Reactive extraction for preparation of hydrogen peroxide under pressure

The preparation of hydrogen peroxide from anthrahydroquinone by reactive extraction was investigated. The integration process of oxidation of anthrahydroquinone by air and extraction of hydrogen peroxide from the organic phase with water was carried out in a sieve plate column under pressure. The conversion of anthrahydroquinone increased with increasing pressure resulting in an increase of hydrogen peroxide concentration in the aqueous phase. However, no change in extraction efficiency of hydrogen peroxide was observed. A mathematical model for gas-liquid-liquid reactive extraction was established. In themodel, the effects of pressure and gas superficial velocity on reaction were considered.With increasing gas superficial velocity, the conversion of anthrahydroquinone increased, and the fraction of hydrogen peroxide extracted reached a plateau with a maximum of 72.94%. However, both the conversion of anthrahydroquinone and the fraction of hydrogen peroxide extracted decreased with increasing organic phase superficial velocity. © Higher Education Press and Springer-Verlag GmbH 2008.