Slimicide (or antislime agent)[1] is a broad-spectrum antimicrobial pesticide used to kill
slime-producing microorganisms such as
algae,
bacteria,
fungi, and
slime molds.[2][3] One primary application domain is in the
papermaking industry, where it reduces the occurrence of paper holes and spots,[4][5] as well as protecting the machinery from odor,[4][6] clogs,[6] corrosion,[4][6] and breakdown. Slimicides come in variants effective in
acidic and/or
alkaline media,[4][5] in liquid or solid form,[6][7] and are based on chemicals such as
aldehydes,[4]bromium or
quaternary ammonium compounds,[8] and others.[8] Additional significant application areas for slimicides include industrial water recirculation systems[9] such as cooling towers,[5] fuel storage tanks and wells,[5][10] and in conjunction with fluids used for oil extraction.[5][7] In some application domains, slimicides may be formulated specifically to target slime molds.[2][3]