Abstract: A process for oxidizing a substrate susceptible to nucleophilic oxidation by reacting a bicaroate or monopersulfate solution with the substrate is disclosed. In one aspect, the substrate is introduced into the reaction mixture in an inert carrier gas, which can also serve to sweep the product out of the mixture. In a second aspect the oxidation solution is obtained by a two stage neutralization of a Caro's acid solution, the first stage to e.g. 0.5 to 2.0 and the second stage to about 7 to 9. In preferred embodiments, the substrate is introduced into partially neutralized Caro's acid, and the second stage neutralization in the presence of the substrate is most preferably carried out with an alkali salt such as sodium bicarbonate. The process can employ relatively low ratios of substrate: Caro's acid oxidant and homogeneous reaction conditions. The process is particularly useful for preparing dioxiranes from ketones.

Abstract: A one pot process for the perfluoroalkylation and/or perfluoroacyloxylation of organic substrates is provided. The process comprises contacting a substrate with a perfluoroalkanoic anhydride in the presence of an inorganic peroxygen compound at a temperature of greater than 10.degree. C. Substrates that can be perfluoroalkylated and/or perfluoroacyloxylated include alkylbenzenes, halogenated aromatic compounds, alkoxybenzenes, aryl benzenes, and aromatic and aliphatic disulphides. Preferably, the perfluoroalkanoic anhydride is trifluoroacetic anhydride and the inorganic peroxygen compound is sodium percarbonate.

Abstract: A process for the controlled oxidation of alkyaromatic compounds comprises reacting said compounds with an oxidising system, comprising cobalt (II) ions, bromide ions, and hydrogen peroxide, in the presence of an appropriate protic solvent.The process is particularly useful in the selective oxidation of poly(alkyl)aromatic compounds.

Abstract: Liquid compositions containing a perborate bleaching system having improved chemical stability over existing systems are prepared by suspending a salt of a superperborate in a non-aqueous liquid. The superperborate salts have an available oxygen content of greater than 16.1%, and an empirical chemical formula of the type Na.sub.x B.sub.y O.sub.z.nH.sub.2 O where x is 1-4, y is 1-5, z is 2-15 and n is 1-5. The ratio of x:y is between 0.5 to 1.2:1. The compositions may include surfactants, activators and detergent auxiliaries. Preferred surfactants are nonionic surfactants. When a surfactant is present, the compositions are bleach containing liquid detergents. When surfactants are not present, the compositions can be used as bleach additives or non-detergent cleaners.

Abstract: Phenols, and related aromatic compounds, phenolic ethers, can be hydroxylated selectively using hydrogen peroxide in the presence of an amorphous or microcrystalline zirconium phosphate catalyst in a solvent containing an aliphatic carboxylic acid. The process is particularly suitable for phenol itself, and advantageously employs a partially dehydrated microcrystalline catalyst obtained by heating an hydrated microcrystalline zirconium phosphate for example at about 100.degree. C. A convenient reaction temperature is 50.degree. to 90.degree. C., and convenient solvent is acetic acid. In an improved method of producing the catalyst, zirconium phosphate is precipitated from an aqueous phosphoric acid solution of zirconium oxychloride in the presence of a cationic phase transfer agent such as an alkylpyridinium salt or tetraalkylquaternary ammonium salt or a nonionic surfactant such as an alcohol ethoxylate.

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 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: Phenol sulphonate esters can be made in a known process by reacting an alkali metal phenol sulphonate salt with an acyl halide in a hydrocarbon solvent at elevated temperatures, but the use of anhydrous materials were strongly advocated because any residual water hydrolyses the acyl chloride in a competitive reaction. However, it becomes particularly difficult and expensive to dehydrate phenol sulphonate salts below about 2% w/w water on a commercial scale and the product obtained by reaction from such partly dehydrated salts can be comparatively impure or reduced in yield. Consequently, changes to the process such as omitting the solvent or using a different acylating agent have been proposed, but these alternatives introduce their own respective manufacturing problems such as entrainment of viscous acyl chloride and anhydride in the product or introduction of a cumbersome and hence expensive recovery process involving an extra distillation step amongst others.

Abstract: In general, inorganic or organic peroxyacids are unstable in the presence of a nonionic surfactant, so that it was not feasible to contemplate storing liquid compositions containing both components. It has now been discovered that storable compositions containing both components can be obtained by the use of particulate potassium-4-sulphoperoxybenzoic acid dispersed in the liquid nonionic surfactant containing phase. Additionally, the compositions can also include a dispersed particulate water-insoluble builder such as zeolite or water-soluble builder such as STPP. It is preferable to include a small amount of a chelating peroxidic stabilizer such as dipicolinic acid or 1,1,1-hydroxyethylidene diphosphonic acid.

Abstract: Aqueous compositions containing an organic peroxyacid such as the mono-potassium salt of 4-sulpho-peroxybenzoic acid (KSPB) would be convenient to employ for bleaching/washing or disinfection especially of aqueous media, but suffer from loss of available oxygen (Avox) from the peracid during storage.The problem of storage instability can be alleviated to a considerable extent by employing the KSPB in particulate form and incorporating in the aqueous phase a water-soluble potassium salt of a non-reducing acid having a pK.sub.a of below 6, preferably a non-halide. It is desirable to use at least 1% and preferably at least 5% w/w solution of the potassium salt, of which suitable examples are potassium sulphate and nitrate. The pH of the aqueous phase is preferably brought to pH 2 to 3.

Abstract: Sulphophenyl esters can be made amongst other routes by reacting an acyl halide with a phenol sulphonate salt, but it has been suggested in the prior art that there are substantial problems or disadvantages associated with carrying out the reaction in the presence of an organic solvent such as gelation of the reaction medium or excessive reaction times.In the present invention, the process employs as organic solvent high boiling point primarily aliphatic hydrocarbons which forms with linear acyl halide a reaction medium in which products of high and/or improved purity and/or yield are obtainable without gelation and in reasonable reaction periods, especially between C.sub.6 -C.sub.10 linear acyl chlorides and sodium phenol sulphonate.

Abstract: Increased energy costs have stimulated a demand for peroxygen compounds that are effective at ambient to hand-hot temperatures, but peroxyacids and acyl peroxides tend to suffer from one or more of poor thermal stability, or sensitivity to impact or moisture, thereby rendering their manufacture or storage hazardous, or from poor solubility. The instant invention provides salts of the formula (in anhydrous form): ##STR1## in which M represents potassium and n=1 or M represents magnesium and n=2. The solids can be incorporated in low temperature bleaching compositions, in washing compositions, in sanitizing compositions or in disinfection/sterilisation compositions.

Abstract: The effectiveness of hydrogen peroxide for bleaching and disinfecting at ambient to hand hot temperatures can be enhanced by reaction with an enol ester a peracid generator (activator). The present invention provides emulsions of enol ester activators in aqueous acidic solutions of hydrogen peroxide containing a water soluble emulsifier in at least 1 part per part by weight of activator. The enol esters have either of the general formulae: ##STR1## Preferably, sufficient emulsifier mixture thereof is present to enable the resultant emulsion to be clear demonstrating the presence of thermodynamically stable micellar structures. In preferred compositions, the activator is selected from vinyl or isopropenyl or but-1-enyl or cyclohex-1-enyl acetate heptanoate, octanoate or benzoate and divinyl adipate or phthalate, and 1,5-diacetoxypenta-1,4-diene.

Abstract: It would be desirable to improve upon the washing or disinfection capability of hydrogen peroxide-generating compositions at ambient to low operating conditions. The instant invention provides bleach compositions in which an activator is adsorbed into sodium perborate monohydrate, often in an amount of 20-40% w/w thereof. The invention permits liquid and consequently often low molecular weight activators to be readily employed in solid formulations. Preferred activators are selected from enol esters or gem-diesters, including vinyl benzoate, ethylidene benzoate acetate and divinyl adipate. The invention can also render N-acyl activators such as TAED more storage-stable.

Abstract: Hydrogen peroxide and persalt washing or disinfecting compositions perform comparatively ineffectively at ambient to low operating temperatures. More effective washing/disinfection processes are obtained by employing according to the instant invention there with a peroxyacid generator selected from compounds having the general formula (I): ##STR1## in which R.sub.1 and R.sub.2 and R.sub.3 often are hydrogen, R.sub.6 is often hydrogen or methyl and R.sub.4 and R.sub.5 are often methyl or phenyl. R.sub.3 or R.sub.5 can each also represent a difunctional group terminating at its other end in a second gem-diester group or in an enol ester group. Especially preferred peroxyacid generators include 1,1,5-triacetoxypent-4-ene, 1,1,5,5-tetraacetoxy pentane, the corresponding butene and butane compounds, ethylidene benzoate acetate and bis(ethylidene acetate) adipate.

Abstract: Increased energy costs have stimulated a demand for peroxygen compounds that are effective at ambient to hand-hot temperatures, but peroxyacids and acyl peroxides tend to suffer from one or more of poor thermal stability, or sensitivity to impact, thereby rendering their manufacture or storage hazardous, or from poor solubility. The instant invention provides a salt of the formula (in anhydrous form): ##STR1## The salt can be incorporated in low temperature bleaching compositions, in washing compositions, in sanitizing compositions or in disinfection/sterilization compositions.

Abstract: The effectiveness of hydrogen peroxide for bleaching and disinfecting at ambient to hand hot temperatures can be enhanced by reaction with a peracid generator (activator), but the provision of storage stable concentrated aqueous liquid premixes of hydrogen peroxide and activator presents many problems arising from the physical and chemical properties of the components.The present invention provides aqueous acidic emulsions of hydrogen peroxide and enol esters, preferably at a pH of 2 to 5 and containing a slight excess of hydrogen peroxide over an equivalent mole ratio to enol ester activator of 1:1.The concentrations of the components of some preferred emulsions are selected in the ranges of 3 to 20% hydrogen peroxide, 30 to 85% water, 10 to 30% enol ester (%s by weight based upon the emulsion) and from 10 to 70% by weight based on the enol ester of emulsifiers.

Abstract: An automatic focusing system for a slide projector which utilizes a pair of photocells is provided with a non-linear response characteristic to introduce a change in the sensor balance point when a glass covered film slide is projected as opposed to when an open film slide is projected. Accordingly, glass covered film slides and open film slides can be randomly intermixed without changing the projector focus.

Abstract: A rear/remote-screen projector includes means for alternatively projecting slide images on a remote screen or on a rear screen mounted on the projection housing. The opening of a door in the housing laterally shifts one of the mirrors in the housing without changing the angular orientation thereof thereby allowing the projected image, previously reflected by this mirror to other mirrors and eventually to the integral rear-screen, to pass through the door opening and to a remote screen.