GB1056122A - Production of hydrogen peroxide and perborates - Google Patents

Abstract

H2O2 is produced by the reaction of H2 and O2 in an aqueous medium containing boric acid and in the presence of a solid catalyst. One or more additional acids may be present, e.g. sulphuric, hydrochloric, nitric, hydrofluoric, hydrobromic, orthophosphoric, or sulphonic acids or one or more boric acid derivatives of polyhydric alcohols. A second acid radical chosen from sulphate, nitrate, fluoride, chloride, bromide, cyanide, cyanate, thio-cyanate or phosphate may also be present and may be as the acid present as the additional acid. An H2O2 stabilizer as defined in Specification 1,056,121 may be present, e.g. a salt of a condensed phosphoric acid having a polymerization number up to about 14. There may also be present an oxygen-containing organic compound, e.g. an alcohol, aldehyde, ketone, ether, ester, amide, oxygen-containing amine or carboxyl acid having a solubility of at least 1% in an amount such as to form a single liquid phase. The solid catalysts are at least one element from Groups 1 or 8 as described in Specification 1,041,045 or as described in Specification 1,056,125, i.e. a palladium salt of an isopoly or heteropoly acid. An unreactive diluent gas may be present and the source of oxygen may then be air. The reaction may be carried out at atmospheric pressure, but pressures up to 50 atmospheres each of hydrogen and oxygen, for example, may be used. 20 DEG C. is a convenient temperature, but lower temperatures, e.g. 0 DEG to - 20 DEG C. may be used. Either batch or continuous process may be used. The H2O2 may be used to prepare perborates, e.g. of sodium by adding sufficient of a borate, e.g. borax and/or boric acid and an alkaline substance to react with the H2O2 present.