Hydrogen Peroxide

The hydrogen peroxide is the simplest of peroxides. Its chemical formula is H2O2. At room temperature it is a colourless, viscous and with little stability, that can explode spontaneously, that is why it is never used pure but in aqueous solution with percentages that are never higher than 60%. In chemistry it is a strong oxiding reagent. In aqueous solution (5% maximum)it is used as a bleaching or to lighten hair, in even more diluted solution (3%) it is used to disinfect excoriations and wounds.
It is also used as a rocket propellant, both individually and as a comburent, where it is a safer alternative to be handled than hydrazine.

Concentrations
The "volumes" are the litres of gas oxygen that, in normal conditions, develop from one liter of the solution. The "volumes" of hydrogen peroxide are different from the concentrations in percentage, using these two different methods of measurement can sometimes create mistakes that is why there are algorithms that convert the concentration from percentage to volumes and vice versa.
Usually the suppliers for chemical analysis laboratories indicate the concentration of Hydrogen Peroxide in percentage, while the producers of domestic goods indicate the concentration in “volumes". The following table makes a comparison between the
two different methods of measurement:

Hydrogen Peroxide 3% corresponds to 10 volumes
Hydrogen Peroxide 3,6% corresponds to 12 volumes
Hydrogen Peroxide 10% corresponds to 50 volumes
Hydrogen Peroxide 30% corresponds to 110 volumes
Hydrogen Peroxide 40% corresponds to 130 volumes

Hydrogen Peroxide without water is a thick liquid with a smell that recalls nitric acid. Hydrogen Peroxide, in a more or less concentrated solution (commonly on market), is a colourless liquid. It decomposes liberating oxygen, slowly in the cold and rapidly in the heat; The solutions with high concentration can decompose instantly, exploding, because of a violent knock or because of motes, especially if containing impurities. Peculiar reactions of Hydrogen Peroxide are: it bleaches the solutions of potassium permanganate; it dyes iodinated starch water blue. Commercial Hydrogen peroxide can contain different impurity that depend on raw materials or containers used to prepare it, especially: sulphuric acid, hydrochloric acid, phosphoric acid, hydrofluoric acid, fluosilicic acid, oxalic acid, alumina, lime, barites, magnesia, alkali; traces of arsenic, iron, copper, lead, manganese. It can contain some of the above mentioned substances for conservative aim.

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