We developed technology of hydrogen peroxide by electrochemical method and opened up clear vistas that can be widely applied in many fields of the national economy in Faculty of Chemistry at
Most of hydrogen peroxide produced on an industrial scale has been using as bleaching agent for light industry products such as paper, fibre etc., in the world today, and its demand continues to increase. Hydrogen peroxide, however, has self-decomposition characteristics, so it is difficult to keep and transport. For its solution,"onside"method with which directly produces and uses hydrogen peroxide in workshop is focused and is becoming a global trends in its production and usage.
We studied to produce and use hydrogen peroxide with a novel and simple method based on cathodic reduction of oxygen on the gas diffusion type-oxygen electrode by our own efforts.
Making hydrogen peroxide by proposed electrochemical method is based on the production reaction of hydrogen peroxide ion taking place when electrolyzing alkaline aqueous solution by using the gas diffusion type-oxygen electrode as cathode, and metal with low oxygen overvoltage as anode:
Cathode : 2O2 ＋ 2H2 O ＋4e → 2HO2-＋ 2OH-
Anode : 4OH- → O2 ＋ 2H2 O ＋ 4e
Overall reaction : O2 ＋ 2OH- → 2HO2-
In this course, failure in supplying oxygen at cathode or accumulation of HO2-concentration can simultaneously cause the decomposition reaction of hydrogen peroxide as secondary reaction. Therefore, in order to increase the yield of hydrogen peroxide oxygen must be sufficiently supplied at cathode and a definite electrolysis condition must be ensured.
The hydrogen peroxide preparing device that we made on the basis of the theory and principle as above is composed of stainless steel plate as anode, the gas diffusion type-oxygen electrode as cathode, sodium hydroxide solution added additive as electrolyte, perforated polyvinyl chloride plate.
With this device, the hydrogen peroxide can be obtained more than 1.5% at room temperature. This H2O2 preparing device can be made and placed in a production site varying its size and number as they want according to its demand.
Now we have been intensifying our research to increase the concentration and the yield of hydrogen peroxide and to widely apply bleaching agent, disinfectant and the agent for preparing peroxide etc., on a larger scale.
