The present invention relates to a new and improved fungicidal grout composition for use in installing ceramic, glass and stone tiles or any tile product requiring grout, i.e., prefabricated brick panels which are made to look like ceramic tile. More particularly, it relates to a wettable Portland cement based grout in which a halogenated aromatic dinitrile is added to provide a fungicidal grout composition having improved fungicide dispersion and prolonged leach-life characteristics.
Phenyl-mercurial fungicides have been added to water dispersible polymeric grout compositions in the past. However, there is increasing concern over the use of these grouts because the phenyl-mercurial fungicide may be associated with health hazards.
Other organometallic fungicides have been added to polymeric based grouts, as well as to Portland cement based grouts, in the form of organo-tin and organo-iron fungicides. These latter grout compositions have been used primarily to prevent the fouling of structures in marine environments. However, these organometallic fungicides do not disperse well in Portland cement based grouts. Although poor dispersal may be acceptable in the context of fairly large submerged structures, in the typical household bathroom situation such grouts are unsuitable because a poorly dispersed fungicide often permits spotting fungal growth to occur. In addition, the organometallic fungicides tend to be very toxic to the environment and its life forms and tend to leach out of these grout compositions after a relatively short period of time. Again, the shorter leach lives of these grout compositions may be acceptable in marine applications where the structures are specifically designed to be replaced and the volume of water is sufficient to dilute the toxic materials to an ineffective level. In the household bathroom situation, however, the laying of ceramic tiles is a meticulous, time consuming and costly operation, so that fungicide-containing grout compositions having the longest possible leach-life are desired. Since the number of bathrooms is large, a nontoxic fungicide is desired.
Halogenated aromatic dinitriles, as embodied in the present invention, are described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,331,735. In this patent, these compounds may be applied to plants for fungicidal purposes by spraying them with aqueous or organic solvent dispersions of these chemicals. Furthermore, the halogenated aromatic dinitrile compounds may also be applied to plants in the form of a plant dust, if they have first been dry blended into powders along with inert solid fungicidal adjuvants or carriers.
Accordingly, to overcome the shortcomings of prior art grout compositions, it is an object of the subject invention to provide an effective fungicidal grout composition.
It is another object of the subject invention to provide a grout composition which contains a halogenated aromatic dinitrile fungicide which is not a health hazard.
It is a further object of the subject invention to provide a fungicidal grout composition where the fungicide disperses evenly throughout the grout composition.
It is still a further object of the subject invention to provide an additive which can be added to Mason's sand and Portland cement to provide a stucco which is fungus resistant.
It is still a further object of the subject invention to provide a fungicidal grout composition having longer leach-life characteristics so that the grout composition may effectively inhibit or retard fungal growth for extended periods of time.