Process for the preparation of percarboxylic acid solutions

US4344897A · kind A · utility

Assignee

• BAYER HEALTHCARE LLC · DE

Inventors

• Ralf Goedecke · Rodenbach, DE
• Willi Hofen · Rodenbach, DE
• Hermann Seifert · Bensberg, DE
• Gerd Siekmann · Cologne, DE

Key dates

• Filing date: Dec 13, 1979
• Grant date: Aug 17, 1982
• Expiry date: Dec 13, 1999

Classification

• Technology area (CPC C): Chemistry; Metallurgy
• CPC primary: C07C407/00
• WIPO field: Organic fine chemistry
• WIPO sector: Chemistry

Abstract

In a process for the continuous preparation of pure organic solutions of percarboxylic acids having 2 to 5 carbon atoms, by PA0 (a) contacting aqueous hydrogen peroxide with a carboxylic acid containing 2 to 5 carbon atoms in the presence of an acid catalyst at a feed molar ratio of H.sub.2 O.sub.2 to carboxylic acid of 0.5:1 to 30:1, PA0 (b) isolating an extract essentially containing the percarboxylic acid and possibly the corresponding carboxylic acid not converted in stage (a), by extracting the reaction mixture obtained according to stage (a) with an organic solvent, PA0 (c) treating the extract with water or an aqueous solution in an extraction unit provided with one to ten theoretical separation stages and PA0 (d) dehydrating the solution of the percarboxylic acid and organic solvent obtained according to (c), by azeotropic distillation, the improvement wherein the organic phase of the top product of the azeotropic distillation, obtained during the dehydration according to (d), is entirely or partially recycled to stage (c) and/or entirely or partially recycled to stage (b).