Patent ID: 7915445

Claim:
A process for the preparation of a percarboxylic acid product from its raw materials at its site of use for bleaching and disinfection, the raw materials comprising a carboxylic acid, hydrogen peroxide, water and an acid catalyst, comprising the steps of: i) mixing the carboxylic acid and the hydrogen peroxide into an equilibrium mixture containing the carboxylic acid and the hydrogen peroxide in equilibrium with percarboxylic acid and water; ii) bringing the equilibrium mixture to said site of use; iii) bringing a mobile distillation column and its operating device to the site of use; iv) feeding the equilibrium mixture, the water and the acid catalyst to the bottom of the mobile distillation column; and v) separating and recovering the percarboxylic acid product by distillation from the upper end of the mobile distillation column, wherein from hundreds to thousands of tons of percarboxylic acid product are produced per annum at the site of use.