Synergistic preservative compositions

Abstract

The present provides a preservative comprising: (a) a first component selected from the group consisting of benzoic acid, formaldehyde, a mixture of 5-chloro-2-methyl-4-isothiazolin-3-one and 2-methyl-4-isothiazolin-3-one in a ratio of about 5:1 to 1:5, benzisothiazalone, and mixtures thereof; and (b) a second component having the following formula: ##STR1## wherein x is about 2 to 33 and R is H or CH.sub.3 and mixtures thereof; wherein said second component is present in an amount at which said second component acts synergistically with said first component to kill or inhibit the growth of microorganisms. The present invention also provides a preservative comprising: (a) a first component selected from the group consisting of a mixture of 5-chloro-2-methyl-4-isothiazolin-3-one and 2-methyl-4-isothiazolin-3-one in a ratio of about 5:1 to 1:5, benzisothiazalone, and mixtures thereof; and a second component having the formula: ##STR2## wherein said second component is present in an amount at which said second component acts synergistically with said first component to kill or inhibit the growth of microorganisms. Additional embodiments of the invention include compositions comprising these preservatives as well as methods of using them.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.