MXPA99005845A - Percarboxylic acid solutions - Google Patents

Abstract

Storage stable aqueous acidic solutions, often having a pH of up to 1 containing an ester peracid and/or an acid peracid can be obtained by reacting a diester satisfying the general formula R1-O-CO-R2-CO-O-R3 in which R1 and R3 each represents a alkyl group containing from1 to 4 carbon atoms which may the same of different and R2 represents an aliphatic alkylene group optionally unsaturated which may be linear or branched containing from 2 to 6 carbon atoms with aqueous hydrogen peroxide in the presence of an acid, such as sulphuric acid and permitting the compositions to progress towards equilibrium concentrations. By starting with a diester, perhydrolysis generates an ester peracid which is a particularly effective peracid. The process can be controlled to produce solutions containing a high peracid content and within a wide range of ratios of ester peracid to acid peracid.

Description

Percarboxylic Acid Solutions Field of the Invention This invention relates to percarboxylic acid solutions and more particularly to their production from precursor compounds comprising carboxylic acid esters. Background of the Invention Percarboxylic acids, by virtue of their properties, are considered for their application in a wide range of uses, for example as oxidants, as stain removers and as microbicides, among others. Many factors are taken into account when selecting which percarboxylic acid is used for a particular application, including its effectiveness for that purpose, its ease of preparation, its stability and its acceptability for the user. For example, a low molecular weight aliphatic monoperoxy acid such as peracetic acid has been the selected peracid on a number of occasions, since it can be produced easily, is recognized to be effective and capable of being produced in stable solutions and is acceptable. for many users, but some producers of microbicidal compositions might prefer to employ a compound with less odor, in order to avoid a possible offense or irritation to the end users of those compositions. A number of alternative percarboxylic acids which can be derived from dicarboxylic acids and their derivatives, including diperoxycarboxylic acids, their corresponding monoperoxy acids and monoperoxycarboxylic acid esters have been described in the literature. For example, European Patent Application No. EP-A-0,166,571, issued to Uneilever, teaches the use of esterperacids of the general formula [RXJJJOOH, in which R is hydrocarbyl or alkoxylated hydrocarbyl, X is a heteroatom residue , preferably oxygen, A is a broad range of organic residues containing one or two carbonyl groups and m is one or two, for use in bleaching and laundry applications. European Patent Application No. EP-A-0,426,217 to Unilever teaches the use of ester-peracids of the general formula X-02C-A-C03H, in which A is an alkyl, aryl or alkylaryl radical of Cl to C12 and X is an alkyl, aryl, alkylaryl radical of Cl to C20. which optionally includes a heteroatom for use in bleaching and cleaning systems. Both French Patent Application No. 2324626 and an article by Nedelec et al., Synthesis, 1976, pages 821-3 teach a method for the preparation and isolation of ester-peracids from the reaction between acid chlorides and hydrogen peroxide. in organic solvents. An article by C. Lion and collaborators, Bull. Soc. Chim. Belg. 1991, 100, pages 559 et seq., Describes the preparation and isolation of ester-peracids by the reaction between an ester-acid and hydrogen peroxide in the presence of high concentrations of sulfuric acid and suffocation on ice. The ester-peracids thus produced are used in the destruction of toxic organic phosphorus compounds in an aqueous alkaline solution. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Compositions containing percarboxylic acid esters and their preparation by reaction between a monoester of an aliphatic dicarboxylic acid and hydrogen peroxide, have been described in a PCT patent application, International Publication WO 95/34537, by Solvay Interox Limited. It was shown that said compositions had no discernible odor and that they were effective as a microbicidal agent. Although the compositions exhibited a level of available oxygen stability (abbreviated avox) that could allow them to remain effective for several weeks of storage, there is a continuing need to find ways to improve their storage capacity, based for example on the total content of peracids or in the total peroxygen content of the composition and / or extend the range of reagents from which related compositions can be produced. It is an object of at least certain aspects of the present invention to create a new or alternative process for the production of peracids of aliphatic dicarboxylic acids and their esters. Detailed Description of the Invention According to the present invention, a process is created for the production of aqueous solutions of percarboxylic acids by reaction between a peroxygen compound and a percarboxylic acid precursor in the presence of an acid catalyst, characterized in that the peroxygen compound is hydrogen peroxide and the precursor compound is a diester aliphatic satisfying the general formula R ^ -O-CO-^ -CO-O-R3, wherein R1 and R3 each represent an alkyl group containing 1 to 4 carbon atoms, which may be the same or different and R2 represents an aliphatic alkylene group which may be linear or branched and contain from 2 to 6 carbon atoms and optionally unsaturated. The selection of hydrogen peroxide to effect the peroxidation avoids the neutralization or partial neutralization that would occur if an alternative inorganic peroxygen compound such as sodium percarbonate or sodium perborate was employed. In another aspect, a composition is created comprising an ester, a peracid derivative thereof, hydrogen peroxide and water, characterized in that it comprises from 2 to 30% w / w (weight / weight) of hydrogen peroxide, from 5 to 90 % w / w of water and 3 to 90% w / w of an aliphatic diester satisfying the general formula R 1 - - - CO - R2 - CO - 0 - R 3 in which each R 1 and R 3 represents an alkyl group containing 1 to 4 carbon atoms, whose alkyl groups may be the same or different and R2 represents an alkylene group which may be linear or branched, containing from 2 to 6 carbon atoms and which is optionally unsaturated, including the percentage for the diester peracid derivative of this and any acid derivative of the ester generated in if you. Here, the compositions are often expressed in terms of the reactants that are introduced into the reaction mixture, namely the diester and hydrogen peroxide. It will be recognized that in the reaction mixture, a number of acid catalyzed hydrolysis and perhydrolysis reactions take place, resulting in a complex mixture containing a residual concentration of the reacting diester, the corresponding monoester-peroxycarboxylic acid in which one or the other of the groups R1 and R3 have been substituted to convert the ester to a peroxy-acid group and similarly the corresponding monoester-carboxylic acid and the corresponding diperoxycarboxylic acid in which both groups R1 and R3 have been substituted to convert the ester into a group peroxy acid and similarly the corresponding dicarboxylic acid. As the reactions develop, the mixture moves to an equilibrium at which point the relative proportions of each of the constituents of the mixture depends on the relative proportions and concentrations of the diester and hydrogen peroxide used in the mixture before it starts. the equilibration and extension of the decomposition of the peroxygen compounds subsequently. The speed with which the composition moves towards equilibrium depends on the prevailing temperature, the concentrations of the reactants and the concentration of the catalyst. By controlling the composition of the reaction mixture expressed in terms of its reactants and specifically by choosing the molar ratio of the diester to the hydrogen peroxide and the extent of dilution of the mixture with water, it is possible to control the ratio of the monoester monocarcarboxylic acid with other constituents of monopercarboxil acid and dipercarboxylic acid in equilibrium and during displacement towards equilibrium. In particular, the peroxygenated species can be targeted to the acid or monoperacid type as the main or predominant peroxy acid species by diluting the mixture with at least one important fraction or preferably with a major water fraction. The peroxyacid species can be targeted towards the mono-peracid ester species using high concentrations of the diester and hydrogen peroxide, preferably at or near an equimolar ratio and a comparatively low concentration of water. During the period in which the mixture is approaching equilibrium, the proportion of the peroxygen species increases, as measured by the proportion of available oxygen (Avox) present as peroxyacid species. Since, for many purposes, the peroxyacid species are more effective for example as biocides or as oxidants, it is desirable to store the mixture until a significant fraction has been produced by the developable peroxyacid species for example at least 90% before use. It will be recognized that there is a particular benefit in using diester derivatives of dicarboxylic acids as a substrate for the formation of peracid derivatives, namely that the first perhydrolysis and deesterification reaction of said substrate generates an ester-peracid (a percompound containing an ester group and a peracid group) which has been found to be a particularly effective disinfectant, compared, for example, with the corresponding acid-peracid (a percompound containing a carboxylic acid group and a peracid group). Correspondingly, there is an immediate generation of the most effective peracid species from the diesters. In contrast, if a monoester derivative of a dicarboxylic acid is used as the substrate, the first perhydrolysis and deesterification reaction generates the acid-peracid. It is highly desirable to produce compositions from diester substrates containing at least 0.1% and preferably at least 0.2% peracid ester. In a certain number of compositions according to the present invention, the peracid ester content is in the region 0.3 to 3% w / w and particularly in the region of 0.6 to 1.5% w / w, even after storage for several weeks, for examples of 3 to 6. It is beneficial to select compositions containing at least 0.1% or preferably a higher concentration of ester-peracid. In still another aspect of the invention, compositions are created containing hydrogen peroxide, a peracid and an ester and derivatives by hydrolysis and / or perhydrolysis thereof, characterized in that these compositions comprise at least 2% w / w of hydrogen peroxide, preferably from 2 to 30% w / w, at least 3% w / w of a diester including its derivatives by hydrolysis and perhydrolysis, preferably from 3 to 90% w / w, of which at least 0.1 and preferably at least 0.2% p / p is from an ester-acácido. Compositions produced from a diester and hydrogen peroxide will contain a residual concentration of hydrogen peroxide that will approach equilibrium. Since hydrogen peroxide itself also has oxidizing and disinfecting bleaching properties, although often lower than that of the generated peroxyacid species, it is desirable to preserve the hydrogen peroxide content of the composition as well as to promote the formation of peracids. The ability of the composition to preserve the content of the peroxygenated species during the "preparation and storage of the compositions can be observed by measuring the total content of available oxygen (avox) retained in the composition and comparing it with the amount introduced into the peroxide of the composition. It has been advantageously found that the process of the invention, employing a diester-peracid generator, is a particularly efficient means of preserving the avox of the resulting compositions.The invention often employs fully saturated diesters, although it may employ starting materials The present invention is particularly applicable to the production of mixtures containing peroxyacids from diesters of linear dicarboxylic acids and especially to those in which the R2 in the aforementioned formula contains 2 or more unsaturated, such as the diesters of fumaric or maleic acid. to 4 carbon atoms and mixed of any two or all of the three of them. A particularly convenient diester starting material contains a mixture of succinic acid diesters (from 10 to 20% w / w), glutaric acid (from 45 to 75% w / w) and adipic acid (from 20 to 33% w / w). The alkyl groups R1 and R3 are frequently either methyl or ethyl. It is often convenient for these to be the same, both within the same molecule and also in mixtures of esters of dicarboxylic acids, but if desired they can be different and mixtures of different alkyl groups can be used for R1 and R3. It is particularly desirable to employ dimethyl esters. A particularly convenient starting material comprises a mixture of the dimethyl diesters of succinic, glutaric and adipic acids. Other suitable starting materials comprise, for example, the dimethyl esters of the individual components of that mixture such as dimethyl succinate. The process of the invention can be carried out at room temperature or at an elevated temperature, which in practice frequently means the use of a selected temperature within the range of from 10 to 50 ° C. The use of a still higher temperature tends to accelerate observably the loss of available oxygen from the compositions. In many cases, the entire production and equilibration period in storage or the storage equilibration period alone are carried out at a temperature between 15 and 30 ° C. depending on the concentrations of the reactants and the catalyst, as well as using a high temperature, the equilibration can be achieved in its shortest time in the course of a few hours and in less favorable conditions the equilibration may take several weeks. It remains at the manufacturer's discretion the extent to which it adjusts the conditions to accelerate the progress towards equilibration, compared to the progress at room temperature In one variant, the manufacturer may employ a high temperature such as 30 to 50 ° C for a short period of time, for example 1 to 10 hours, and use the natural ambient temperature of the mixture for the remainder The acid catalyst is an inorganic or organic acid having a pKa of about 3 or less and preferably having a pKa below 1. It is particularly desirable to employ a non-halogenated mineral acid such as sulfuric, phosphoric or sulfamic acid or an organic sulfonic acid such as methyl- or toluenesulfonic acid or a cation exchange resin doped with a acid (for example, a resin available under the trademark AMBERLITE IRA-93) The catalyst is desirably present at a concentration of from 0.05 to 10% w / w in the composition and in many cases from 0.1 to 2.5% w / w. When it is desired to produce solutions containing a relatively high concentration of a peracid species, therefore using reaction mixtures containing a major weight ratio of diester, it may be prudent to select the concentration of the strong acid in inverse relation to the concentration of the peroxide • Hydrogen used. This ratio can be described by the formula H x C = 60 to 150 and preferably 80 to 120. in which H is the concentration by weight of hydrogen peroxide solution that is introduced, usually selected in the range of 50 to 85% and C is the concentration by weight of catalyst in the composition, usually selected in the range of 0.75 to 2.25%. It will also be recognized that the strong acid can develop additional functions, depending on its concentration, such as improved removal of lime and scale when present at a relatively high concentration, such as 5 10% w / w of the composition. The absolute amounts of the diester and the hydrogen peroxide as well as their ratio to each other in the reaction mixture can be varied within a wide range. It is highly recommended that in addition to any other criteria mentioned herein, the absolute concentrations of the organic constituents and hydrogen peroxide within the mixtures are preferably selected so as to avoid potentially dangerous combinations by adoption of existing rules for compositions of an organic compound, a peroxide and water. As a general rule, it is very preferable not to exceed at any time a hydrogen peroxide concentration of 30% w / w and it is preferable not to exceed 20% w / w. It is often desirable to employ at least 1 mole of hydrogen peroxide for each mole of diester. In many cases, the concentration of hydrogen peroxide in the mixture is selected in the range of from at least 2% w / w, often at least 4% w / w and particularly, up to 16% w / w. This compound can be introduced into the composition in any of the concentrations that are calculated to achieve the desired concentration after mixing it with the remaining constituents or at a higher concentration to make it possible for the remainder of the water to be added to achieve the desired concentration. In general, the proportion of the diester in the reaction mixture is selected within the range of from about 3% w / w and often at least 5% w / w up to 90% w / w. In a certain number of embodiments, the proportion of the diester in the mixture is selected in the range of at least 50%, particularly from about 70 to 85% by weight and especially from about 75 to 85% by weight, together with Aqueous hydrogen peroxide which provides up to 20% w / w H202. Preferably, the amount of hydrogen peroxide is at least equimolar relative to the diester. By choosing at least 70% of the diester in the initial composition, it is usually possible to retain the mixture throughout the reaction as a single phase system. It is particularly desirable to select in combination from about 75 to 85% diester and from 1 to 1.25 moles of hydrogen peroxide per mole of diester. In such embodiments, the mixture can generate at equilibrium, desirably high concentrations of peracids and such conditions preferably favor the generation of monoester-peracids. It has been found that such peracids are particularly acceptable for use in cleaning and / or disinfectant compositions in view of their ability to activate as stain bleaching oxidant, their microbicidal properties and the absence of nauseating odors. In a certain number of these embodiments, the peracid concentration is sufficiently high to provide a peracid avox in solution at the equilibrium between 1.5 and 3.5% by weight, which corresponds to a peracid concentration comprised between about 15 and 35%, depending on the avox of the peracid and the peracid species that is present. It will be recognized that the concentrated compositions can be diluted by the presence of a secondary amount of additional components to help wet or clean surfaces or articles or liquids, for example up to about 20% by weight of surfactants. In other embodiments of the present invention, the compositions are relatively dilute, often containing from 50 to 90% water, in a certain number of cases at least 60% by weight of water and in many cases at least 70% by weight of water , for example from 70 to 85% by weight of water. In such diluted embodiments, the compositions contain initially, i.e. before equilibrium begins, frequently selected hydrogen peroxide in the range of from at least 2% w / w and particularly from 4 to 25% by weight and the diester selected in the range from at least 3% w / w and particularly from 5 to 45% by weight. The weight ratio of diester to hydrogen peroxide initially in such diluted embodiments is often chosen in the range of from 4: 1 to 2: 3. Correspondingly, in a certain number of selected embodiments, the proportion of water is initially 75 to 85% and the proportion of hydrogen peroxide is initially 4 to 12%, as well as the proportion of diester is initially 5 to 15%. In such compositions there is a greater propensity for the generated peracid species to comprise a significant fraction of acid-peracid species in addition to the monoester-peracid species. As well as with the most concentrated realizations, one or more surfactants may be incorporated, for example in an amount up to 20%, often up to 10% by weight of the composition. In yet other embodiments of the present invention, the manufacturer can produce compositions which, if allowed to reach equilibrium, would have an intermediate water content, for example between 20 and 50%, an intermediate concentration of peracid avox in the region between approximately 0.5 and 1.2%. In such compositions, the initial weight ratio of diester is often 10 to 60% and the weight ratio of hydrogen peroxide is often 10 to 30%. In a further variation carried out in a plurality of stages, more concentrated reagents are employed in a first stage and when the peracid content of the composition has advanced to a chosen intermediate fraction which can be achieved in equilibrium and optionally peroxide hydrogen and / or diester and / or ester formed previously, to prepare a more dilute composition, such as those described herein above, desirably containing at least 50% water and which may contain at least 75% water. Examples of such dilute compositions that can be prepared by the two-step route contain the concentrations and ratios of peracids, residual ester and residual hydrogen peroxide which can be obtained using the preferred dilute concentrations of hydrogen peroxide and diester before equilibration here described above in this memory. In the first stage, the reaction mixture, expressed in terms of its reactants, comprises at least 50% w / w of diester and at least 1 mole of hydrogen peroxide per mole of diester, preferably at least an equimolar amount . The mixture is preferably stored until at least 75 mole% and more preferably at least 90 mole% of the equilibrium proportion of the peracid species is reached. Preferably in the second step, the amounts of diluent water, reagents added and optionally selected reaction products are chosen in such a way that a composition is produced which is substantially in equilibrium or contains the ester acid above its equilibrium amount, if It produces in a single stage. Among the variations in methods for producing the aqueous solutions of percarboxylic acid of the present invention and especially for producing compositions containing a substantial fraction of water, such as those containing at least 50% by weight of water, a variation that It offers advantages of treatment comprising a two-stage method, in whose first stage the aqueous hydrogen peroxide and the diester are stirred together to form a single phase, which normally contains any stabilizers and optional surfactant and in the second stage, the phase it is diluted with water and optional constituents such as lime scavengers and scale and once more it is stirred until a single phase is obtained. It is especially desirable to carry out the process variant to the previous one carried out at room temperature, for example between about 30 and 45 ° C. In this variant of the process, it is particularly beneficial to employ aqueous hydrogen peroxide having a selected concentration within the range of from about 27% to 55% by weight of H202 and especially from 33 to 40% by weight of H2O2. It is beneficial to introduce the aqueous hydrogen peroxide gradually into the ester and especially at a controlled flow rate such that the composition remains as a single phase. Similarly, when aqueous hydrogen peroxide has been introduced, water can be introduced at a similarly controlled rate to maintain a single phase. It will be recognized that the introduction of water can begin before the introduction of hydrogen peroxide has finished, but in such circumstances, it is preferable to control the introduction rates of both constituents together to maintain a single phase. In an observed feature of the present invention, this generation of peracid esters from glutaric acid esters is a priority compared to their generation of corresponding succinic or adipic acid esters, particularly when the diester constitutes the main weight fraction of the mixture. of reaction. It is preferable to choose the surfactants for incorporation into peracid compositions according to the present invention, whether they are concentrated or diluted, which are compatible with the peracid compositions, such as those described in WO 96/19558 of Solvay Interox Limited. In the present context the surfactants can be incorporated into previously formed peracid solutions or they can be present during the formation of the peracid solutions from the reactants. Advantageously, if appropriately chosen amounts and combinations of such surfactants are employed, as described herein, they may perform additional functions such as thickening and may aid in disinfection. - Appropriate classes of surfactants as disclosed herein include nonionic surfactants and particularly ethoxylated compounds of alcohols, anionic surfactants such as alkyl sulfates and alkylbenzene sulphonates, amine oxides and quaternary ammonium surfactants. Although the compositions produced by the process of the invention demonstrate a remarkable stability, for example in comparison with the methods described above for their preparation from other peracid precursor compounds, expressly including the preparation of peracid compositions from compounds monoester-acids, their stability can be increased by the incorporation of a certain number of classes of compounds that are identified next. These classes include hydroxy-substituted aromatic carboxylic acids and their ester derivatives, particularly phenol-carboxylic acids such as p-hydroxybenzoic acid and its ester derivatives such as methyl or ethyl esters. These may also include sequestrants of the polyphosphonic acid type such as ethylidene diphosphonic acid and amino polymethylene phosphonic acids and mixtures thereof. Such compounds are often incorporated in a selected amount in the range of 0.025 to 1% and in many cases 0.075 to 0.3% by weight of the composition. The surfactants that can be used in the present case can be of the non-ionic, anionic, canonical or amphoteric type. Generally, the surfactants contain at least one hydrophobic group, for example an aliphatic hydrocarbon group containing at least 8 carbon atoms and often 10 to 26 carbon atoms, the aliphatic group being frequently acyclic, but containing sometimes an alicyclic group or the hydrophobic group may be an alkylaryl group containing at least one and preferably up to 18 aliphatic carbon atoms. The surfactant further contains at least one water-solubilizing group, for example a sulphonate, sulfate or carboxylic group which is linked either directly or indirectly to the hydrophobic group. The linker members can include polyvalent alcohol residues containing ether or ester type bonds, for example derivatives of ethylene glycol, propylene glycol, glycerol or polyether residues. The surfactants may be soap or they may be synthetic, for example as described in Chapter 2 of Synthetic Detergents by A. Davidson and B.M.

Milwidsky, 6th Edition, published in 1978 by George Godwin Limited and methods to prepare them, chapter 5 of the same book is described. Among the surfactants described on pages 11-23 of the aforementioned book, sulphonates and sulphates are of special importance in practice. Sulfonates include, for example, alkylaryl sulfonates and particularly alkylbenzene sulphonates, the alkyl group preferably being a straight chain containing 9 to 15 carbon atoms, among which one of the most commonly used surfactants is dodecyl benzene -sulfonate linear. Other anionic sulfonates which are useful in solutions of the present case include olefin sulphonates obtained, for example, by sulfonating primary or secondary aliphatic mono-olefins, alkane sulfonates especially linear alkane sulfonates and hydroxy alkane sulphonates and disulfonates, especially 3, 4 and 5-hydroxy-n-alkylsulfonates in which the alkyl group contains any even number between 10 and 24 carbon atoms. Other desirable anionic surfactants include alcohol sulphates, preferably linear, having a chain length of at least 10 carbon atoms and alkanolamides of sulfated fatty acids. Other sulfates comprise sulfated nonionic surfactants such as for example alkyl phenoxy- (ethylene oxide) ether sulfate in which the alkyl groups contain from 8 to 12 atoms and there are from 1 to 10 units of ethylene oxide in each case. molecule. Still other surfactants of the sulfate type comprise alkyl ether sulfates in which the alkyl group contains 10 to 20 carbon atoms, preferably in linear form and each molecule contains 1 to 10. preferably 1 to 4 molecules of oxide. of ethylene. Other anionic surfactants include phosphate derivatives of the nonionic surfactants based on ethylene oxide, which are described herein. It has a considerable advantage that at least a proportion of the anionic surfactant is in liquid or easily liquefiable form. In many appropriate classes of anionic surfactants, the opposite sign ion is a monovalent metal ion, often a sodium or potassium ion or a quaternary ammonium cation derived, for example, from ethanolamine or isopropanolamine. In practice, cationic detergents are not normally present in the same composition as the anionic surfactants, but when canonical detergents are used, they are frequently quaternary ammonium salts such as tetraalkyl ammonium salts in which at least one of the Alkyl groups contain at least 10 carbon atoms or pyridinium salts substituted with an alkyl chain of at least one carbon atom. Although quaternary ammonium halides, commonly the chlorides, can be used, particularly when the quaternary ammonium halide and the peracid ester are combined shortly before use, in many embodiments it is preferred to employ quaternary ammonium salts that are not halides. The use of quaternary ammonium salts other than halides is particularly preferred when the solutions containing the ester-peracid and the quaternary ammonium salt are to be stored for any significant period of time. The use of quaternary ammonium halides in such storage solutions can cause the decomposition of the peracid ester by oxidation of the halide. Examples of quaternary ammonium salts that are not halides include sulfates, methosulfates, etho-sulfates, hydroxides, acetates, saccharinates, phosphates and propionates. A considerable proportion of suitable nonionic surfactants for use in the present invention comprises condensation products of ethylene oxide and possibly propylene oxide. A class of such nonionic surfactants of special importance includes water-soluble condensation products of alcohol containing from 8 to 18 carbon atoms with an ethylene oxide polymer which often contains at least 5 moles of ethylene oxide. per molecule of surfactants, for example from 7 to 20 moles of ethylene oxide. Other nonionic surfactants comprise water soluble condensates of alkyl phenols or alkylnaphtols with an ethylene oxide polymer which typically contains from 5 to 25 moles of ethylene oxide per mole of alkylphenol or alkyl naphthol. The alkyl group typically contains from 6 to 12 carbon atoms and is often linear. As an alternative to the hydrophobic moiety of the nonionic surfactant which is attached to the hydrophobic moiety by an ether linkage as in condensates of alcohol or phenol and ethylene oxide, the linkage can be an ester group. The hydrophobic moiety is usually the residue of a straight chain aliphatic acid containing from 8 to 22 carbon atoms and more particularly consists of the residues of lauric, stearic and oleic acids. In a class of surfactants of the nonionic ester type, the hydrophilic moiety frequently comprises poly (ethylene oxide), often in the ratio of 5 to 30 moles of ethylene oxide per mole of the fatty acid residue. It will be recognized that both monoesters and diesters can be employed. Alternatively it is possible to use glycerol as a hydrophilic moiety, thereby producing monoglycerides or diglycerides. In another additional group, the hydrophilic moiety comprises sorbitol. Another additional class of nonionic surfactants comprises alkanolamides which can be obtained when a C10 to C22 amide is condensed with a moiety or various hydrophilic moieties of poly (ethylene oxide) or polypropylene glycol. Semi-polar detergents include water-soluble amine oxides, water-soluble phosphine oxides and water-soluble sulfur oxides, each of which contains an alkyl moiety of 10 to 22 carbon atoms and two selected short chain moieties between the alkyl and hydroxyalkyl groups containing 1 to 3 carbon atoms. Useful amphoteric surfactants include derivatives of aliphatic quaternary ammonium, sulfonium and phosphonium compounds in which the aliphatic moieties may be linear or branched or two of which may be joined to form a cyclic compound, provided that at least one of the The constituent comprises or contains a hydrophobic group containing from about 8 to 22 carbon atoms and the compound also contains an anionic water-solubilizing group, often selected from carboxylic groups, sulfates and sulphonates. Non-surfactant thickeners, which may be employed, comprise crosslinked poly (acrylates), natural gums such as xanthan or ramsan gum, cellulose derivatives such as carboxymethylcellulose and silicates. The method for disinfection according to the present invention comprises contacting the substrate to be disinfected with a stable aqueous acid solution in storage of an ester-peracid or prepared from one such solution. The solution - can be used without dilution or can be diluted. When the compositions are diluted, the dilution is chosen such that a concentration of ester-peracid is provided in the solution comprised between about 1 part per million and 10,000 parts per million, depending on the substrate. The disinfection method can use a very wide range of temperatures, which typically fluctuate between about 4 ° C and the boiling point of the solution used as a disinfectant. In many cases, especially if the disinfectant is being applied manually using for example a cloth or cloth, the temperature will be limited by the maximum temperature that can be comfortably tolerated by the operator and is unlikely to be greater than 60 ° C. The disinfection procedure can be used to treat a wide range of substrates. Many of the substrates that can be treated are liquid or solid. A contaminated gaseous substrate can be conveniently treated by spraying with a diluted solution of the biocidal combination of the invention or by bubbling the gas through a bath of the peracid solution according to the invention. One type of liquid substrate comprises aqueous media contaminated by microorganisms such as recirculating process water or aqueous tributaries before discharge. Such process waters and tributaries occur in many different industries and can be contaminated by bacteria, algae, yeast and more rarely by viruses. Without being limited to the following industries, contaminated process waters are prevalent during the treatment of plant and animal materials, including the paper and pulp industries, food processing, for example the sugar refining industry, the brewery , oenology and alcohol distillation industries, tributaries from straw treatment, discharges from wastewater treatment facilities, including partially treated discharges or simply filtered wastewater through pipelines that extend to the sea, factories of meat processing, slaughtering activities or from cattle breeding. Other liquid substrates include irrigation water in the horticulture industry. Another important source of contaminated aqueous media comprises cooling water either from industrial sources or which. They come from air conditioning units installed in large buildings, such as hotels, offices and hospitals. The compositions of the invention can be used to treat non-aqueous liquid media, such as cutting oils. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the compositions of the invention are considered to be of particular importance for disinfection in areas that come into contact with the human species. Thus, they can be used to disinfect solids, including hard surfaces or contaminated articles destined for reuse in the treatment of food, in animal husbandry, in horticulture, in hospitality, domestic or hospital environments. Hard surfaces can be made of metals, woods, ceramics, glass and plastic materials that can include workbenches, walls, floors, sanitary articles (for example toilets and toilets), facilities or appliances, containers, tools, machinery, installations and pipes. It will be recognized that for such hard surfaces, it is often convenient to immerse small articles in a solution of the biocidal composition according to the invention and for larger applications, it may be easier to employ similar projection means or distribution means. The process can also be considered for disinfecting water-absorbent materials such as infected linen or especially dirty non-woven fabrics for small children which are often produced from absorbent textile fabrics The compositions of the invention can be used to disinfect plants harvested or plant products including seeds, grains, tubers, fruits and legumes Alternatively, the compositions of the invention can be used to treat growing plants and especially growing crop plants, including cereals, leaf legumes and salad harvest plants, tubers , legumes, berry fruits, citrus fruits and hard fruits It will also be recognized to a lesser degree also that the peracid solutions produced by the process of the invention can also be used, if desired, for other purposes in which perished persons are used, including bleaching or as an additive for bleaching in washing processes. Having described the invention in general terms, specific embodiments thereof are described in more detail, by way of example only. Examples 1 to 6 and Comparative Examples CAI-6 and CB1-6 In Example 1, a mixture of the dimethyl esters of succinic, glutaric and adipic acids respectively (16%, 58% and 26% respectively, 106 g), available under the DBE name of Dupont was stirred at room temperature (about 22 ° C) with demineralized water [DMW] (594.2 g) and sulfuric acid (10 g, 98% w / w) and aqueous hydrogen peroxide (285.6). g, 35% w / w) was slowly introduced into the stirred mixture at a rate such that the temperature of the solution was maintained at or near 20 ° C. The resulting solution contained a significant concentration of the corresponding mono-succinate derivatives of the succinic acids, glutaric and adipic as the predominant peracid species and residual hydrogen peroxide.

In Examples 2 to 6, the stabilizers shown in Table 1 below were mixed in portions of the solution obtained in Example 1. The stability of the solutions was tested by transferring 120 g of the solution into a bottle of HDPE (high density polyethylene) capped with screw cap, which had a small aeration hole and stored in a room controlled in terms of temperature and dark. The amount of oxygen available in the solution (avox) was measured initially - and at intervals of 4 weeks by a classical method of titration with ceric sulfate. For comparison, the preparation procedure of Example 1 was followed but replacing the DBE by a mixture of monomethyl glutarate (53 g), monomethyl adipate (26.5 g) and monomethyl succinate (26.5 g) from Aldrich Chemicals in CA and a mixture of succinic, glutaric and adipic acids (106 g) obtained from BASF in CB. Similarly, solutions containing the same stabilizers were prepared from the non-stabilized comparison solutions. The residual avox of the comparison solutions is similarly shown in Table 1.

Table 1 In the present case, pHBA represents p-hydrobenzoic acid. HEDPA and ADPA each represent a commercially available quality of hydroxyethylidene diphosphonic acid. From Table 1, it can be seen that the preparation method according to the present invention produced a more stable peracid solution with respect to avox retention when the peracid solution had been prepared from the corresponding dicarboxylic acid monoester (CA) or dicarboxylic acid itself (CB). It can also be seen that the same advantage was evident when the solution additionally contained stabilizers intended for peracids. Examples 7 to 11 In these Examples, all the constituents shown in Table 2 except hydrogen peroxide were mixed together at room temperature in a high density polyethylene (HDPE) bottle and immediately afterwards the hydrogen peroxide was introduced very gradually to prevent the temperature rising more than a few degrees above 20 ° C. The surfactant was that available under the trademark CAFLON NAS30. Then the bottle cap was coupled and the solutions were analyzed for total avox (the avox from peracids and hydrogen peroxide), the avox from peracids only and HPLC (high pressure liquid chromatography) to distinguish between the monoester-peracid and acid-peracid species present. The bottles were stored in the dark in a room at a constant temperature that had been set at 32 ° C. The total residual avox after storage for 4 weeks and the weight ratio (WR) of ester-peracid: acid-straight, are shown in Table 2. Table 2 From Table 2, it can be seen that perishing solutions can be obtained with excellent retention of the species with active oxygen (as shown by the retention of approximately 100% of avox) over a wide range of diester substrate ratios to hydrogen peroxide. From Table 2, it can also be observed that when the weight ratio of hydrogen peroxide to the diester-acid substrate increases and the dilution of the solution increases, there is a clear tendency for the acid-peracid to be preferred in relation to the monoester-peracid, while the weight ratio of diester-acid substrate to hydrogen peroxide increases and the concentration of substrate in the solution increases, there is a clear tendency for the monoester-peracid to be preferred over acid-peracid. In repeated tests with a greater stabilizer addition, improved stability of avox was observed. Examples 12 to 14 In Example 12, a relatively concentrated solution of peracids was obtained by introducing, with stirring, concentrated hydrogen peroxide (4.7 g., 85% w / w) in DBE (20 g) and sulfuric acid (98% w / w, 0.2 g) at room temperature, the introduction rate being controlled to prevent the temperature of the mixture from rising. The solution was stored in an HDPE bottle fitted with a screw cap and the peracid and total avox concentrations were periodically measured by the classical methods used for Examples 7 to 11. The results for 1 day and 6 weeks are summarized below. The procedure of Example 12 was repeated for Examples 13 and 14, but employing respectively 5.7 g of 70% w / w hydrogen peroxide and 0.3 g of sulfuric acid in Ex. 13 and 7.99 g of hydrogen peroxide (50% w / w) and 0.4 g of sulfuric acid in Ex. 14. The results are summarized in the following Table. Table 3 From Table 3, it can be seen that the solutions generated in each Example contained, after 1 day, a high concentration of the peracid species. The Table also shows that the compositions maintained their peracid concentration at a constant level for storage for 6 weeks. HPLC analysis of the solutions showed that after 3 weeks, about 1/3 of the diester had been converted to the peracid ester in each of Examples 12 to 14, in 36%, 38% and 35% respectively and that after storage for 6 weeks, the ester-peracid ratio had decreased by approximately 2%. HPLC analyzes also showed that at the used catalyst concentrations, the solutions were substantially free of monomethyl persuccinic acid. Examples 15 to 20 In these Examples, Example 12 was repeated but using 0.4 g of the acid catalyst indicated in the mixture and with storage either at room temperature or at 40 ° C. The compositions were stored in the dark at the formation temperature. The results are compiled in Table 4 below. Table 4 From Table 4, it can be seen that a very similar peracid concentration is obtained using the range of catalysts and temperature conditions that are shown and that the concentration is maintained, even at a slightly elevated temperature during the time period of the proof. Examples 21 and 22 In Example 21 the process of Example 1 was repeated, but using 100 g of the mixed DBE ester. In Example 22, a two-stage diluted peracid composition was produced. In the first stage, a concentrated hydrogen peroxide solution (HTP quality, 85% w / w, 25 g) was introduced slowly with stirring in a DBE-5 (100 g) containing concentrated sulfuric acid (1 g) and with cooling to avoid that the mixture rose significantly above room temperature and it was stored overnight at room temperature, approximately 20-23 ° C, at which time it had been produced more than 90% of the amount of peracid in balance. Then a fraction of the mixture (10 g) was diluted to room temperature by introducing with stirring demineralized water (71.4 g) and an additional amount of HTP (8 g) to provide a product comprising, referring to the reactants, % p / p of diester and 10.5% of hydrogen peroxide. The product was stored at room temperature in a bottle of HDPE fitted with a screw cap and periodically analyzed for peracids. The results are compiled in Table 5 below.

Table 5 It can be seen from Table 5 that the method employed in Example 22 resulted in the preparation of a composition containing a higher ester-peracid concentration and that this advantage was maintained even after storage for 3 weeks at which time the Total content of peracids had decreased to that obtained by a one-step preparation route of Example 21. Examples 23 to 28 In these Examples, compositions were prepared by shaking together in a flask at room temperature a diester (DBE-5) or a Diester mixture (DBE) with laboratory-grade sulfuric acid (98% w / w), demineralized water (DMW) and aqueous hydrogen peroxide (HTP H202 at 85% w / w) until a single phase was observed, the stabilizers were introduced and the mixture was stirred for the additional minutes. The constituents are compiled in the Table 6 next.

Table 6 The compositions were then stored at room temperature in HDPE bottles. Examples 29 to 34 and Comparative Examples 35 to 37 In these Examples and Comparative Examples, the disinfection capabilities of the compositions of Examples 23 to 28 were measured and compared with the performance of disinfectant compositions obtained in a similar manner, but replacing the DBE by glutaric acid respectively in Examples 23/25 (Comparative Examples 35/36) and DBE by a mixture of the succinic, glutaric and adipic acids in Example 24 for Comparative Example 37. The compositions were at least one month when they were rehearsed.

Test method These tests were carried out in accordance with the official analysis method 960.09 of 1990 of the American Organization of Analytical Chemists, modified by i) using sodium thiosulfate (50 g / 1) as a neutralizer, together with catalase at 2-5 g / 1 of a dilution of the 9: 1 solution and ii) growing in a sterile Universal culture vessel. The results obtained with the total peracid content of 100 ppm are compiled in Table 7 below. Table 7 From Table 6, it can be seen that the compositions according to the invention were effective disinfectants and that the benefit was especially observable in compositions containing a significant fraction of ester-peracid compared to the compositions containing a higher proportion of acid- Peracid The compositions were also particularly effective against S. Aureus and generally had a similar efficacy against E. coli compared to the compositions that had been generated from the dicarboxylic acid as starting material. Examples 38 and 39 In these Examples, additional compositions were prepared according to Example 23, by the same route, but replacing respectively 15 g of water with sulphamic acid and 18 g of water with phosphoric acid. The resulting compositions were able to act both as a disinfectant and as a lime scavenger and scale. Examples 40 and 41 In these Examples, a two-step route was used to prepare disinfectant compositions. In the first stage, aqueous hydrogen peroxide was stirred (44.4 g, 33.8%) respectively with DBE-5 or DBE (20 g) a ° C and a stabilizing system comprising 0.1% p-HBA and 0.2% ADPA until a single, transparent phase was observed and in the second stage at the same temperature it was diluted with DMW (35 g) at such a rate that a single-phase system was maintained. It was observed that the first step lasted about 1 hour in Example 40 and 75 minutes in Example 41 and the second stage lasted about 1 hour in each case. This route represents a comparatively fast way of producing monophasic compositions. Example 42 In this Example, the antimicrobial activity against the Aspergillus niger mold spores of a composition of the invention was measured by a modified version of the EN1040 method of CEN. The method was modified by testing 4 different concentrations of the peracid constituent instead of 3. The weighted average counts were not calculated and the entire test report was not completed. The method was extended to include yeast evaluations, since the yeast specific method had not been published at that time. The peracid composition that was tested was prepared using the method described in Example 1 using DBE-5 (424 g), demineralized water (2.377 g), sulfuric acid (40 g, 98%), H202 (1142 g, 35% ) and p-HBA (4 g). This composition was stirred for 4 hours at room temperature to ensure complete homogeneity. The product contained 9% H202 and 1.4% peracid at equilibrium. The EN1040 method of the modified CEN was carried out in both clean conditions and in dirty conditions. The tests showed that the composition reduced the viable population of Aspergillus niger (spores) in the test by an LRF of above 4 in both clean and dirty conditions, not only when it appeared unmixed but also when diluted by a factor of 4. EXAMPLE 43 In this Example, the general method of Example 1 was followed using diethyl glutarate (7 g), H202 (8.24 g, 85%), sulfuric acid (lg, 98%) and demineralized water (83.8 g) . After stirring for 1 week at room temperature, P-HBA (O.lg) and ADPA (0.17g) were added. The mixture contained 7.82% H202 and 0.88% of a peracid. Example 44 In this Example, the general method of Example 1 at 30 ° C using dimethyl fumarate (7 g), H202 (85%, 8.24 g), sulfuric acid (1 g, 98%), demineralized water (83.8 g) forming a suspension of a diester in the aqueous medium . P-HBA (O.lg) and ADPA (0.17 g) were added and after having stirred for 7 hours at 30 ° C, the aqueous medium contained 0.3% peracid,

Claims (43)

1. NOVELTY OF THE INVENTION Having described the present invention, it is considered as a novelty and therefore the property described in the following claims is claimed as property. A process for the production of aqueous solutions of percarboxylic acids by reaction of a peroxygen compound and a percarboxylic acid precursor compound in the presence of an acid catalyst, characterized in that the peroxygen compound is hydrogen peroxide and the precursor compound is a diester aliphatic satisfying the general formula R1-0-CO-R2-CO-0-R3, wherein R1 and R3 each represent an alkyl group containing from 1 to 4 carbon atoms which may be the same or different and R 2 represents an alkylene group which may be linear or branched and which contains from 2 to 6 carbon atoms and is optionally unsaturated.
2. 2. A process according to claim 1, characterized in that the reaction mixture, expressed in terms of its reactants, comprises at least 3% diester, preferably selected in the range of 5 to 90% p / p.
3. 3. A process according to any one of claims 1 or 2 characterized in that the reaction mixture, expressed in terms of its reactants, comprises selected hydrogen peroxide in the range of up to 30% w / w and preferably not more than 20% p / p.
4. 4. A process according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the reaction mixture, expressed in terms of its reactants, comprises at least 4% w / w of hydrogen peroxide.
5. A process according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the reaction mixture, expressed in terms of its reactants, comprises at least 1 mole of hydrogen peroxide per 4 moles of diester.
6. 6. A process according to claim 5, characterized in that the molar ratio of hydrogen peroxide to diester is selected within the range of from 10: 1 to 1: 4.
7. 7. A process according to claim 6, characterized in that at least an equimolar amount of hydrogen peroxide is used per mole of diester.
8. 8. A process according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the reaction mixture, expressed in terms of its reactants, comprises at least 50% w / w of diester.
9. 9. A process according to claim 8, characterized in that the reaction mixture, expressed in terms of its reactants, comprises from 70 to 85% w / w of diester, preferably 75 to 85% w / w of diester and from 1 to 1. , 25 moles of hydrogen peroxide per mole of diester.
10. A process according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the reaction mixture, expressed in terms of its reactants and water, comprises 50 to 90% w / w of water, selected hydrogen peroxide in the range of 4 to 25% w / w and diester selected within the range of 5 to 45% w / w.
11. 11. A process according to claim 10, characterized in that the weight ratio of diester to hydrogen peroxide is selected within the range of 4: 1 to 2: 3.
12. 12. A process according to any one of claims 10 or 11, characterized in that the reaction mixture, expressed in terms of its reactants and water, comprises from 75 to 85% of water and hydrogen peroxide selected in the range of 4 to 12 % p / p and diester selected in the range of 5 to 15% w / w-
13. 13. A process according to any one of claims 1 to 7 or 10 to 12, characterized in that it is carried out in at least two stages, in which first stage a reaction mixture is used which, expressed in terms of its reactants, comprises at least 50% w / w of diester and at least 1 mole of hydrogen peroxide per mole of diester, preferably at least an equimolar amount, whose The mixture is stored until at least 75 mole% of the equilibrium proportion of the peracid species is reached and thereafter the mixture is diluted with water and optionally at least one of the reactants, to produce a composition containing at least 50% and preferably at least 75% w / w of water.
14. 14. A process according to claim 13, characterized in that the diluted mixture contains, expressed in terms of its reactants, a total of 5 to 15% w / w of diester and 4 to 12% w / w of hydrogen peroxide.
15. A process according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the solution is stored before use until its percarboxylic acid content reaches or exceeds at least 90% of the amount of percarboxylic acid present at equilibrium.
16. 16. A process according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that aqueous hydrogen peroxide is introduced into the diester at a controlled flow rate to maintain the mixture as a single phase.
17. 17. A process according to claim 16, characterized in that the aqueous hydrogen peroxide has a selected concentration in the range of from 27 to 55% w / w of H202.
18. 18. A process according to claim 16, characterized by introducing water into a mixture of diester and hydrogen peroxide at a controlled flow rate to maintain the mixture as a single phase.
19. 19. A process according to any one of claims 16 to 18, characterized in that the proportion of water that is provided in total from the aqueous hydrogen peroxide and the water is at least 50% by weight of the final composition.
20. 20. A process according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the solution has a pH of from -2 to 1.
21. 21. A process according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that in the formula R1 and R3 each is selected from methyl and ethyl groups.
22. 22. A process according to claim 21, characterized in that R1 and R3 are both methyl.
23. 23. A process according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that in the formula R2 is saturated.
24. 24. A process according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that in the formula R2 it is selected from linear groups containing from 2 to 4 carbon atoms and mixtures of any two or all three of them.
25. 25. A process according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the reaction mixture contains up to 10% w / w of an acid introduced before, during or after the reaction.
26. 26. A process according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the reaction mixture contains from 0.1 to 2.5% w / w of a catalyst of the inorganic or organic acid type having a pKa of below 1.
27. 27. A process according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the reaction mixture contains 0.025 to 1% w / w of at least one stabilizer selected from hydroxy-substituted aromatic carboxylic acids and their ester derivatives and organic polyphosphonic acids or mixture of any two or more of them.
28. 28. A process according to claim 27, characterized in that the hydroxy-substituted aromatic carboxylic acid comprises p-hydroxy-benzoic acid and the organic polyphosphonic acid _ comprises hydroxyethylidene diphosphonic acid or ethylene- or cyclohexanediamine-tetramethylene-phosphonic acid or diethylene- triaminopentamethylene-phosphonic.
29. 29. A process according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the reaction mixture contains at least one surfactant introduced before, during or after the reaction.
30. 30. A composition comprising an ester, a peracid derivative thereof, hydrogen peroxide and water, characterized in that it comprises from 2 to 30% w / w of hydrogen peroxide, from 5 to 90% w / w of water and 3 at 90% w / w of an aliphatic diester satisfying the general formula R1-0-C0-R2-C0-0-R3, wherein each R1 and R3 represents an alkyl group containing from 1 to 4 carbon atoms which can they are the same or different and R2 represents an alkylene group which may be linear or branched containing from 2 to 6 carbon atoms and optionally unsaturated, including the percentage for the diester of the peracid derivative thereof and any acid derivative of the ester generated therein if and in which the composition contains a residual concentration of the diester. - -
31. 31. A composition according to claim 30, characterized in that it contains at least 0.1% w / w of ester-peracid and preferably from 0.3 to 3% w / w of ester-peracid.
32. 32. A composition containing hydrogen peroxide, a peracid and an ester and derivatives by hydrolysis and / or perhydrolysis thereof, characterized in that it comprises at least 2% w / w of hydrogen peroxide and at least 3% w / w p of a diester including-its derivatives by hydrolysis and perhydrolysis, of which at least 0.1 is an ester-peracid and in which the composition contains a residual concentration of the diester.
33. 33. A composition according to any one of claims 30 to 32, characterized in that the concentration of hydrogen peroxide is not greater than 20% w / w.
34. 34. A composition according to claim 33, characterized in that the concentration of hydrogen peroxide is from 4 to 12%.
35. 35. A composition according to any one of claims 30 to 34, characterized in that the concentration of diester and its derivatives is from 3 to 15% w / w-
36. 36. A composition according to any one of claims 30 to 35, characterized in that the The weight ratio of diester and its derivatives to hydrogen peroxide is selected in the range of from 4: 1 to 2: 3 and preferably from 3: 2 to 2: 3.
37. 37. A composition according to claim 36, characterized in that the diester is a dimethyl ester.
38. 38. A composition according to any one of claims 30 to 37, characterized in that R2 in the formula for the diester represents an alkylene group containing 2 to 4 carbons or a mixture of any 2 or 3 of such diesters.
39. 39. A composition according to any one of claims 30 to 38, characterized in that it additionally comprises a surfactant, preferably up to 20% w / w.
40. 40. A composition according to any one of claims 30 to 39, characterized in that it contains from 0.025 to 1% w / w of at least one stabilizer selected from hydroxy-substituted aromatic carboxylic acids and their ester derivatives and organic polyphosphonic acids or mixtures thereof. any two or more of them.
41. 41. A composition according to any one of claims 30 to 40, characterized in that it additionally comprises a mineral acid which is not halide, selected from the sulfuric or phosphoric or sulphamic acids or an organic sulfonic acid in a concentration of from 0.05 to 10% p / p.
42. 42. A composition comprising an ester, a peracid derivative thereof, hydrogen peroxide and water, characterized in that it comprises from 2 to 30% w / w hydrogen peroxide, from 5 to 90% w / w water and 3 at 90% w / w of an aliphatic diester satisfying the general formula R1-0-C0-R2-C0-0-R3 in which R1 and R3 each represent an alkyl group containing from 1 to 4 carbon atoms which can they are the same or different and R2 represents an alkylene group which may be linear or branched, containing from 2 to 6 carbon atoms and optionally unsaturated, including the percentage for the diester the peracid derivative thereof and any acid derivative of the ester generated in itself. and containing an alcohol of Cl to C4 in the range of 1 to 20% w / w in an aliphatic diester molar ratio greater than 1: 1.
43. 43. Use of a composition according to any one of claims 30 to 42 as a disinfectant.