Sciencemadness Discussion Board
Not logged in [Login ]
Go To Bottom

Printable Version  
Author: Subject: What is the proper way to store hydrogen peroxide?
LD5050
Hazard to Others
***




Posts: 182
Registered: 16-1-2017
Member Is Offline

Mood: No Mood

[*] posted on 5-5-2017 at 19:25
What is the proper way to store hydrogen peroxide?


I recently bought some 40 volume hydrogen peroxide from the hair salon supply store. I concentrated it by slowly evaporating off the water on my hot plate. I found that it's concentration is around 70 percent. The ingredients labeled on the back were hydrogen peroxide and phosphoric acid. I want to know how I should properly and safely store this now higher concentrated H2O2.
View user's profile View All Posts By User
JJay
International Hazard
*****




Posts: 3440
Registered: 15-10-2015
Member Is Offline


[*] posted on 5-5-2017 at 21:32


You don't want to store that stuff for very long. I'd probably put it in a very clean glass-stoppered bottle with the stopper placed loosely in the neck.



View user's profile View All Posts By User
LD5050
Hazard to Others
***




Posts: 182
Registered: 16-1-2017
Member Is Offline

Mood: No Mood

[*] posted on 6-5-2017 at 11:09


Right now I have it stored in a small very clean amber bottle with a screw on cap with threads wrapped in teflon tape. I also keep it in my lab fridge. Its pretty simple to make it just takes a long time so if I can safely keep it for a while I would like to. How long would I be able to store it like this before it develops into something dangerous?
View user's profile View All Posts By User
gdflp
Super Moderator
*******




Posts: 1320
Registered: 14-2-2014
Location: NY, USA
Member Is Offline

Mood: Staring at code

[*] posted on 6-5-2017 at 11:24


What tests have you done to indicate that you have 70% H<sub>2</sub>O<sub>2</sub>? I'm rather skeptical that you were able to concentrate it that easily.



View user's profile View All Posts By User
phlogiston
International Hazard
*****




Posts: 1375
Registered: 26-4-2008
Location: Neon Thorium Erbium Lanthanum Neodymium Sulphur
Member Is Offline

Mood: pyrophoric

[*] posted on 6-5-2017 at 14:00


Commercial 35% hydrogen peroxide comes in a black plastic bottles that have a special vent in the lid.
Adding a small amount of acid, minimising contaminants as much as possible (especially metals) and keeping it cold help to prolong its life, but it can't be stored indefinitely.




-----
"If a rocket goes up, who cares where it comes down, that's not my concern said Wernher von Braun" - Tom Lehrer
View user's profile View All Posts By User
macckone
International Hazard
*****




Posts: 2159
Registered: 1-3-2013
Location: Over a mile high
Member Is Offline

Mood: Electrical

[*] posted on 6-5-2017 at 20:01


Freeze it. The colder the better.
It is relatively stable when frozen.
View user's profile View All Posts By User
LD5050
Hazard to Others
***




Posts: 182
Registered: 16-1-2017
Member Is Offline

Mood: No Mood

[*] posted on 7-5-2017 at 16:12




I'm glad you asked. I'm not 100% sure of concentration but this is how I got a rough idea of it.

To determine the approx. concentration I filled a 100ml graduated cylinder full of water and placed it upside down in a beaker of water. I put a small tube into the Grad. cylinder and attached the other end of the tube to a rubber stopper and fitted into a test tube loaded with .5ml of H2O2 and a few mg of mangenese dioxide. When I mixed the two inside of the test tube it gave off O2 and the water level in the grad cylinder went to about 10 ml above the 100ml mark.

So .5ml H2O2 gave off around 110ml of O2. If 40 volume (12%) H2O2 gives off 40 ml of O2 per 1ml of H2O2 and my 1ml H2O2 gave off 220ml O2 (.5ml=110ml multiply by 2 =220) That means I have around 66% Hydrogen Peroxide (220/40=5.5 multiply by 12=66%)

I performed this process a few times and got the same results every time.

[Edited on 5-8-2017 by LD5050]
View user's profile View All Posts By User
MrHomeScientist
International Hazard
*****




Posts: 1806
Registered: 24-10-2010
Location: Flerovium
Member Is Offline

Mood: No Mood

[*] posted on 15-5-2017 at 06:09


Another way to find the concentration of hydrogen peroxide is to measure the density. Then you can use this handy calculator to determine concentration. I've done your method and the calculator, and they come out reasonably the same.
The 'captured gas' method is difficult to do accurately because of gas pressure in the system and the size of the bubbles coming out of the tube leading to the measurement cylinder. If the tube is too large, the gas has to build up a bit before it releases a bubble. I have access to a very accurate scale and volumetric flasks, so for me that method is better.
View user's profile Visit user's homepage View All Posts By User

  Go To Top