What is Hydrogen Peroxide And It's Uses?

Hydrogen Peroxide, H₂O₂, is a colourless liquid miscible with water. It is a strong oxidizing agent and is commonly used for bleaching purposes in various industries. In the pulp and paper industry, more than half of the world’s hydrogen peroxide supply is used for bleaching purposes, while majority of the remaining hydrogen peroxide supplies are used for textile bleaching and dyeing. In textile dyeing, hydrogen peroxide works as an oxidizing agent to settle the dyes permanently within the fabric. Hydrogen peroxide is also commonly used in the production of household liquid and solid detergents.

Uses of Hydrogen Peroxide

Alternative uses of hydrogen peroxide other than bleaching include wastewater treatment and purification, as an antiseptic to disinfect wounds and in cosmetic applications such as bleaching human hair or tooth whitening.

Hydrogen Peroxide Suppliers

Hydrogen Peroxide is widely used across the world in various industries and is supplied globally to many different countries. Some of the major hydrogen peroxide suppliers include Belgium in Europe, United States in North America, and South Korea and Thailand in Asia-Pacific.

On the other hand, some of the major hydrogen peroxide importing countries include: Germany in Europe, United States in North America, and China and India in Asia-Pacific. 

Grades of Hydrogen Peroxide Supplied

Depending on the different type of application and industry in which hydrogen peroxide is to be used, different grades and concentrations of hydrogen peroxide can be sourced from the hydrogen peroxide suppliers.

Typically, standard hydrogen peroxide produced has a purity of 40% and is developed for standard industrial use such as in the pulp and paper, textile and wastewater treatment industries.

In certain industries, concentrations of hydrogen peroxide above 40% might be required. Once such use of hydrogen peroxide is as a propellant. In this process, hydrogen peroxide has to be purified to concentrations above 70% to take advantage of the decomposition of hydrogen peroxide into steam and oxygen. Steam is generated at high temperatures of approximately 600^oC, generating enough thrust to be used as a propellant when expelled through a nozzle.

For household applications, hydrogen peroxide suppliers usually supply diluted hydrogen peroxide that has a concentration between 2 to 12%. Some household applications include laundry detergents, hair bleaching and teeth whitening. 

Manufacturing Process of Hydrogen Peroxide

Hydrogen Peroxide is manufactured via an autoxidation process where 2-ethylanthraquinone and hydrogen gas are used as the raw materials. In this process, 2-ethylanthraquinone is first hydrogenated via a catalytic reaction to form 2-alkylanthraquinol. The solution of 2-ethylanthraquinol is then oxidized via an autoxidation process with air to reform 2-ethylanthraquinone and hydrogen peroxide, which is then separated and recovered as a final product. Hydrogen peroxide produced via this process typically has a purity of approximately 40%.

To obtain hydrogen peroxide of higher concentration, hydrogen peroxide suppliers typically have to use additional treatment such as vacuum distillation to further purify the solution. In this form, stabilizers are typically added to the product as hydrogen peroxide at such concentrations decomposes easily.

Lastly, in household applications where hydrogen peroxide is used, the hydrogen peroxide solution is typically diluted using aqueous ammonia for cosmetic applications or reacted with sodium carbonate to form sodium percarbonate in laundry detergents.