Process for the production of water-free organic hydrogen peroxide

Abstract

The production of organic hydrogen peroxide solutions which are practically water-free until now has had the problem of either too high a water content of the solution or too great a loss of hydrogen peroxide through decomposition and passing over as distillate during the distillative drying. By selection of specific esters in combination with commensurately high pressures in the azeotropic removal of water, these disadvantages can be avoided. Extremely low water content solutions of hydrogen peroxide in high boiling solutions are produced by mixing hydrogen peroxide solutions in solvents whose azeotropic boiling point with water is below the boiling point of hydrogen peroxide with higher boiling solvents which form the highest azeotrope with water, whose boiling point is near or above the boiling point of hydrogen peroxide. Thereupon, the mixture is freed from both water and the lower boiling solvent. The mixture can be formed by an in situ method. Production of extremely low water containing solutions of hydrogen peroxide in high boiling solvents are produced by mixing hydrogen peroxide solutions in solvents whose azeotrope boiling point with water is below the boiling point of hydrogen peroxide with higher boiling solvents which form the highest azeotrope with water, whose boiling point is near or above the boiling point of hydrogen peroxide. Thereupon, the mixture is freed from both water and the lower boiling solvent. The above-mentioned mixture can also be produced by an in situ method.