Method for making a peroxycarboxylic acid

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9708256-B2
Application number	US-201615041538-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 11, 2016
Priority date	Oct 18, 2006
Publication date	Jul 18, 2017
Grant date	Jul 18, 2017

Abstract

The present invention relates to apparatus and methods for making a peroxycarboxylic acid. The apparatus includes a reaction catalyst and a guard column for pretreating one or more reagents, which can increase the life, activity, and/or safety of the reaction catalyst. The peroxycarboxylic acid compositions made by the method and apparatus can include one or more peroxycarboxylic acids.

First claim

We claim:

1. A method for making a peroxycarboxylic acid, comprising: providing a liquid composition of a short chain carboxylic acid reagent, providing a liquid composition of a medium chain carboxylic acid reagent, and providing a liquid composition of an oxidizing agent reagent;
pretreating the liquid compositions with a pretreatment column to remove metal ion from the liquid compositions before mixing the liquid compositions to form a mixed composition; measuring a condition of a liquid composition i) before pretreating and ii) at site of pretreating during pretreating;
determining a difference between i) and ii); providing a detectable signal if the difference meets or exceeds a predetermined value; reacting the pretreated composition in the presence of a reaction catalyst that can be physically removed from reaction mixture to produce a peroxycarboxylic acid composition; and recovering the peroxycarboxylic acid composition.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein pretreating comprises contacting a mixed composition and a strong cation exchanger in acid form or in inert metal form.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising: pretreating a liquid composition of short chain carboxylic acid to remove metal ion from the liquid composition of the short chain carboxylic acid and pretreating a liquid composition of medium chain carboxylic acid to remove metal ion from the liquid composition of the medium chain carboxylic acid; mixing the pretreated liquid composition of short chain carboxylic acid, medium chain carboxylic acid, and oxidizing agent to form the liquid composition of a short chain carboxylic acid, medium chain carboxylic acid, and an oxidizing agent.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein pretreating comprises contacting the liquid composition of short chain carboxylic acid and medium chain carboxylic acid and a strong cation exchanger in acid form or in inert metal form.

5. The method of claim 3 , comprising reacting in a column of insoluble reaction catalyst; and further comprising reacting in a second, a third, and a fourth column of insoluble reaction catalyst; the first, second, third, and fourth reaction catalyst columns being coupled in series.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein reacting comprises contacting the pretreated composition and an insoluble strong acid catalyst.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein reacting comprises contacting the pretreated composition and a strong cation exchanger in acid form.

8. The method of claim 6 , wherein reacting comprises contacting the pretreated composition and an inorganic compound comprising an insoluble strong acid.

9. The method of claim 3 , comprising measuring temperature, pressure, metal content, or combination thereof of the mixed composition.

10. The method of claim 3 , comprising measuring temperature of the mixed composition.

11. The method of claim 3 , further comprising, if the difference meets or exceeds a predetermined value, interrupting of operation of the apparatus by:
actuating a pressure release valve to release pressure in an apparatus carrying out the method;
stopping flow of one or more reagents into the apparatus; causing water to flow into the site of pretreating; causing carboxylic acid composition to flow into the site of pretreating; shutting down the apparatus; or a combination thereof.

12. The method of claim 3 , further comprising: mixing the peroxycarboxylic acid composition and a predetermined amount of carrier to form a diluted composition of a predetermined concentration of peroxycarboxylic acid; storing the diluted composition; monitoring concentration of peroxycarboxylic acid, short chain carboxylic acid, medium chain carboxylic acid, oxidizing agent, or combination thereof in the diluted composition; if the concentration of peroxycarboxylic acid, short chain carboxylic acid, medium chain carboxylic acid, oxidizing agent, or combination thereof is less than a predetermined value, equal to a predetermined value, or less than or equal to a predetermined value, adding peroxycarboxylic acid composition to the diluted composition.

13. The method of claim 3 , further comprising an initial step of: mixing a liquid composition of short chain carboxylic acid, a liquid composition of medium chain carboxylic acid, and oxidizing agent to form the liquid composition of a short chain carboxylic acid, medium chain carboxylic acid, and an oxidizing agent.

14. The method of claim 12 , wherein the oxidizing agent comprises about 35 to about 45 wt-% hydrogen peroxide, wherein the liquid composition of short chain carboxylic acid comprises about 5 to 100 wt-% acetic acid, wherein the liquid composition of medium carboxylic acid comprises about 1 to about 20 wt-% octanoic acid.

15. The method of claim 3 , wherein the pretreatment column is substantially free of chelating agent.

16. The method of claim 3 , wherein the peroxycarboxylic acid composition is substantially free of chelating agent.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein the first liquid composition of carboxylic acid comprises about 80 to about 100 wt-% acetic acid, wherein the oxidizing agent comprises about 35 to about 45 wt-% hydrogen peroxide, and wherein the second liquid composition of carboxylic acid comprises about 1 to about 20 wt-% octanoic acid.

18. The method of claim 3 , comprising: carrying out said providing, pretreating, measuring, determining, reacting, and recovering steps at a site at which the peroxycarboxylic acid composition will be used to reduce the population of a microbe on an object; and further comprising: delivering short chain carboxylic acid, medium chain carboxylic acid, and oxidizing agent to the site.

19. The method of claim 3 , further comprising shutting down the method if the temperature if the temperature, difference in temperatures, pressure, different in pressure, metal content, or difference in metal content exceeds a predetermined value.

20. The method of claim 18 , further comprising requesting delivery of the short chain carboxylic acid, medium chain carboxylic acid, and the oxidizing agent from the site.

Assignees

• Ecolab Usa Inc

Inventors

• Mcsherry David D
• Staub Richard
• Tallman Dan N
• Li Junzhong
• Lokkesmoe Keith D

Classifications

• C07C409/24

  the —O—O— group being bound between a >C=O group and hydrogen, i.e. peroxy acids · CPC title

• C07C407/00 Primary

  Preparation of peroxy compounds · CPC title

• C07C409/26

  Peracetic acid · CPC title

• A01N37/16

  containing the group [IMAGE cpc-sch-A01N-0934.gif]; Thio analogues thereof · CPC title