Process for producing peracids from aliphatic carboxylic acids

Claim 1

IN A PROCESS FOR PURIFYING AN ALIPHATIC MONOCARBOXYLIC PERACID HAVING FROM TWO TO THREE CARBON ATOMS TO THE MOLECULE PRODUCED BY THE REACTION IN THE LIQUID PHASE AND IN THE PRESENCE OF AN ESTERIFICATION CATALYST OF THE CORRESPONDING ALIPHATIC MONOCARBOXYLIC ACID AND AQUEOUS HYDROGEN PEROXIDE, THE IMPROVEMENT WHEREIN THEM ALIPHATIC MONOCARBOXYLIC ACID AND THE HYDROGEN PEROXIDE ARE EMPLOYED FOR SAID REACTION IN SUBSANTIALLY EQUIVALENT AMOUNTS AND IN ADMIXTURE IN THE REACTION MIXTURE WITH A NON-REACTIVE ORGANIC LIQUID HAVING A BOILING POINT AT ATMOSPHERIC PRESSURE IN THE RANGE OF FROM 50*C. TO 130*C. AND WHICH IS A SOLVENT FOR THE PERACID AND NOT FOR WATER AND WHICH FORMS WITH WATER A HETEROGENEOUS AZEOTROPE CONTAINING NOT MORE THAN 0.5 MOLE OF THE PER-ACID PER MOLE OF WATER; AND VAPORIZING WATER FROM THE SOLUTION OF PERACID IN SAID ORGANIC LIQUID AT A TEMPERATURE IN THE RANGE FROM 20*C, TO 90*C IN THE FORM OF SAID HETEROGENEOUS AZEOTROPE UNTIL AN AMOUNT OF WATER CORRESPONGING TO ALL OF THE SOLVENT WATER OF THE AQUEOUS HYDROGEN PEROXIDE AND AT LEAST PART OF THE WATER FORMED IN THE REACTION HAS BEEN REMOVED FROM THE REACTION ZONE.