Project description
Reducing the concentration of and risks associated with hydrogen peroxide
Hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) at low concentrations is commonly used as an antiseptic for medicinal purposes and more recently for water treatment. As a weak acid with strong oxidising properties, it is also a powerful bleaching agent, mostly used for bleaching paper but also in tooth whitening and as a hair bleach. While diluted H2O2 is harmless, concentrated hydrogen peroxide is not; it is highly flammable and caustic to the skin and eyes. However, it is much more expensive to ship diluted H2O2 given the greatly increased volume. Now, the EU-funded Cu4Peroxide project is developing a business plan to take its innovative on-site method for low-concentration H2O2 synthesis to market. It will enable H2O2 production on-site where it is consumed for significantly less time, money and risk.
Objective
This proposal aims at determining the market value of hydrogen peroxide (HP) that is produced via our electrochemical methods that have been developed as part of the ERC-StG Cu4Energy project. HP is often shipped, stored and handled in very concentrated and therefore dangerous form, and used in a very diluted form in many products such as stain removers and disinfectants. Our method allows for production of HP in low and safe concentrations and in a continuous fashion and therefore allows production of HP as needed and at a small scale at the site where HP is consumed. By direct consumption of HP in the aqueous electrolyte solution wherein it is produced via our methods laborious and dangerous purification of HP as is necessary in the current industrial processes can be avoided.
Programme(s)
Funding Scheme
ERC-POC - Proof of Concept GrantHost institution
2311 EZ Leiden
Netherlands