JP7784261B2 - Rinse agent composition and dry finishing method - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a novel rinse agent composition and a dry finishing method using the same.

For reasons of safety and efficiency, used medical instruments are generally washed using automatic washing and drying equipment such as a washer-disinfector. Such automatic washing and drying equipment typically goes through a preliminary washing process, a main washing process, a rinsing process, a final rinsing process, and a drying process. The final rinsing process involves rinsing the items to be washed with rinse water containing a rinse aid with drying properties in order to shorten the subsequent drying time. Reducing drying time shortens the working time of workers and also reduces the burden on them, so there is a demand for rinse aids with superior drying performance.

Rinse aids are also often used for hygienic reasons and to achieve a cleaner appearance, and rinse aids that can reduce the residue left by rinse water after drying are also being developed. For example, Patent Document 1 proposes a rinse aid for dishwashers that contains, as its active ingredient, a polyglycerin fatty acid ester obtained by the esterification reaction of a specific mixture of glycerin and polyglycerin with a fatty acid, which has the effect of reducing stains and white spots known as water spots. However, there is still room for improvement in the drying performance of rinse aids and the reduction of residue left after drying.

JP 2017-008259 A

The present invention was made in light of these circumstances, and aims to provide a rinse aid composition that has excellent drying performance and leaves little residue after drying.

The inventors conducted extensive research to solve the above-mentioned problems, and discovered that a rinse agent composition containing a nonionic surfactant, in combination with an aromatic carboxylic acid and an alkanolamine, exhibits excellent drying performance and leaves little residue after drying, leading to the completion of the present invention. The gist of the present invention is as follows:

[1] A rinse agent composition comprising (A) an aromatic carboxylic acid, (B) an alkanolamine, and (C) a nonionic surfactant.
[2] The rinse composition according to [1], wherein the aromatic carboxylic acid is at least one selected from benzoic acid, salicylic acid, and phthalic acid.
[3] The rinse composition according to [1] or [2], wherein the alkanolamine (B) is at least one selected from monoethanolamine, diethanolamine, triethanolamine, 2-amino-2-methyl-1,3-propanediol, 2-amino-2-ethyl-1,3-propanediol, 2-amino-2-methyl-1-propanol, and trishydroxymethylaminomethane.
[4] The rinse composition according to any one of [1] to [3], wherein the nonionic surfactant (C) is at least one selected from glycerin fatty acid esters, polyglycerin fatty acid esters, polyoxyethylene glycerin fatty acid esters, sorbitan fatty acid esters, polyoxyethylene sorbitan fatty acid esters, sucrose fatty acid esters, and propylene glycol fatty acid esters.
[5] The rinse agent composition according to any one of [1] to [4], containing 0.1 mass % or more of (A) an aromatic carboxylic acid and (B) an alkanolamine in total.
[6] The rinse agent composition according to any one of [1] to [5], further comprising (D) an alcohol.
[7] The rinse agent composition according to [6], wherein the alcohol (D) is at least one selected from ethanol, propylene glycol, and glycerin.
[8] A dry finishing method, characterized by using the rinse agent composition according to any one of [1] to [7].

The present invention provides a rinse agent composition that has excellent drying properties and leaves minimal residue after drying. In particular, the rinse agent composition of the present invention has excellent drying properties, making it suitable for use, for example, to promote drying after cleaning medical instruments.

FIG. 1 is a photograph showing the state of remaining marks in the remaining mark evaluation test of Example 1 and Comparative Example 2.

The present invention is described in detail below. Terms used in this specification shall be interpreted in the manner commonly used in the relevant technical field unless otherwise specified.

In the present invention, a rinse agent composition contains a nonionic surfactant as a drying-accelerating component and is applied (rinsed) to an item to be washed before the drying step to shorten the drying time when drying the item after washing and rinsing. Therefore, the rinse agent composition of the present invention does not include those intended for use as a detergent. Such rinse agent compositions are typically diluted with rinsing water and used in the final rinsing step of a washing and drying device such as a washer-disinfector. As mentioned above, the final rinsing step in a washer-disinfector is a step performed to shorten the subsequent drying time. The rinse agent composition of the present invention, which has excellent drying performance and leaves little residue after drying, is suitable for use in this step. Here, a washer-disinfector refers to a device designed to clean products such as medical devices and disinfect them with hot water at atmospheric pressure.

<Rinse agent composition>
The rinse agent composition of the present invention contains (A) an aromatic carboxylic acid, (B) an alkanolamine, and (C) a nonionic surfactant. By containing the combination of (A) an aromatic carboxylic acid and (B) an alkanolamine, the rinse agent composition of the present invention can improve drying performance due to the (C) nonionic surfactant contained in the rinse agent composition. Furthermore, this combination of components reduces residues left after drying.

[(A) Aromatic Carboxylic Acid]
In the present invention, the aromatic carboxylic acid (A) can be a wide variety of carboxylic acids known in the art, without any particular limitation. Specific examples include benzoic acid, salicylic acid, 3-hydroxybenzoic acid, 4-hydroxybenzoic acid, cinnamic acid, toluic acid, phthalic acid, phenylacetic acid, 2-phenylpropionic acid, phenoxyacetic acid, phenylpyruvic acid, t-butylbenzoic acid, 3,5-di-t-butylbenzoic acid, 3,5-di-t-butylsalicylic acid, benzoylbenzoic acid, anthranilic acid, 1-naphthoic acid, 2-naphthoic acid, 1,2-naphthalenedicarboxylic acid, 2,3-naphthalenedicarboxylic acid, 3-hydroxy-2-naphthoic acid, 2-hydroxyphenylacetic acid, 3-hydroxyphenylacetic acid, 4-hydroxyphenylacetic acid, mandelic acid, trimellitic acid, pyromellitic acid, 2-methoxyphenylacetic acid, 3-methoxyphenylacetic acid, and 4-methoxyphenylacetic acid.

Among these aromatic carboxylic acids, benzoic acid, salicylic acid, and phthalic acid are preferred, with benzoic acid being particularly preferred. The rinse agent composition of the present invention may contain either a single aromatic carboxylic acid (A) or multiple aromatic carboxylic acids.

The content of the (A) aromatic carboxylic acid in the rinse aid composition of the present invention is not particularly limited as long as the effects of the present invention are achieved, but can be, for example, in the range of 0.01% by mass to 60% by mass. From the viewpoints of accelerating drying and finishing, the lower limit of the (A) aromatic carboxylic acid content is preferably 1% by mass or more, more preferably 5% by mass or more, and even more preferably 7% by mass or more. From the viewpoint of stability of the rinse aid composition, the upper limit of the (A) aromatic carboxylic acid content is preferably 40% by mass or less, more preferably 30% by mass or less, and even more preferably 20% by mass or less. The numerical range of the (A) aromatic carboxylic acid content is preferably 1% by mass to 40% by mass or less, more preferably 5% by mass to 30% by mass or less, and even more preferably 7% by mass to 20% by mass or less.

[(B) Alkanolamine]
In the present invention, the (B) alkanolamine can be any known alkanolamine in the art, and can be widely used without any particular limitation. Specifically, monoethanolamine, diethanolamine, triethanolamine, monopropanolamine, isopropanolamine, diisopropanolamine, triisopropanolamine, 2-amino-2-methyl-1,3-propanediol, 2-amino-2-ethyl-1,3-propanediol, 2-amino-2-methyl-1-propanol, and trishydroxymethylaminomethane can be used. Among these, monoethanolamine, diethanolamine, triethanolamine, 2-amino-2-methyl-1,3-propanediol, 2-amino-2-ethyl-1,3-propanediol, 2-amino-2-methyl-1-propanol, and trishydroxymethylaminomethane are preferred, with triethanolamine being particularly preferred. The rinse composition of the present invention may contain one or more of the above (B) alkanolamines.

The content of (B) alkanolamine in the rinse aid composition of the present invention is not particularly limited as long as the effects of the present invention are achieved, but can be, for example, in the range of 0.01% by mass to 60% by mass. From the viewpoints of accelerating drying and finishing, the lower limit of the content of (B) alkanolamine is preferably 1% by mass or more, more preferably 6% by mass or more, and even more preferably 9% by mass or more. From the viewpoint of stability of the rinse aid composition, the upper limit of the content of (B) alkanolamine is preferably 50% by mass or less, more preferably 40% by mass or less, and even more preferably 25% by mass or less. The numerical range of the content of (B) alkanolamine is preferably 1% by mass to 50% by mass or less, more preferably 6% by mass to 40% by mass or less, and even more preferably 9% by mass to 25% by mass or less.

The mass ratio [(A)/(B)] of (A) aromatic carboxylic acid to (B) alkanolamine in the rinse agent composition of the present invention is adjusted so that the pH is weakly acidic to weakly alkaline. For example, it is 0.01 to 100, preferably 0.1 to 10, more preferably 0.3 to 2.0, and particularly preferably 0.5 to 1.0.

Furthermore, the total content of (A) aromatic carboxylic acid and (B) alkanolamine in the rinse agent composition of the present invention is preferably 0.1% by mass or more, more preferably 1% by mass or more, even more preferably 9% by mass or more, and particularly preferably 15% by mass or more.

[(C) Nonionic surfactant]
The nonionic surfactant (C) in the rinse agent composition of the present invention is a component that contributes to drying performance. In the present invention, the nonionic surfactant (C) can be any surfactant classified as a nonionic surfactant, and is not particularly limited. Examples of the nonionic surfactant that can be used include polyoxyethylene alkyl ethers, polyoxyethylene polyoxypropylene alkyl ethers, polyoxyalkylene alkyl ethers, polyoxypropylene alkyl ethers, polyoxyethylene styrenated phenyl ethers, polyoxypropylene alkyl ethers, polyoxyethylene alkylphenyl ethers, polyoxyethylene polyoxypropylene glycols, polyoxypropylene polyoxyethylene glycols, ethylenediaminetetrapolyoxyethylene polyoxypropylene, ethylenediaminetetrapolyoxypropylene polyoxyethylene, alkyl alkanolamides, alkyl polyglucosides, polyoxyethylene fatty acid esters, glycerin fatty acid esters, polyglycerin fatty acid esters, polyoxyethylene glycerin fatty acid esters, sorbitan fatty acid esters, polyoxyethylene sorbitan fatty acid esters, sucrose fatty acid esters, and propylene glycol fatty acid esters. Among these, glycerin fatty acid esters, polyglycerin fatty acid esters, polyoxyethylene glycerin fatty acid esters, sorbitan fatty acid esters, polyoxyethylene sorbitan fatty acid esters, sucrose fatty acid esters, and propylene glycol fatty acid esters can be preferably used, and glycerin fatty acid esters, polyglycerin fatty acid esters, and polyoxyethylene glycerin fatty acid esters can be particularly preferably used.

Examples of glycerin fatty acid esters include monoglyceryl monocaprylate, monoglyceryl monocaprate, monoglyceryl monolaurate, monoglyceryl monomyristate, and monoglyceryl monopalmitate, with monoglyceryl monocaprylate, monoglyceryl monocaprate, and monoglyceryl monolaurate being preferred.

Examples of polyglycerin fatty acid esters include diglyceryl monocaprylate, diglyceryl monocaprate, diglyceryl monolaurate, diglyceryl monomyristate, hexaglyceryl monocaprylate, hexaglyceryl monocaprate, hexaglyceryl monolaurate, hexaglyceryl monomyristate, decaglyceryl monocaprylate, decaglyceryl monocaprate, decaglyceryl monolaurate, and decaglyceryl monomyristate, with hexaglyceryl monocaprylate, decaglyceryl monocaprate, and diglyceryl monolaurate being preferred.

Examples of polyoxyethylene glycerin fatty acid esters include polyoxyethylene glyceryl caprylate, polyoxyethylene glyceryl caprate, polyoxyethylene glyceryl laurate, polyoxyethylene glyceryl myristate, polyoxyethylene glyceryl palmitate, polyoxyethylene glyceryl isostearate, and polyoxyethylene glyceryl coconut oil fatty acid, with polyoxyethylene glyceryl caprylate, polyoxyethylene glyceryl caprate, polyoxyethylene (caprylic/capric acid) glyceryl, polyoxyethylene glyceryl coconut oil fatty acid, and polyoxyethylene glyceryl isostearate being preferred.

Examples of sorbitan fatty acid esters include sorbitan caprylate, sorbitan caprate, sorbitan laurate, sorbitan palmitate, sorbitan oleate, and sorbitan stearate, with sorbitan caprylate being preferred.

Examples of polyoxyethylene sorbitan fatty acid esters include polyoxyethylene sorbitan coconut oil fatty acid, polyoxyethylene sorbitan laurate, polyoxyethylene sorbitan myristate, polyoxyethylene sorbitan palmitate, polyoxyethylene sorbitan isostearate, polyoxyethylene sorbitan stearate, polyoxyethylene sorbitan oleate, and polyoxyethylene sorbitan behenate, with polyoxyethylene sorbitan laurate and polyoxyethylene sorbitan oleate being preferred.

Examples of sucrose fatty acid esters include sucrose monolaurate, sucrose monomyristate, sucrose monopalmitate, sucrose monostearate, sucrose monooleate, sucrose dilaurate, sucrose dimyristate, sucrose dipalmitate, sucrose distearate, and sucrose dioleate, with sucrose monolaurate being preferred.

Examples of propylene glycol fatty acid esters include propylene glycol monocaprylate, propylene glycol monocaprate, propylene glycol monolaurate, propylene glycol monomyristate, propylene glycol monopalmitate, propylene glycol monooleate, propylene glycol monostearate, and propylene glycol monobehenate, with propylene glycol monocaprylate being preferred.

The rinse agent composition of the present invention may contain one or more types of the nonionic surfactant (C) described above.

The content of the (C) nonionic surfactant in the rinse aid composition of the present invention is not particularly limited as long as the effects of the present invention are achieved, but can be, for example, in the range of 0.1% by mass to 70% by mass. From the viewpoints of accelerating drying and finishing, the lower limit of the content of the (C) nonionic surfactant is preferably 1% by mass or more, more preferably 3% by mass or more, and even more preferably 5% by mass or more. From the viewpoint of stability of the rinse aid composition, the upper limit of the content of the (C) nonionic surfactant is preferably 50% by mass or less, more preferably 35% by mass or less, and even more preferably 20% by mass or less. The numerical range of the content of the (C) nonionic surfactant is preferably 1% by mass to 50% by mass or less, more preferably 3% by mass to 35% by mass or less, and even more preferably 5% by mass to 20% by mass or less.

[(D) Alcohols]
The rinse composition of the present invention may contain (D) an alcohol in addition to the above components. The (D) alcohol in the rinse composition of the present invention is included from the viewpoint of storage stability. As the (D) alcohol, any alcohol known in the art may be used without particular limitation. Not only monohydric alcohols but also dihydric and trihydric polyhydric alcohols may be used. Specific examples include methanol, ethanol, propanol, isopropanol, ethylene glycol, diethylene glycol, triethylene glycol, polyethylene glycol, propylene glycol, dipropylene glycol, tripropylene glycol, polypropylene glycol, 1,3-butylene glycol, 1,4-butanediol, 1,5-pentanediol, hexylene glycol, glycerin, polyglycerin, and sorbitol. Of these, ethanol, propylene glycol, and glycerin are preferred. The rinse composition of the present invention may contain one or more of the above (D) alcohols.

Furthermore, in the rinse agent composition of the present invention, (D) alcohols are not an essential component, and the rinse agent composition does not necessarily need to contain alcohols. If the rinse agent composition of the present invention does not contain alcohols, this is advantageous in that it can avoid the possibility of the rinse agent composition being classified as a hazardous material under the Fire Service Act.

The content of (D) alcohols in the rinse agent composition of the present invention is not particularly limited, but can be, for example, in the range of 0.1% by mass to 70% by mass. From the viewpoint of storage stability, the lower limit of the content of (D) alcohols is preferably 1% by mass or more, more preferably 3% by mass or more, and even more preferably 5% by mass or more. Furthermore, from the viewpoint of avoiding the possibility of (D) alcohols becoming hazardous, the upper limit of the content of (D) alcohols is preferably 50% by mass or less, more preferably 35% by mass or less, and even more preferably 20% by mass or less. The numerical range of the content of (D) alcohols is preferably 1% by mass to 50% by mass or less, more preferably 3% by mass to 35% by mass or less, and even more preferably 5% by mass to 20% by mass or less.

In addition to the above components (A) to (D), the rinse agent composition of the present invention may optionally contain water, preservatives, antioxidants, chelating agents, rust inhibitors, pH adjusters, anti-fading agents, thickeners, dispersants, stabilizers, colorants, fragrances, etc.

The water contained in the rinse agent composition of the present invention is not particularly limited, and examples include tap water, ion-exchanged water, purified water, distilled water, pure water, soft water, etc.

The pH of the rinse agent composition of the present invention is preferably set in the range of 3 to 11 at 25°C. From the viewpoint of storage stability, it is more preferably set in the range of 4 or higher, even more preferably set in the range of 5 or higher, and particularly preferably set in the range of 6 or higher. It is also more preferably set in the range of 10 or lower, even more preferably set in the range of 9 or lower, and particularly preferably set in the range of 8 or lower. The pH of the rinse agent composition is more preferably set in the range of 3 to 11, even more preferably set in the range of 4 to 10, particularly preferably set in the range of 5 to 9, and most preferably set in the range of 6 to 8.

The rinse agent composition of the present invention can be produced by mixing the above-mentioned components using conventional methods.

As described above, the rinse agent composition of the present invention is used for the purpose of shortening drying time, and can also be referred to as, for example, a rinse agent composition for accelerating drying. It can also be referred to as, for example, a finishing agent composition, a rinse agent composition, a drying accelerator composition, or a drying finishing agent composition.

Furthermore, since the rinse composition of the present invention is a rinse agent that has excellent drying properties and leaves little residue after drying, it can be suitably used to rinse tableware, containers, medical instruments, etc. In particular, it is suitably used to rinse containers and medical instruments after washing and rinsing, and is particularly suitable for use as a rinse solution for washer-disinfectors. Here, examples of medical instruments include tweezers, forceps, scissors, pus trays, suction tubes, endoscopes, catheters, syringe needles, etc., and examples of containers include sterilized containers for storing medical instruments, etc.

The rinse agent composition of the present invention may be used in any manner, but can be diluted with water or the like at a concentration of, for example, 50 to 100,000 times, preferably 70 to 10,000 times, more preferably 100 to 10,000 times, and most preferably 200 to 1,000 times, to form an aqueous solution for rinsing medical instruments, etc. Therefore, the following specific concentrations can be given as examples of the concentrations of each component when used (diluted):

The concentration of (A) aromatic carboxylic acid during use can be, for example, in the range of 0.00001% by mass or more and 0.5% by mass or less. The lower limit is preferably 0.0001% by mass or more, more preferably 0.0005% by mass or more, and even more preferably 0.007% by mass or more. The upper limit is preferably 0.3% by mass or less, more preferably 0.1% by mass or less, and even more preferably 0.025% by mass or less. The numerical range of the concentration during use is preferably 0.0001% by mass or more and 0.3% by mass or less, more preferably 0.0005% by mass or more and 0.1% by mass or less, and even more preferably 0.007% by mass or more and 0.025% by mass or less.

The concentration of (B) alkanolamine during use can be, for example, in the range of 0.00001% by mass or more and 0.5% by mass or less. The lower limit is preferably 0.0001% by mass or more, more preferably 0.0006% by mass or more, and even more preferably 0.009% by mass or more. The upper limit is preferably 0.4% by mass or less, more preferably 0.2% by mass or less, and even more preferably 0.03% by mass or less. The numerical range for the concentration during use is preferably 0.0001% by mass or more and 0.4% by mass or less, more preferably 0.0006% by mass or more and 0.2% by mass or less, and even more preferably 0.009% by mass or more and 0.03% by mass or less.

(C) The concentration of the nonionic surfactant during use can be, for example, in the range of 0.00001% by mass or more and 0.8% by mass or less. The lower limit is preferably 0.0001% by mass or more, more preferably 0.001% by mass or more, and even more preferably 0.01% by mass or more. The upper limit is preferably 0.6% by mass or less, more preferably 0.3% by mass or less, and even more preferably 0.045% by mass or less. The numerical range for the concentration during use is preferably 0.0001% by mass or more and 0.6% by mass or less, more preferably 0.001% by mass or more and 0.3% by mass or less, and even more preferably 0.01% by mass or more and 0.045% by mass or less.

(D) The concentration of alcohols during use can be, for example, in the range of 0.00001% by mass or more and 1.0% by mass or less. The lower limit is preferably 0.0001% by mass or more, more preferably 0.001% by mass or more, and even more preferably 0.01% by mass or more. The upper limit is preferably 0.5% by mass or less, more preferably 0.1% by mass or less, and even more preferably 0.045% by mass or less. The numerical range for the concentration during use is preferably 0.0001% by mass or more and 0.5% by mass or less, more preferably 0.001% by mass or more and 0.1% by mass or less, and even more preferably 0.01% by mass or more and 0.045% by mass or less.

<Drying and finishing method>
The dry finishing method of the present invention is characterized by using the rinse agent composition of the present invention. According to this method, the use of the rinse agent composition of the present invention is expected to shorten the drying time and suppress the residue of residue after drying. More specifically, the dry finishing method of the present invention can be carried out, for example, as described below. Note that the above description of the rinse agent composition of the present invention can be used to explain this dry finishing method.

The drying and finishing method of the present invention can be used on a wide range of items, including, for example, tableware, containers, medical instruments, etc., but preferably, containers and medical instruments are used as the target items.

The drying and finishing method of the present invention typically includes the steps of rinsing an object with the rinse agent composition of the present invention and drying the object after rinsing. For example, the drying and finishing method of the present invention is carried out in the final rinse and drying steps using the washer/dryer functions of a typical washer-disinfector. However, the drying and finishing method of the present invention can be widely practiced even in cases where the washer/dryer functions are not used.

In the rinsing step, the object is rinsed using the rinse composition of the present invention. Typically, the rinse composition of the present invention is diluted with water to a predetermined ratio, and the object is treated with the diluted aqueous solution. More specifically, in the case of a spray cleaner such as a washer-disinfector, this treatment is carried out by spraying the diluted aqueous solution onto the object in the final rinsing step. The dilution ratio here may be the same as that described for the rinse composition, and this treatment is carried out, for example, at a temperature of 70°C or higher.

In the drying process, the rinsed object is dried. There are no particular limitations on the drying method, but typically, the rinsed object is dried using a dryer. For example, in the case of a washer-disinfector, the object is dried using the dryer function of the washer-disinfector in the drying process after the final rinse.

The dry finishing method of the present invention may also include, for example, a step prior to the rinsing step, in which the object is washed using a detergent, and a rinsing step in which the washed object is rinsed with water. For example, a typical washer-disinfector typically goes through a preliminary washing step (washing with water only), a main washing step (washing with a detergent), a rinsing step, a final rinsing step (the rinsing step in the present invention), and a drying step, and similar steps can also be included in the dry finishing method of the present invention.

As mentioned above, the dry finishing method of the present invention can be suitably carried out using a washer disinfector, and may therefore be, for example, a dry finishing method using a washer disinfector or a dry finishing method in a washer disinfector.

<Drying method>
The drying method of the present invention is characterized by using the rinse composition of the present invention. According to this method, the use of the rinse composition of the present invention is expected to shorten the drying time and suppress the residue of drying residue. Specifically, this drying method can be carried out using the same steps as the above-mentioned drying finish method, and the description of the above-mentioned drying finish method is incorporated herein by reference.

The present invention will be explained in more detail below using examples, but the present invention is not limited to these examples in any way.

Rinse agent compositions were prepared according to the compositions shown in Table 1 below, and the following tests were carried out. Note that the values in Table 1 are in mass %.

[Scar evaluation test]
For each rinse agent composition in Table 1, a 0.5% diluted solution was prepared using demineralized water, and 100 mL of each diluted solution was applied to the surface of a stainless steel plate (SUS430). The stainless steel plate was then placed in a dryer set at 110°C to completely dry the diluted solution on the stainless steel plate. After drying, the state of any remaining marks on the surface of the stainless steel plate was visually observed, and the marks remaining for each rinse agent composition were evaluated. The evaluation criteria were as follows:
◯: No or almost no white marks were observed. ×: Clear white marks were observed.

[Wettability evaluation test]
A stainless steel plate (SUS430) was heated by placing it on a hot plate set to 100°C. For each rinse aid composition in Table 1, a 0.1% diluted solution was prepared using tap water, and 20 μL of each diluted solution was dropped onto the surface of the stainless steel plate (SUS430) and allowed to dry completely. After drying, the area of the remaining marks on the stainless steel plate surface was measured using a microscope. The wettability of each rinse aid composition was evaluated based on the measured area of the remaining marks. The evaluation criteria are as follows:
◎: Area is 27.5 ^mm2 or more ○: Area is 25 ^mm2 or more but less than 27.5 ^mm2 ×: Area is less than 25 ^mm2

The results of the residue evaluation test and wettability evaluation test are shown in Table 1. As shown in Table 1, the rinse compositions of Examples 1 to 27, which contained aromatic carboxylic acids and alkanolamines in addition to nonionic surfactants, left almost no residue and also had excellent wettability. In particular, the rinse compositions (Examples 1 to 24) containing one of glycerin fatty acid esters, polyglycerin fatty acid esters, and polyoxyethylene glycerin fatty acid esters were found to have superior wettability and particularly high drying performance. On the other hand, the rinse composition of Comparative Example 1, which did not contain aromatic carboxylic acids or alkanolamines, left almost no residue but had poor wettability. Furthermore, the rinse composition of Comparative Example 2, which contained sodium benzoate rather than aromatic carboxylic acids and alkanolamines, had excellent wettability but noticeable residue.

As described above, it has been revealed that the rinse agent composition of the present invention leaves almost no residue after drying, has excellent wetting properties, and is an excellent rinse agent.

The rinse agent composition of the present invention has excellent drying properties and leaves little residue after drying. Therefore, it can be suitably used, for example, as a rinse solution when cleaning medical instruments and the like with a washer-disinfector.

Claims (4)

(A) an aromatic carboxylic acid, (B) an alkanolamine, and (C) a nonionic surfactant ;
(A) the aromatic carboxylic acid is at least one selected from benzoic acid, salicylic acid, and phthalic acid;
(B) the alkanolamine is at least one selected from monoethanolamine, diethanolamine, triethanolamine, 2-amino-2-methyl-1,3-propanediol, 2-amino-2-ethyl-1,3-propanediol, 2-amino-2-methyl-1-propanol, and trishydroxymethylaminomethane;
(C) the nonionic surfactant is at least one selected from glycerin fatty acid esters, polyglycerin fatty acid esters, polyoxyethylene glycerin fatty acid esters, sorbitan fatty acid esters, polyoxyethylene sorbitan fatty acid esters, sucrose fatty acid esters, and propylene glycol fatty acid esters;
(A) the content of the aromatic carboxylic acid is 4.05 to 20 mass %,
(B) the alkanolamine content is 5.65 to 30% by mass,
(C) the content of the nonionic surfactant is 1 to 55 mass%;
Rinse agent composition. Further, (D) an alcohol is contained,
2. The rinse composition according to claim 1, wherein the alcohol (D) is at least one selected from methanol, ethanol, propanol, isopropanol, ethylene glycol, diethylene glycol, triethylene glycol, polyethylene glycol, propylene glycol, dipropylene glycol, tripropylene glycol, polypropylene glycol, 1,3-butylene glycol, 1,4-butanediol, 1,5-pentanediol, hexylene glycol, glycerin, polyglycerin, and sorbitol . The rinse agent composition according to claim 2 , wherein the alcohol (D) is at least one selected from ethanol, propylene glycol, and glycerin. A dry finishing method, characterized by using the rinse agent composition according to any one of claims 1 to 3 .