Patent ID: 7534368

Claim:
A water-soluble composition that generates chlorine dioxide with a yield of at least 14 weight % and a chlorite conversion to chlorine dioxide of at least 70 weight %, and releases a biocidal solution containing chlorine dioxide and free halogen, wherein the composition comprises: reactants capable of in-situ generating chlorine dioxide through a chemical reaction when contacted by a main solvent, the reactants including a free halogen donor, an acid source different from the free halogen donor and a chlorite donor, wherein the chlorite donor is about 9-50 weight % of the composition, the acid source is about 10-80 weight % of the composition and the free halogen donor is from about 0.5 to 40 weight % of the composition; wherein said free halogen donor encapsulates and at least said chlorite donor; and a gel-forming material in contact with the reactants, wherein the gel-forming material makes up about 0.1 to 10 weight % of the composition and upon being exposed to the main solvent, forms a gelatinous structure that creates a chamber within the composition enclosing the reactants such that the chlorine dioxide is generated in the chamber, wherein the gelatinous structure restricts diffusion of the reactants and the chlorine dioxide out of the chamber, restricts the diffusion of the main solvent into the chamber, and wherein the gelatinous structure dissipates when a depletion level is reached inside the chamber; wherein different parts of the composition are exposed to the main solvent at different times.