Laboratory Method for Obtaining Anhydrous Hydrogen Peroxide and Safety Rules for Handling It

Abstract

Hydrogen peroxide is a valuable reagent that is produced on an industrial scale. However, the concentration of commercially available H₂O₂ does not exceed 70 wt % and usually contains stabilizers that prevent the decomposition of aqueous solutions of H₂O₂ during storage and transportation. At the same time, there are processes and reactions that require small quantities of pure, anhydrous hydrogen peroxide. This paper describes a two-stage method for producing anhydrous hydrogen peroxide in the laboratory. Distillation of an aqueous solution of hydrogen peroxide in the first stage allows to obtain pure diluted H₂O₂. Subsequent distillation of water under vacuum allows to obtain highly concentrated or anhydrous H₂O₂ in quantities sufficient for laboratory use. This approach is safe only if certain rules are strictly followed when working with concentrated hydrogen peroxide.