Hydrogen Peroxide

Product Description

he most important chemical property of Hydrogen Peroxide is its ability to provide active oxygen  to the process concerned. Active oxygen can be explained thus:

In most inorganic and organic compounds which contain oxygen(e.g. water, metal oxides, alcohols, carbonates, etc.), the oxygen atom is bound to another type of atom and cannot be easily split off. Hydrogen Peroxide, on the other hand, contains the group -O-O- in which the two oxygen atoms are directly coupled to each other. The oxygen-oxygen link in such compounds can be broken, liberating one atom as active oxygen.

Reaction

Hydrogen Peroxide reacts :

• as an oxidant.
• as an reductant.
• to form other inorganic and organic peroxy compounds.
• to form addition compounds.

Uses in the electronics industry

Solutions of Hydrogen Peroxide and sulphuric acid are used in etching of printed circuit boards and in other cleaning and etching process throughout the industry.

Hydrogen Peroxide is also used for cleaning germanium and silicon semi- conductors.

Polymer manufacture

Hydrogen peroxide is widely used as a source of free radicals in emulsion process for the polymerisation of vinyl chloride, vinyl acetate, methyl methacrylate and many other monomers.

he most important chemical property of Hydrogen Peroxide is its ability to provide “active oxygen” to the process concerned. Active oxygen can be explained thus:

In most inorganic and organic compounds which contain oxygen(e.g. water, metal oxides, alcohols, carbonates, etc.), the oxygen atom is bound to another type of atom and cannot be easily split off. Hydrogen Peroxide, on the other hand, contains the group -O-O- in which the two oxygen atoms are directly coupled to each other. The oxygen-oxygen link in such compounds can be broken, liberating one atom as “active oxygen”.

Reactions

Hydrogen Peroxide reacts :

• as an oxidant.
• as an reductant.
• to form other inorganic and organic peroxy compounds.
• to form addition compounds.

Uses in the electronics industry

Solutions of Hydrogen Peroxide and sulphuric acid are used in etching of printed circuit boards and in other cleaning and etching process throughout the industry.

Hydrogen Peroxide is also used for cleaning germanium and silicon semi- conductors.

Polymer manufacture

Hydrogen peroxide is widely used as a source of free radicals in emulsion process for the polymerisation of vinyl chloride, vinyl acetate, methyl methacrylate and many other monomers.

Cosmetics

Hydrogen peroxide is used in the bleaching of hair, in fixing dyes by oxidation and in the permanent waving and straightening of hair.

Pharmaceutical antiseptic

The use of dilute solutions of Hydrogen Peroxide as an antiseptic in pharmaceuticals was amongst its first applications.

Sterilisation

The bactericidal and algicidal properties of Hydrogen Peroxide coupled with the advantage that harmless residues are formed when it decomposes,have led to its uses in the following applications:

• Sterilisation of seed and grain.
• Sterilisation of containers in the packaging of milk, fruit juice and other foodstuffs.
• Treatment of swimming pools in conjunction with some proprietary chemicals.
• Treatment of industrial water circuits.
• The cleaning of equipment and lines in the food and dairy industries.
• Sterilisation of contact lenses

The use of Hydrogen peroxide directly, or in the form of its derivatives, sodium perborate and sodium carbonate peroxyhydrate, facilitates the oxidation of vat and some sulphur dyes after their application to textiles in the leuco form

Starch modification

Modification of starch to reduce its viscosity in solution can be achieved by oxidation with Hydrogen Peroxide. This provides the paper industry with a convenient route to the desired starch without producing any undesirable by-products.

Antichlor

Hydrogen Peroxide is used to destroy excess chlorine or hypochlorite which may remain from a previous process stage. In both cases the end-products are chloride ions and water.

Manufacture of foams

Hydrogen Peroxide is able to liberate large volume of oxygen gas under controlled conditions with only water as a residue. Processes for the production of foam rubber (natural & synthetic), plastic and concrete have been developed.

Source of Oxygen and energy

The use of Hydrogen Peroxide as a source of oxygen and energy was developed and exploited before and during World War II. It was used as a source of oxygen in the conditions where no air is available (under water or in the stratosphere), and as a source of energy in rapid take-off of aircraft and rockets.

Bleaching of naturally occurring products

Hydrogen Peroxide is used for the bleaching of a wide and varied range of naturally occurring products including wood, oils and fats, wax, bones, furs, straw, wicker, feathers, nuts, sponges, lanolin and gelatine.

Other Application of Hydrogen Peroxide

• CHEMICAL SYNTHESIS
• TEXTILE BLEACHING
• PAPER PULP BLEACHING
• SUGAR BLEACHING
• NON-EDIBLE OIL BLEACHING
• WATER AND EFFLUENT TREATMENT
• METALLURGY
• OTHER APPLICATIONS