Abstract: Hydroxylation of phenol is prone to the production of tarry by-products. Selective hydroxylation of phenol can be obtained by reacting a limited amount of hydrogen peroxide with phenol in solution in a compatible organic solvent and in the presence of a catalyst that is at least partly soluble in the reaction medium and is the salt of a heteropolyacid of general formula: i) Q.sub.3 PMo.sub.m W.sub.12-m O.sub.40 or ii) Q.sub.3+v PM.sub.n V.sub.v O.sub.40, in which Q represents a compatible organic cation, m is zero or an integer less than 6, M represents molybdenum or tungsten, v is an integer which is up to 3, and n is an integer such that n+v=12. A preferred organic cation comprises cetyl pyridinium. Selectivity towards catechol is particularly observed employing heteropolyacid salts in which m=0 in formula i) and when n=11 and M=tungsten in formula ii) and towards hydroquinone when n=11 and M=molybdenum in formula ii). Preferably the reaction medium comprises acetonitrile.

Abstract: A composition having improved physical stability comprising an aqueous peroxidic solution of an alkali metal oxyboron compound containing alkali metal to boron in a substoichiometric mole ratio into which there has been introduced an effective stabilizing amount of cyclohexane -1,2-diaminotetra (methylene phosphonic acid) or a water soluble salt thereof. Also a process for enhancing the physical stability of an aqueous peroxidic solution of an alkali metal oxyboron compound containing alkali metal to boron in a substoichiometric mole ratio which is characterized by introducing into the solution an effective stabilizing amount of cyclohexane -1,2-diaminotetra (methylene phosphonic acid) or a water soluble salt thereof.

Abstract: Substituting aqueous hydrogen peroxide/hydrogen bromide for bromine in a known process for producing a ditertiaryalkyl substituted hydroxybenzaldehyde such as ditertiarybutyl hydroxybenzaldehyde from the corresponding ditertiaryalkyl substituted methylphenol results in a substantially impaired yield of product.Improved yields are obtained by employing a reaction temperature of at least 40.degree. C., preferably 50.degree. to 80.degree. C. in conjunction with a hydrophobic solvent such as chloroform. Preferably, the process employs very concentrated hydrogen peroxide solution, 65% to 75% w/w, introduced into the bromide-containing reaction mixture during a period of from 25 to 75 minutes.

Abstract: A dilute solution of a lower aliphatic peracid such as peracetic acid, having an equilibrium composition, is produced by contacting hydrogen peroxide with a lower aliphatic acid each at initial high concentrations in an aqueous reaction mixture to rapidly form a reaction mixture containing, for example, up to 30% by weight of peracid and diluting the reaction mixture with water and with any required quantities of lower aliphatic acid and/or hydrogen peroxide to reproduce the equilibrium composition of the dilute solution, the process being characterized in that the reaction mixture rich in lower aliphatic peracid is diluted before it has itself reached equilibrium, for example when it contains from 20 to 80% of its potential equilibrated content of peracid. The process provides a quick plant-efficient process for the production of stable dilute lower aliphatic peracid solutions for industrial disinfection purposes or for personal or domestic hygiene use.

Abstract: The compound 6,6'-terephthal-di(amidoperoxyhexanoic) acid is disclosed.