations such as paints, polymer
emulsions and adhesives. It shows a very good efficacy against bacteria as well as for fungi
and yeast. The use is recommended in a pH range 4-9. It can start to degrade above 40C.

N
Br

Formaldehyde releasers (O- / N- formals)

Formaldehyde releasers have a long history as biocide because they are very effective against
a broad range of organisms. They are extremely cost efficient, effective against a wide variety
of organism and relatively stable. In addition they are useful as headspace protection for in-can
uses.

Dry-film preservation
Surface coatings may require dry-film protection when applied as interior paint for wet rooms such as bathrooms or
kitchens. For exterior paints this is necessary because of environmental conditions like high humidity and UV light.
An inadequate preservative which does not suppress fungal or algal growth will lead to visual contamination of the
surface coating. Clariant`s dry-film biocides will be capable withstanding those conditions and will give your product a long life.
3-Iodopropynylbutylcarbamate (IPBC)
IPBC has an excellent toxicity profile and is extremely efficacious against
fungi. Therefore it is the most commonly used product for coating systems
I
and wood preservation. IPBC has exceptional activity against the fungus
Alternaria, which has been found to degrade polymeric coatings.

O
O

Zinc-pyrithione
Zinc-pyrithione is effective against moulds, yeasts and algae. It is a very
low water soluble active (avoids wash-out from exterior paints by rain) with
a broad application range in paints, adhesives and sealants. It can be used
in a pH range 4-8,5 but in alkaline media it starts to convert into the water
soluble alkali salt.

S
N

O
N

Zn
O

Carbendazim
H

Carbendazim is widely used as fungicide in paints and sealants. It shows an

activity against a variety of fungi and yeasts but is less effective against
algae. For exterior applications it is often combined with an algicide to
provide a broader spectrum. It is very low water soluble and shows very
good pH stability (2-12) as well as thermal stability.

N
NHCO2CH3
N

Diuron
Diuron is a broad spectrum algicide with low water solubility and moderate
pH stability (3-10) for the dry film preservation of exterior coatings. It does
not have good fungicidal performance and therefore has to be combined
with a fungicide active to provide a comprehensive protection in exterior
applications.

H3C

N C N

H3C

O
Cl

Octylisothiazolin-3-one (OIT)
Octylisothiazolinone is mainly used as fungicide for interior paints where
fungicidal protection is needed such as bathrooms or kitchens and as cofungicide. For exterior coatings it is recommended to formulate OIT with
additional fungicide actives due to higher water solubility of OIT compared
to other dry film actives which results in loss of performance when exposed
to leaching with water. It can be used in formulations with a pH range of 210.

Cl

O
N
S

Antimicrobial preservation
Silver Technology (JMAC)
Silver has been known for centuries for its antimicrobial properties with exceptional benefits of having very low
toxic effects.
Clariant offers a technology based on the inorganic composite of silver chloride on titanium dioxide, delivering a
preservative active with truly beneficial properties. The active species are silver ions which interact with the microorganisms resulting in a range of effects from growth inhibition and loss of infectivity to cell death.
Because of its excellent thermal and pH stability JMAC biocides can be used for preservation for a wide range of
industrial applications such as emulsions, paints, sealants and adhesives. They are recommended as antimicrobial
agents for use in hygiene coatings, paper and board, textile or plastics.

JMAC biocides are easy and safe to handle and show a very low impact on the environment. They are very economic biocide because it is already effective at ppm dosages and the silver ions are released over a long period of
time.

Product Overview In-Can Biocides

Product Overview In-Can Biocides Continued

Product Overview Dry-film Biocides

Product Overview Antimicrobial

Development and Technical Support

At Clariant we are constantly reviewing ways in which we can improve our preservatives to ensure that we keep
pace with our customers requirements. Let our technical experts find exactly your preservative. Clariant gives:

Technical Service

Development Support

Microbiology Testing

Hygiene Audit

Regulatory Support

At our global network of well-equipped technical service laboratories, our dedicated and experienced team supports
the full product range with shelf-life stability test, along with wet-state (in-can) and dry film biocide efficacy studies.
Clariant offers microbiological services for chemical plants and products. A microbiological audit is necessary, for
example, when a customer discovers germs in his products and is unable to establish which vat, pipe or raw material is the source of contamination.

Shipping and Storage

Particularly note should be taken on storage conditions of biocide products provided in Technical Data Sheets (TDS)
or Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS).
To ensure shelf life and performance of our products storage between 5C and 40C is recommended.
Use biocides safely. Always read the label and product information before use.