Nanocomposite Catalytic Membrane for Reagentless Hydrogen Peroxide Production

78488S Hydrogen peroxide is an important disinfectant, oxidizer, and bleaching agent for water treatment, chemical, and industrial processes. Commercial hydrogen peroxide production is dominated by the ¿anthraquinone¿ auto oxidation process. This multi-step, chemical and energy intensive reaction process provides large, concentrated volumes of product for $0.70¿$0.80 per pound, or 10 times the cost of chlorine bleach. Turn-key electrolytic processes can produce hydrogen peroxide at comparable prices, but are limited to much lower product concentrations due to inherent limitations in electrocatalytic selectivity. This project will develop a nanocomposite catalytic membrane technology that combines a reagentless ¿green¿ hydrogen peroxide production process with a low energy turn-key process. The new technology is anticipated to enable hydrogen peroxide production directly from hydrogen and oxygen in a single-step, at a cost comparable to chlorine bleach. During Phase I, a new family of oxidatively stable thin film composite nanofiltration membranes will be fabricated and impregnated with catalytic nanoparticles, using established in situ methods. Membrane morphology, thickness, catalyst loading, and nanoparticle size will be determined. Hydrogen peroxide production performance will be evaluated using a membrane reactor. The best candidate membranes and processing methods will be fully developed and demonstrated in Phase II. Commercial Applications and Other Benefits as described by the awardee: The nanocomposite catalytic membranes should allow hydrogen peroxide to be produced at much lower cost with little chemical consumption or waste. The primary use of hydrogen peroxide is in the paper and textile industries, accounting for almost half the annual global consumption of nearly 8 billion pounds. Other uses are in wastewater treatment, disinfection of sanitary process equipment, hydrometallurgical processes, propulsion and power, and water sterilization. Also, hydrogen peroxide is the environmentally desirable replacement for chlorine.