Solutions of peracids

Abstract

A dilute solution of a lower aliphatic peracid such as peracetic acid, having an equilibrium composition, is produced by contacting hydrogen peroxide with a lower aliphatic acid each at initial high concentrations in an aqueous reaction mixture to rapidly form a reaction mixture containing, for example, up to 30% by weight of peracid and diluting the reaction mixture with water and with any required quantities of lower aliphatic acid and/or hydrogen peroxide to reproduce the equilibrium composition of the dilute solution, the process being characterized in that the reaction mixture rich in lower aliphatic peracid is diluted before it has itself reached equilibrium, for example when it contains from 20 to 80% of its potential equilibrated content of peracid. The process provides a quick plant-efficient process for the production of stable dilute lower aliphatic peracid solutions for industrial disinfection purposes or for personal or domestic hygiene use.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.