Bright Prospects in the Development of Hydrogen Peroxide Downstream Products.

Hydrogen peroxide is an important inorganic chemical product extensively used in chemical, textile, pharmaceutical, paper-making, mining, electronic, food and building sectors. The production of hydrogen peroxide has developed fast in China in the recent years. There are nearly 70 producers with a capacity of 450 000 t/a and an output of over 250 000 tons. It is expected that the capacity will reach 760 000 t/ a and the output will reach 560 000 tons in 2000. Hydrogen peroxide in China is mainly used in bleaching of textiles and paper pulp, synthesis of chemical products and treatment of wastes. The consumption in bleaching of textiles and paper pulp accounts for 70% of the total (60% for bleaching of textiles and 10% for bleaching of paper pulp). The consumption in production of chemical products only accounts for 23%, and there is much room for development and application. The development of hydrogen peroxide downstream products in China will have bright prospects. The article gives a brief introduction of these downstream products.

(1) sodium percarbonate

China started the production of sodium percarbonate in 1983. Major producers include Reagent Plant of Jilin Chemical Industrial Corporation, Tianjin Dongfang Chemical Plant, Guangzhou Zhujiang Electrochemical Plant, Chongqing Jialing Chemical Plant, Zhejiang Shangyu Inorganic Salt Chemical Plant and Jiangsu Dantu No. 3 Fine Chemical Plant. The total capacity is around 9 300 t/a. The product is mainly used in the detergent sector. The demand is expected to reach 100 000 tons in 2000, and the development will therefore have bright prospects.

(2) calcium peroxide

Calcium peroxide has extensive uses in agriculture, aquatic cultivation and environmental protection. Major producers include Wuxi Hongxing Chemical Plant and Chongqing Jialing Chemical Plant. The product is mainly used as oxygen-providing agent in coastal high-density aquatic cultivation and antiseptic and self-cleaning agent in ponds.

(3) methyl ethyl ketone peroxide

Methyl ethyl ketone peroxide is one of organic peroxides with the greatest consumption in the world. The product is especially suitable to be used in production lines of polyester button, artificial agate, glassfiber products and artificial marble. China started small batch production in 1991, but the output falls far short of the market demand and it is imperative to make development.

(4) hydrazine hydrate

The total capacity of hydrazine hydrate in China is around 17 000 t/a. The briskness of the shoe industry in the domestic market and Southeast Asia has led to an increasing demand of hydrazine hydrate foaming agents. The demand of sodium azide for automobile safety bladders is increasing fast. There is also demand in other sectors. The development of hydrazine hydrate will therefore have bright prospects.

(5) dimethyl sulfoxide

Major producers of dimethyl sulfoxide in China include Panjin Xinxing Chemical Plant, Benxi Chemical & Mineral General Plant, Shanxi Yuci Organic Chemical Plant and Dongya Chemical Plant of Jiaozuo Jiaodong Mineral Bureau. The total output is 6 000 tons. The product is mainly used as solvent of fluorocholoraniline for norfloxacin and . The domestic demand of these two drugs is increasing fast and both the capacity and output are expanding. The annual demand of dimethyl sulfoxide in this sector is expected to be around 6 000 tons in the next few years. The product is also used as solvent in extraction of aromatics and synthesis of polyimide, polysulfone resins, trifluoronitrobenzene and o- and p- nitrofluorobenzene. The annual demand in this sector will be 2 6000 tons. There is also demand in other sectors. The annual demand is expected to reach 10 000 tons in the next few years and 12 000 tons in 2000.

(6) EHP

China has introduced several 300 000 t/a ethylene units in the recent years. The demand of EHP is therefore increasing and the total demand can reach over 10 000 tons. There are only 4 producers in China with a total capacity of less than 1 000 t/a. The great shortage has to be satisfied by imports.

(7) promoter CPB

It is a super promoter for natural rubber, reclaimed rubber, butadiene-styrene rubber, butadiene-styrene latex and butadiene-acrylonitrile rubber. The product is mainly used in production of rubber cloth, rubber products for medical and surgical use, rubber shoes, water-proof cloth, self-curing rubber cement and latex products. There is yet not production in China.

(8) percarbonic amide

The commercial production and application of percarbonic amide in China is still at the initial stage, but the demand is more than 100 000 tons. The development and application will therefore have bright prospects.