Methods for forming peroxyformic acid and uses thereof

The method of claim/9, wherein the formed aqueous composition comprises about 5% (w/w) or less hydrogen peroxide.

A peroxyformic acid composition formed by the method comprising:

• contacting formic acid with hydrogen peroxide to form a resulting aqueous composition comprising a peracid that comprises peroxyformic acid, and from about 0.0001 wt-% to about 20 wt-% of a corrosion inhibitor;
• wherein the contacting is conducted in the presence of a mineral acid catalyst, and
• wherein before said contacting, the ratio between the concentration of said formic acid (w/v) and the concentration of said hydrogen peroxide (w/v) is about 4 or higher, and the ratio between the concentration of said peracid (w/w) and the concentration of hydrogen peroxide (w/w) in said formed resulting aqueous composition reaches about 4 or higher at least within 1 hour of said contacting.

A method for treating a target with a peroxyformic acid composition comprising:

• contacting a target with an effective amount of peroxyformic acid composition to form a treated target composition, wherein said treated target composition comprises from about 0.1 ppm to about 5,000 ppm of said peroxyformic acid, and from about 0.0001 wt-% to about 20 wt-% of a corrosion inhibitor;
• and said contacting lasts for sufficient time to stabilize or reduce microbial population by at least a 2 log reduction in and/or on said target or said treated target composition.