Pyridine and pyridone stabilizers for hydroxylammonium nitrate and hydroxylamine-containing compositions

A stabilized hydroxylammonium nitrate or hydroxylamine-containing composition comprising said hydroxylammonium nitrate or hydroxylamine and a pyridine or pyridone salt, or an acid thereof, said pyridine or pyridone salt, or acid thereof, being present in said composition in an amount of between about 0.0001% and about 2%, based upon the weight of said composition, wherein said pyridine or pyridone salt is represented by the structural formula:

• ##STR4## wherein X is a moiety selected from the group consisting of SH, OH and NH.sub.2, n is an integer of 1 or 2, and R is hydrogen or a lower alkyl or lower alkoxy group having from one to six carbons.

A stabilized hydroxylammonium nitrate or hydroxylamine-containing composition comprising said hydroxylammonium nitrate or hydroxylamine and a pyridine or pyridone salt, or an acid thereof, said pyridine or pyridone salt, or acid thereof, being present in said composition in an amount of between about 0.0001% and about 2%, based upon the weight of said composition, wherein said pyridine or pyridone salt is represented by the structural formula:

• ##STR5## wherein R' is a moiety selected from the group consisting of hydrogen and a lower alkyl group having from one to six carbons.

A stabilized hydroxylammonium nitrate or hydroxylamine-containing composition comprising said hydroxylammonium nitrate or hydroxylamine and a pyridine or pyridone salt, or an acid thereof, said pyridine or pyridone salt, or acid thereof, being present in said composition in an amount of between about 0.0001% and about 2%, based upon the weight of said composition, wherein said pyridine or pyridone salt is represented by the structural formula:

• ##STR6## wherein R" is a moiety selected from the group consisting of hydrogen and a lower alkyl group having from one to six carbons, and R'" is a lower alkyl or lower alkoxy group having from one to six carbons.

A stabilized hydroxylammonium nitrate or hydroxylamine-containing composition comprising said hydroxylammonium nitrate or hydroxylamine and a pyridine or pyridone salt, or an acid thereof, said pyridine or pyridone salt, or acid thereof, being present in said composition in an amount of between about 0.0001% and about 2%, based upon the weight of said composition, wherein said pyridine or pyridone salt is selected from the group consisting of:

• zinc pyrithione, copper pyrithione, manganese pyrithione, nickel pyrithione, cobalt pyrithione, bismuth pyrithione, zirconium pyrithione, 1-hydroxy-6-substituted pyridiones having a 6-ring substituent selected from the group consisting of --O--R and --S--R, wherein O is oxygen, S is sulfur, and R is a substituted or unsubstituted hydrocarbon radical having between 1 and 20 carbon atoms, and combinations thereof.

A process for stabilizing hydroxylammonium nitrate or hydroxylamine against unwanted degradation during storage prior to use which comprises contacting said hydroxylammonium nitrate or hydroxylamine with a stabilizing-effective amount of a pyridine or pyridone salt to provide a storage stable composition, wherein said pyridine or pyridone salt is the sodium salt of 2-hydroxypyridine-N-oxide.