NSF Award
9361731
9361731 Anderson This Small Business Innovation Research Proposal (SBIR) Phase I proposal is in the general area of electrochemical synthesis. The objective of the research is to replace hypochlorite with ecologically-compatible hydrogen peroxide prepared on site. Presently the only available on-site technology is the electrochemical production of caustic (pH 14) peroxide. The high pH and high costs associated with the use of sodium hydroxide limits the environmental applications of peroxide prepare in this way. In this feasibility study, an on-site peroxide generator requiring no reagents other than water and power will be developed based on an electrochemical technique employing anion exchange membranes. The cathodic reduction of oxygen to peroxide in base is highly efficient. The incorporation of anion exchange membranes in a fuel cell arrangement will utilize this chemistry but will eliminate the necessity for free flowing caustic, producing only neutral peroxide. %%% The availability of low cost, on-site generated neutral hydrogen peroxide would find immediate applications in municipal water purification, bioremediation, and waste disposal and have an favorable environmental impact in the various applications where environmentally hazardous oxidizers are currently used. ***
