Abstract: Current enzymatic processes for the depilation of hair require long processing times and are relatively expensive and chemical processes often create odor and/or effluent disposal problems. In the present invention, skins to be depilated are contacted with an oxidizing solution in the form of foam, instead of the liquid compositions previously used. The foam normally comprises an oxidizing agent, a pH regulator and a surfactant composition with a high foaming power. The oxidizing agent is preferably hydrogen peroxide or peracetic acid. After the oxidation of the hair, the foam is preferably caused to collapse and depilation is desirably completed in a mechanical stage. In this process, the amount of fluid coming into contact with the skins during the depilation stage is minimized, thus reducing intumescence and, secondly, the amount of effluent.

Abstract: The production of dilute equilibrium, storage stable solutions of peracetic acid from mixtures of aqueous hydrogen peroxide and acetic acid, or by dilution of more concentrated peracetic acid solutions, takes a long time because of the low concentrations of the active participating materials. The process can be accelerated by employing a two step procedure in which a concentrated peracetic acid solution is diluted with water and partially hydrolysed in the first step, and then the hydrolysis reaction is quenched by addition of hydrogen peroxide in the second step.