Analysis, modelling and simulation of hydrogen peroxide ultrapurification by multistage reverse osmosis

Very high purity chemicals are required for preparation of semiconductor materials and manufacture of printed circuit boards because low presence of metallic impurities is needed to avoid defects on silicon surface. Hydrogen peroxide is one of the most demanded chemical by the semiconductor industry and it must be submitted to ultrapurification processes to achieve the exigent requirements the chemical must fulfill to be accepted for semiconductor uses. In this paper, the potential of multistage reverse osmosis processes to reduce the metallic content of technical grade hydrogen peroxide below the limits fixed by the semiconductor industry is investigated. SEMI Grade 1 quality hydrogen peroxide was obtained by a two-pass reverse osmosis process in an experimental lab scale. A model based on xedem-xatchalsky transport equations together with system material balances was proposed to describe the behavior of the installation. A full analysis of the influence of the design (recovery rates) and operation (applied pressures) variables over the performance of a simulated industrial scale plant was carried out. The economic viability of the simulated plant was demonstrated. (C) 2011 The Institution of Chemical Engineers. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.