Hydrogen peroxide

A clean oxidiser that breaks down to water and oxygen; used to bleach pulp and textiles and, increasingly, to make propylene oxide.

Commodity chemicals · Acids & alkalis · No. 8

• Single chemical
• Feedstock: Oil, gas or coal
• about 6 Mt a year, 100% basis (indicative, basis: producer capacity statements; no public statistical total found); India about 0.14-0.35 Mt (2024-25)
• 1.2 t CO₂e per t
• HS 284700

A bleach that breaks down into water and oxygen now feeds plastics plants; Evonik built a 230 kt factory for one customer.

Chart: Illustration: Hydrogen peroxide

Where it comes from

Chart: Map of where it comes from

Hydrogen reduces an anthraquinone dissolved in solvent, air re-oxidises it and releases peroxide, which water extracts and distillation concentrates to 35-70%.

Three things to know

1. Nearly all peroxide is made by the anthraquinone process, which recycles its carrier and needs about 0.06 t of hydrogen per tonne.
2. Evonik built a 230 kt/yr plant at Jilin to serve a single propylene oxide customer.
3. Before 2017, imports supplied about 20% of India's demand; after anti-dumping duties lapsed in 2022, India swung into surplus.

The journey

1. 1 HydrogenFrom gas reforming or chlor-alkali plants
2. 2 HydrogenationAnthraquinone solution reduced over palladium
3. 3 OxidationAir releases peroxide, carrier recycled
4. 4 ExtractionWater pulls out 25-45% peroxide
5. 5 ConcentrationDistilled to 50, 60 or 70%
6. 6 End usePulp bleaching, propylene oxide, chip cleaning

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