Hydrogen Peroxide Direct Synthesis: Enhancement of Selectivity and Production with non-Conventional Methods

The present work is part of a comprehensive study on the direct synthesis of hydrogen peroxide in different fields, from chemistry to chemical engineering. Working on the different fields of the direct synthesis gave the possibility to look at the results and the challenges from different viewpoints. Here was investigated one parameter that enhances the direct synthesis. The H-2/Pd ratio is the key parameter that has to be investigated and optimize to enhance the hydrogen peroxide direct synthesis. Two reactors were built to study deeply the H-2/Pd ratio and to demonstrate how this parameter can affect the direct synthesis both in batch and continuous reactor with non-conventional experiments/methods. 1) A batch reactor was utilized as a "starving reactor" to enhance the productivity of hydrogen peroxide and to try to keep constant the selectivity. The starving method consists in refilling the hydrogen when it is consumed in the reactor. 2) A trickle bed reactor was utilized with a gradient of catalyst along the reactor to maximize both production and selectivity of hydrogen peroxide. The distribution of the catalyst along the bed gave the possibility to significantly improve the selectivity and the production of hydrogen peroxide (up to 0.5% in selected conditions). Higher production rate and selectivity were found when the catalyst concentration decreases along the bed from the top to the bottom compared to the uniformly dispersed catalyst. Selectivity in the batch reactor was enhanced by 5% and in the continuous reactor of 10%. The non-conventional experimental methods have been found to be novelty concepts to enhance the hydrogen peroxide direct synthesis.