Cold sterilant with extended active life

Abstract

Sodium perborate is mixed with a mixture, preferably a 1:1 mixture, of a rapid acetylating agent, e.g. TAED, and a slow acetylating agent, e.g. acetylsalicylic acid, in water to form a biocidally effective peracetic acid solution. When sodium perborate and TAED alone react in water, peracetic acid is produced quickly but has relatively little stability and a short useful life (curve 10). When sodium perborate and acetylsalicylic acid are mixed in water, the peracetic acid solution takes an extended duration to reach maximum efficacy, but is stable for an extended duration (curve 12). The mixture of rapid and slow acetylating agents quickly produces a stable peracetic acid concentration (curve 14).

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.