Sciencemadness Discussion Board

H2O2 Quick Question

jharmon12 - 5-4-2013 at 06:08

Hi Group. Just a quick question today. I found that a local store sells 27% Pool and Spa grade hydrogen peroxide for $17/gal. However, it is called "Stabilized Hydrogen Peroxide". Does this affect its ability to oxidize compounds such as hexamine or acetone, among others? In addition, does this "stabilization package" have any affect on its use in general chemistry for other hydrogen peroxide applications?

Thanks!

Adas - 5-4-2013 at 06:19

Quote: Originally posted by jharmon12  
Hi Group. Just a quick question today. I found that a local store sells 27% Pool and Spa grade hydrogen peroxide for $17/gal. However, it is called "Stabilized Hydrogen Peroxide". Does this affect its ability to oxidize compounds such as hexamine or acetone, among others? In addition, does this "stabilization package" have any affect on its use in general chemistry for other hydrogen peroxide applications?

Thanks!


No. For most uses, this is perfect.

jharmon12 - 5-4-2013 at 07:05

That is what I thought. Thank you so much, Adas!

As a side note, does anyone out there know what these "stabilizers" are and why they are even in the product? Is it contaminated, the same way denatured ethanol alcohol is, so you can't use it as "food grade", and are forced to have to pay a higher price for the food grade variety (which is usually about 35%)?

I tried reading up on the stabilizers and there was no explanation I could find out there in Googleland.

Joel

[Edited on 5-4-2013 by jharmon12]

hissingnoise - 5-4-2013 at 07:19

Phenol, tin, colloidal stannate, organophosphonates, acetanilide and nitrate have all been used as H2O2 stabilisers!

jharmon12 - 5-4-2013 at 07:54

That is quite a variety of material they use! But really, what does it stabilize? The material will still turn your skin white and it will still oxidize metals and other chemicals, "stabilized" or not.

Joel

Mailinmypocket - 5-4-2013 at 08:45

Quote: Originally posted by jharmon12  
That is quite a variety of material they use! But really, what does it stabilize? The material will still turn your skin white and it will still oxidize metals and other chemicals, "stabilized" or not.

Joel


Peroxide slowly decomposes over time,releasing oxygen and leaving you with water. Stabilizers slow or prevent(?) this process in the case of H2O2. Refrigerating your peroxide is another way of slowing the decomposition, I need to store my food grade variety like this as it contains no stabilizers. I must say though that my small bottle I keep out of the fridge for use never pressurizes and does not seem to have lost a noticeable amount of concentration in the last 6 months, I haven't titrated it in a long time though.

jharmon12 - 5-4-2013 at 08:51

Makes sense. If I bought this material, I was planning on keeping it in the fridge, anyway. There are warnings against freezing it. I am not sure why, but it is not recommended.

Thanks,

Joel

Adas - 5-4-2013 at 08:58

My H2O2 is stabilized with benzoic acid and tetrapotassium diphosphate.

chemcam - 5-4-2013 at 11:20

Quote: Originally posted by jharmon12  
There are warnings against freezing it. I am not sure why, but it is not recommended.


Freezing it is one way to further concentrate the H2O2, although, it does not work very well, at least in my experience.

vmelkon - 16-4-2013 at 07:31

As for the stabilizers,
I saw a bottle of H2O2 3% at a pharmacy (Walmart) that says non-medical ingredients, stabilizer, sodium phosphate (perhaps Na3PO4), sodium stannate (not sure which one).