Safe Use of Hydrogen Peroxide

The basic hazardous properties and causes of incidents when working with hydrogen peroxide can be attributed to the following  

Concentration of hydrogen peroxide solution (% m/m) Isothermal volumes of hydrogen peroxide Adiabatic volumes of oxygen and steam Adiabatic decomposition temperature (°C) 

Hydrogen peroxide and peroxycarboxylic acids (RCO3H) are normally relatively stable, but as mentioned above they can be rendered unstable by a wide variety of contaminants, particularly at excessively high temperatures. Cleanliness, good housekeeping and proper storage are therefore essential. The major contaminants that cause decomposition are combustible organic materials (e.g. cotton, wool, paper) or metals, particularly transition metals and their salts (Table 1.7).50 Alcohol thermometers or stainless steel thermocouples 

Metal ion Amount added (ppm) Active oxygen lost in 24 h at 100 °Ca (%) 

Prior to using active oxygen compounds, the selection of solvents for experiments and for cleaning purposes should be considered carefully. A number of incidents have occurred in the past due to the use of acetone, a result of the formation of acetone peroxides, some of which are highly explosive and crystallize readily. For this reason, acetone or other low molecular weight ketones should never be employed as solvents for extraction or as cleaning agents. Chlorinated solvents, esters and alcohols can, however, be safely employed. 

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