Method for producing hydrogen peroxide from hydrogen and oxygen

A process for preparing hydrogen peroxide by reaction of hydrogen and oxygen in the presence of a catalyst, under conditions at which the process will not become explosive, comprising the steps of:

• (a) establishing a continuous flow of aqueous reaction medium containing finely divided catalyst for the said reaction in an elongated reaction zone;
• (b) sparging from one to twenty moles of oxygen and one mole of hydrogen into said continuously flowing aqueous medium, said hydrogen and oxygen being sparged at points distanced from one another along the path of said continuous flow and thereby forming dispersed tiny bubbles of hydrogen and oxygen, respectively, in said aqueous medium;
• (c) maintaining
• (i) the linear flow rate of aqueous medium at at least 10 feet per second;
• (ii) the ratio of the flow of said aqueous medium to the aggregate flow of said gaseous hydrogen and oxygen at at least 25;
• and
• (iii) the reaction pressure, said conditions recited in (i), (ii) and (iii) being maintained at levels above those at which the process may become explosive;
• (d) introducing the said reaction medium into a gas-liquid separator and therein separating unreacted gases from the aqueous reaction medium containing hydrogen peroxide;
• and
• (e) recovering hydrogen peroxide from said aqueous medium.

A process for preparing hydrogen peroxide by reaction of hydrogen and oxygen in the presence of a catalyst, under conditions which are not explosive, comprising the steps of:

• (a) establishing a continuous flow of aqueous reaction medium containing finely divided catalyst for the said reaction in an elongated reaction zone;
• (b) sparging from one to twenty moles of oxygen and one mole of hydrogen into said continuously flowing aqueous medium, said hydrogen and oxygen being sparged at points distanced from one another along the path of said continuous flow and thereby forming dispersed tiny bubbles of hydrogen and oxygen, respectively, in said aqueous medium;
• (c) maintaining
• (i) the volumetric ratio of the flow of said aqueous medium to the aggregate flow of said gaseous hydrogen and oxygen at from 25 to 300;
• (ii) the linear flow rate of aqueous medium at least 10 feet per second;
• and
• (iii) the reaction pressure;
• at levels above that at which the process may become explosive;
• (d) introducing the reaction medium into a gas-liquid separator and therein separating unreacted gases from aqueous reaction medium containing hydrogen peroxide;
• and
• (e) recovering hydrogen peroxide from said aqueous medium.