Process for the production of organic solutions of percarboxylic acids

Claim 2

A PROCESS FOR THE PRODUCTION OF WATER FREE SOLUTIONS OF PERCARBOXYLIC ACIDS HAVING TWO TO FOUR CARBON ATOMS COMPRISING EXTRACTING THE AQUEOUS SOLUTION OF THE PERCARBOXYLIC ACID WITH A TERTIARY PHOSPHATE ESTER HAVING THREE TO 30 CARBON ATOMS AND DESORBING THE EXTRACT WITH A SOLVENT FOR SAID PERCARBOXYLIC ACID SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF HYDROCARBYL ALKANOATES HAVING FOUR TO 10 CARBON ATOMS, CHLORINATED ALIPHATIC HYDROCARBONS AND AROMATIC HYDROCARBONS, SAID SOLVENT BOILING LOWER THAN SAID PHOSPHATE ESTER.

Claim 3

A process according to claim 1 wherein the percarboxylic acid is a peralkanoic acid and the phosphate has the formula

Claim 4

A process according to claim 2 including the additional step of removing the final amount of water from the desorbate by azeotropic distillation with a hydrocarbyl alkanoate having four to 10 carbon atoms boiling below the percarboxylic acid.

Claim 5

A process according to claim 3 wherein the desorbing solvent boils above the percarboxylic acid.

Claim 6

A process according to claim 3 wherein the desorbing solvent boils below the percarboxylic acid.

Claim 7

A process according to claim 2 wherein the percarboxylic acid is peracetic acid.

Claim 8

A process according to claim 2 wherein the aqueous percarboxylic acid solution contains 10 to 80 percent of percarboxylic acid.

Claim 9

A process according to claim 7 wherein the phosphate ester is trimethyl phosphate, tributyl phosphate or trioctyl phosphate.

Claim 10

A process according to claim 7 wherein the desorption is carried out with a hydrocarbyl alkanoate having four to 10 cArbon atoms.

Claim 11

A process according to claim 9 wherein the hydrocarbyl alkanoate is an alkyl alkanoate.

Claim 12

A process according to claim 9 wherein the hydrocarbyl alkanoate is an alkyl alkanoate or cyclohexyl alkanoate.

Claim 13

A process according to claim 2 including the additional step of removing the final amount of water from the desorbate by azeotropic distillation with an alkyl alkanoate having four to 10 carbon atoms boiling below the percarboxylic acid.

Claim 14

A process according to clai 2 wherein the solvent is an alkyl acetate having four to 10 carbon atoms.

Claim 15

A process according to clai 2 wherein the solvent is an alkyl acetate having four to 10 carbon atoms.

Claim 16

A process according to claim 13 wherein the alkyl acetate is n-butyl acetate.

Claim 17

A process according to claim 13 wherein the alkyl acetate is ethyl acetate.

Claim 18

A process according to claim 2, wherein the solvent is selected from the group consisting of ethyl acetate, propyl acetate, butyl acetate, amyl acetate, 2-ethyl-hexyl acetate, cyclohexyl acetate, t-butyl acetate, isoamyl acetate, propyl formate, butyl formate, methyl propionate, ethyl propionate, methyl butyrate, ethyl butyrate, methyl valerate, sec. hexyl acetate, propyl propionate, butyl propionate, amyl propionate, methyl isobutyrate, ethyl valerate, propyl isovalerate, methyl caproate, methyl pivalate, ethyl pivalate, propyl pivalate, isopropyl pivalate, butyl pivalate, sec.-butyl pivalate, amyl pivalate, carbon tetrachloride, chloroform, ethylene dichloride, acetylene tetrachloride, ethylene trichloride, 1,2-dichloroethylene, benzene, toluene, xylene and ethyl benzene.