Bright Prospects in the Development
                 of Hydrogen Peroxide Downstream Products
                               By Guohua
Hydrogen  peroxide  is  an   important   inorganic   chemical   product
extensively used in chemical, textile, pharmaceutical,  paper- making,
mining, electronic, food and  building  sectors.   The  production  of
hydrogen peroxide has developed fast in China  in  the  recent  years.
There are nearly 70 producers with a capacity of 450 000  t/a  and  an
output of over 250 000 tons. It is expected  that  the  capacity  will
reach 760 000 t/a and the output will reach  560  000  tons  in  2000.
Hydrogen peroxide in China is mainly used in bleaching of textiles and
paper pulp, synthesis of chemical products and  treatment  of  wastes.
The consumption in bleaching of textiles and paper pulp  accounts  for
70% of the total (60% for bleaching of textiles and 10% for  bleaching
of paper pulp). The consumption in  production  of  chemical  products
only accounts for 23%, and there is  much  room  for  development  and
application. The development of hydrogen peroxide downstream  products
in China will have  bright  prospects.   The  article  gives  a  brief
introduction of these downstream products.
(1) sodium percarbonate
China started the production of sodium  percarbonate  in  1983.   Major
  producers  include  Reagent  Plant  of  Jilin   Chemical   Industrial
Corporation, Tianjin  Dongfang  Chemical  Plant,   Guangzhou  Zhujiang
Electrochemical Plant, Chongqing  Jialing  Chemical  Plant,   Zhejiang
Shangyu Inorganic Salt Chemical Plant and Jiangsu Dantu  No.   3  Fine
Chemical Plant. The total capacity is around 9 300 t/a. The product is
mainly used in the detergent sector. The demand is expected  to  reach
100 000 tons in 2000, and the development will therefore  have  bright
prospects.
(2) calcium peroxide
Calcium peroxide has extensive uses in agriculture, aquatic cultivation
and environmental protection. Major producers  include  Wuxi  Hongxing
Chemical Plant and Chongqing Jialing Chemical Plant.  The  product  is
mainly used as oxygen-providing agent in coastal high-density  aquatic
cultivation and antiseptic and self-cleaning agent in ponds.
(3) methyl ethyl ketone peroxide
Methyl ethyl ketone peroxide is  one  of  organic  peroxides  with  the
greatest consumption in the world. The product is especially  suitable
to be used in production lines of polyester button, artificial  agate,
glassfiber products and artificial marble. China started  small  batch
production in 1991, but the output  falls  far  short  of  the  market
demand and it is imperative to make development.
(4) hydrazine hydrate
The total capacity of hydrazine hydrate in China is around 17 000  t/a.
The briskness  of  the  shoe  industry  in  the  domestic  market  and
Southeast Asia has led to an increasing demand  of  hydrazine  hydrate
foaming agents. The demand  of  sodium  azide  for  automobile  safety
bladders is increasing fast. There is also demand  in  other  sectors.
The development  of  hydrazine  hydrate  will  therefore  have  bright
prospects.
(5) dimethyl sulfoxide
Major producers of dimethyl sulfoxide in China include  Panjin  Xinxing
Chemical Plant, Benxi Chemical & Mineral General Plant,   Shanxi  Yuci
Organic Chemical Plant and Dongya Chemical Plant of  Jiaozuo  Jiaodong
Mineral Bureau. The total output is 6 000 tons. The product is  mainly
used as solvent of fluorocholoraniline for norfloxacin and so on . The
domestic demand of  these  drugs  is  increasing  fast  and  both  the
capacity and output are expanding.   The  annual  demand  of  dimethyl
sulfoxide in this sector is expected to be around 6 000  tons  in  the
next few years. The product is also used as solvent in  extraction  of
  aromatics  and  synthesis  of   polyimide,     polysulfone   resins,
trifluoronitrobenzene and o- and  p- nitrofluorobenzene.   The  annual
demand in this sector will be 2 6000 tons. There  is  also  demand  in
other sectors. The annual demand is expected to reach 10 000  tons  in
the next few years and 12 000 tons in 2000.
(6) EHP
China has introduced several 300 000 t/a ethylene units in  the  recent
years. The demand of EHP is therefore increasing and the total  demand
can reach over 10 000 tons. There are only 4 producers in China with a
total capacity of less than 1 000 t/a. The great shortage  has  to  be
satisfied by imports.
(7) promoter CPB
It is a super promoter for natural rubber, reclaimed rubber,  butadiene
-styrene rubber, butadiene-styrene latex  and  butadiene- acrylonitrile
rubber. The product is mainly used  in  production  of  rubber  cloth,
rubber products for medical and surgical use,   rubber  shoes,   water
-proof cloth, self-curing rubber cement and latex products.   There  is
yet not production in China.
(8) percarbonic amide
The commercial production and application of percarbonic amide in China
is still at the initial stage, but the demand is more than 100 000 tons.
The development and application will therefore have bright  prospects.

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