More Sustainable Production with Peroxides

From healthy fish to white paper: Evonik’s products can help make conventional processes more sustainable in these sectors and industries.

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The range of applications for hydrogen peroxide, peracetic acid and persulfates is wide, because they are broad-spectrum chemicals and are particularly effective and resource-conserving to use.

Above all, however, they are sustainable chemicals that break down into harmless substances when they react, and therefore do not cause any harm to people or the environment when used correctly. This means that new applications, in which environmentally compatible peroxides are able to replace less sustainable chemicals, will continue to emerge in the future.

An Overview of the Most Important Sectors and Industries

Highly concentrated hydrogen peroxide, serving as an environmentally compatible rocket fuel, represents “Green Rocketry”.

Aerospace

Highly concentrated hydrogen peroxide, serving as an environmentally compatible rocket fuel, represents “Green Rocketry”. In the future, it will also help navigate satellites that provide valuable data for sustainable applications on Earth.

Hydrogen peroxide and peracetic acid keep beverage bottles and packaging free of bacteria.

Aseptic Packaging

Hydrogen peroxide and peracetic acid keep beverage bottles and packaging free of bacteria. The result of this treatment is safe comestibles that can be kept without refrigeration and that dispense with preservatives.

Hydrogen peroxide and peracetic acid are ideal as effective and environmentally compatible industrial oxidizing agents for replacing less environmentally compatible substances in chemical synthesis.

Chemical Synthesis

Given their strong reactivity, hydrogen peroxide and peracetic acid are ideal as effective and environmentally compatible industrial oxidizing agents for replacing less environmentally compatible substances in chemical synthesis, for example in the HPPO process.

Poultry Processing

Environmentally compatible products based on peracetic acid ensure food safety in this sector.

Hydrogen peroxide can be used to brighten pulp.

Pulp & Paper

Hydrogen peroxide and peracetic acid serving as organic bleaching agents and environmentally compatible biocides can be used very efficiently to brighten pulp and to remove printing ink during paper recycling. Wastewater pollution remains low.

Industrial laundries use peracetic acid to disinfect laundry efficiently, even at low temperatures.

Textile & Laundry

Washing bleaches containing hydrogen peroxide are increasingly being used as a substitute for alternative products in the treatment of textiles, because they do not affect dyes and are degradable without leaving harmful residues. Industrial laundries use environmentally compatible peracetic acid to disinfect laundry efficiently, even at low temperatures.

Agriculture

Hydrogen peroxide and peracetic acid are used here as powerful, biodegradable disinfectants and biocides, for example in modern, efficient drip irrigation in open fields.

Aquaculture

In fish and seafood farming, hydrogen peroxide and peracetic acid ensure, among other things, stable oxygen levels and reduced pathogen contamination in the water. This sustainably improves growth conditions and helps prevent diseases.

Cleaning & Sanitation

Hygiene has a high priority in private households and in industry. Hydrogen peroxide and peracetic acid disinfect a wide range of materials and surfaces thoroughly and without leaving harmful residues – be it in restaurants, laboratories, hospitals or in the kitchen at home.

Cosmetics & Personal Care

As high-purity hydrogen peroxide has bleaching properties and does not release any harmful substances during reaction, it is ideal for use in cosmetics to whiten hair and teeth.

Electronics

High-purity hydrogen peroxide is used as an effective and gentle oxidizing and cleaning agent for particularly sophisticated applications in semiconductor and electronics manufacturing.

Environmental Applications

In wastewater treatment, hydrogen peroxide and peracetic acid break down complex pollutant compounds, enabling biological treatment of wastewater. In soil remediation, the use of persulfates enables polluted soil to be decontaminated and become usable again.

Food Processing

Hydrogen peroxide is often used here to preserve or lighten food fibers, after which it degrades completely. Given its strong antimicrobial effect, peracetic acid is mainly used to remove bacteria and pathogens, such as salmonella and listeria, from food in an environmentally compatible way, thus making it safe for consumption.

Fruit & Vegetable Processing

Peracetic acid-based products are used here to remove bacteria and pathogens, such as salmonella and listeria, in an environmentally compatible way.

Mining

Hydrogen peroxide is used as a process agent in gold mining, for example, or in uranium mining to increase efficiency. In wastewater treatment, hydrogen peroxide removes any remaining cyanides. This ensures that no toxic waste products are released into the environment.

Oil & Gas

During drilling and fracturing operations, hydrogen peroxide and peracetic acid serve as oxidizing agents and effective biocides that do not pollute wastewater. Persulfates reduce the risk to the environment in oil sand processing and oil extraction.

Pharma & Health Care

From sterilization of surfaces and surgical equipment to wound disinfection: hydrogen peroxide and peracetic acid remove pathogens from sensitive surfaces without harming people or the environment.

Red Meat Processing

Various peroxide-based biodegradable products eliminate pathogenic bacteria during meat processing.

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