Peracide was created in 2012 by Sky Chemicals, a Sheffield-based cleaning, and disinfectant company, in response to growing concerns over highly resistant microbes becoming ever more prevalent in healthcare environments. Sky Chemicals worked closely with Professor Peter Wilson from UCLH, and Sheffield Hallam University during the development of Peracide, and continue to work with them to consistently provide the best formulation. The Directors developed Peracide as they were unhappy with the efficacy of the conventional disinfectants being used to combat these microbes, such as C. diff spores and MRSA, and as such decided to formulate a superior alternative to chlorine-based disinfectants.

They looked for alternative disinfectants used in other industries and came across peracetic acid, a disinfectant commonly used in the industrial, agricultural, and husbandry industries. Peracetic is well known within these industries as the best disinfectant due to its excellent efficacy against microbes in both clean and soiled conditions, along with its environmentally friendly chemistry. This allows it to be used in these industries with confidence that the microbes will be killed, even in soiled or dirty conditions, and that after use the peracetic acid will break down into the non-toxic by-products of water, carbon dioxide, and oxygen. Therefore, no specialised disposal system is required, reducing costs and environmental impact.

Unfortunately, in order to make peracetic acid a financially viable option within these industries, it is required to be sold at dangerously high concentrations (50000+ ppm) and diluted down by the user. At such high concentrations, peracetic acid is hazardous to transport, use, and impractical for healthcare settings to handle, as staff would require the necessary training and access equipment or machinery to safely dilute down the peracetic acid.

Sky Chemicals came up with a tablet formulation capable of generating Peracetic acid in-situ, to eliminate the need to dilute the solution down, and instead generating the Peracetic acid on site, when it is needed, at a controlled ppm. By generating peracetic acid in-situ it eliminates the majority of the risk associated with pre-formed peracetic acid, and allows for additional components to be added to the formula, including corrosion inhibitors, and a patented innovative colour change system indicating efficacy. The pH of Peracide also differs from preformed, with preformed having an acidic pH of 3-4, attributing to its corrosiveness. On the other hand, Peracide’s pH is 8, which in addition to the corrosion inhibitors in the formula, greatly reduces corrosion when compared to both preformed peracetic acid, and to conventional chlorine disinfectants such as NaDCC tablets and chlorine dioxide.

Peracide is able to generate peracetic acid in-situ by having the two precursors compressed together within our tablet formulation. When the tablet is submerged in water, the precursors react together to form peracetic acid. Being a tablet formulation, as opposed to a powder was another important decision Sky Chemicals made in Peracide’s development. In theory, a powder would dissolve quicker in a solution of water due to the increased surface area, however, this is not the case with peracetic acid precursors. Due to the two precursors having different densities, when placed in water as a powder, one of them will float to the top while the other sinks to the bottom. As such, the two components are too far apart to react effectively and quickly, whereas with Peracide’s tablet formulation both precursors are fully submerged together, reacting rapidly to form peracetic acid. In addition, a tablet provides a consistent, compressed dosage of precursors, therefore reducing the risk of mismeasurement, and the risk of inhalation of the powder.

Peracide continues to be updated on a regular basis, with Sky Chemicals continuing to work closely with our trusts Doncaster and Bassetlaw, and Guy’s and St Thomas, along with the microbiology department at UCLH, and Sheffield Hallam University to ensure we constantly provide our customers with the very best disinfectant, specially designed for use within healthcare environments in terms of efficacy and ease of use.