Quaternary Ammonium Compounds Cleaning Products

Quaternary ammonium compounds overview.

Quaternary ammonium compounds cleaning products. Quaternary ammonium compounds are nitrogenous organic compounds used as disinfectants in restaurants hospitals and homes. In older literature this is often called a menshutkin reaction however modern chemists usually refer to it simply as quaternization. Quaternary ammonium compounds are prepared by the alkylation of tertiary amines with a halocarbon. The quaternary ammonium compounds are widely used as disinfectants.

The final part of this three part article gives tips using quaternary ammonium chloride products. Quats quaternary ammonium compounds are potent disinfectant chemicals commonly found in disinfectant wipes sprays and other household cleaners that are designed to kill germs. Mcdonnell in encyclopedia of microbiology third edition 2009. It is often the stuff that allows a product to claim to be antibacterial as they are certified by the epa as pesticides.

For example when making cationic surfactants one of the alkyl groups on. 1 quaternary ammonium compounds in cleaning products this information sheet reviews the recognition assessment and treatment of possible adverse health effects of prod ucts containing alkyl dimethyl benzyl ammonium chlorides and several other quaternary ammonium compounds qacs or quats used in cleaning and disinfection. Quaternary ammonium compounds are widely used as surface disinfectants and can be found in many household cleaners including disinfectant wipes and sprays. The reaction can be used to produce a compound with unequal alkyl chain lengths.

These include chemicals such as benzalkonium chloride alkyl dimethyl benzyl ammonium chloride and dodecyl dimethyl ammonium chloride as active ingredients. Quaternary ammonium compounds qacs or quats are contained in many sanitizing wipes sprays and other household cleaners intended for killing germs. Quaternary ammonium compounds commonly known as quats or qacs are cationic surfactants surface active agents that combine bactericidal and virucidal generally only enveloped viruses activity with good detergency and therefore cleaning ability. They are used as conditioning agents to give skin and hair a smooth feel.

There are three ways disinfectants can be applied to surfaces. Research has shown quaternary ammonium compounds to effectively kill most bacteria viruses and fungi. Quaternary ammonium compounds or quats are chemicals that are used in a variety of different personal care products from spermicidal jellies to disinfectants. Health care associated infections have been reported from contaminated quaternary ammonium compounds used to disinfect patient care supplies or equipment such as cystoscopes or cardiac catheters 741 742.