Hydrogen peroxide is a widely used oxidiser in industrial effluent treatment because it decomposes to water and oxygen, leaving no persistent residue. That clean breakdown is its main advantage over chlorine based alternatives, and it is why treatment plants across the UAE keep it on site.

What it is used for

Common duties include oxidising sulphides to control odour and corrosion in sewer networks, reducing chemical oxygen demand in industrial wastewater, destroying residual organics, oxidising iron and manganese to filterable forms, and controlling biological fouling in cooling systems and pipework.

What governs the dose

Dose is driven by the oxidisable load, not by flow alone. The starting point is stoichiometry: how much peroxide is required to oxidise the target species present, calculated from laboratory analysis of the effluent. Real dosing then adds a margin for competing reactions, since other oxidisable material in the stream consumes peroxide too.

Contact time matters as much as concentration. Oxidation is not instantaneous, and an undersized contact tank produces apparent underdosing that more chemical will not fix. pH shifts reaction rates, and some applications add catalysts, iron salts in Fenton type processes for example, to generate more aggressive hydroxyl radicals for stubborn organics. Temperature accelerates reaction but also accelerates decomposition, so hotter is not automatically better.

Practical controls

Jar test before committing to a continuous dose rate; effluent composition varies more than plant operators expect. Dose into a well mixed point rather than a dead leg. Monitor residual and adjust rather than running a fixed rate against a variable load. And handle the chemical according to its classification: 60 percent peroxide is a Class 5.1 oxidiser under UN 2014 requiring vented packaging, compatible materials and strict segregation, all covered in our storage guide.

Materials of construction

Dosing lines, pumps and tanks must be peroxide compatible. Suitable materials include high purity aluminium, passivated stainless steel and appropriate polyethylene. Mild steel, copper alloys and many elastomers catalyse decomposition and must be avoided throughout the dosing train.

MENA Industrial Supplies supplies hydrogen peroxide 60 percent with SDS and certificate of analysis, DG compliant delivery across the UAE.