Uses of hydrogen peroxide

Different concentrations of hydrogen peroxide have different applications.

Typically, low concentration hydrogen peroxide (such as 3 percent) is primarily used for sterilization and external medical purposes such as wound disinfection. The best ratio for blood testing is 6-percent hydrogen peroxide plus 0,005-percent methylene blue. Due to the easy dissolution of hydrogen peroxide, mixing hydrogen peroxide (called accelerated hydrogen peroxide or AHP) with interfacial activators can not only improve sterilization efficiency, but also be used as a cleaning agent with germicidal effectiveness.

Higher concentrations (more than 10 percent) are used as a bleach and deodorant in the textile, leather, paper and wood industries. Hydrogen peroxide is also included in hair dyes, and is also used as a material for the synthesis of organic raw materials (catechin), pharmaceuticals, metal surface treatments, polymerization initiators, etc. It can also be used as rocket fuel.