Deutsche Gold- Und Silber-scheideanstalt Vormals Roessler

Manfred Kruger

Gerd Schreyer

Otto Weiberg

There is provided a continuous process for the production of water free or substantially water free peralkanoic acids with 2 to 4 carbon atoms by reaction of aqueous hydrogen peroxide with an alkanoic acid having 2 to 4 carbon atoms in the presence of acidic catalyst at a mole ratio of hydrogen peroxide to alkanoic acid of 0.5 to 30:1, preferably from 0.8 to 20:1, in a reactor by countercurrent extraction of the reaction solution with an organic solvent, recovery of a substantially water free solution of peralkanoic acid as extract and in a given case, eventually after addition of an additional solvent, dehydration of the extract by azeotropic distillation, the entire aqueous raffinate or a portion thereof is led to an evaporator unit, in which the water brought in with the starting materials and formed during the reaction is distilled off under reduced pressure, whereupon the concentrated raffinate as well as in a given case the non-concentrated portion of the raffinate is returned to the reactor and the reactor is replenished with sufficient aqueous hydrogen peroxide and alkanoic acid that the starting conditions are again produced.

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Grossauheim, Germany

Manfred Kruger