Hydrogen Peroxide Market Dynamics

Hydrogen Peroxide plays a crucial role in the healthcare industry and is popular among consumers owing to its role as an antimicrobial and oxidizing agent. In the following blog, we will be overlooking the market overview for Hydrogen Peroxide.

Hydrogen Peroxide: Explained

Hydrogen peroxide (H₂ O₂) is a gentle antiseptic that is used to prevent skin infections caused by minor cuts, burns or scraps with a somewhat similar chemical formula to water (H₂O). It is a colourless liquid with an unpleasant bitter taste. It is not flammable but is a potent oxidising agent that causes spontaneous combustion when reacted with organic material.

It is widely used owing to its properties like being an oxidising agent with antiviral, disinfectant, and antibacterial activities. In a concentrated form, hydrogen peroxide is a highly reactive oxygen species. It can also be used as a mouthwash to eliminate mucus or relieve irritations. It works by emitting oxygen when applied to any area that is affected. The oxygen leads to foaming that gets rid of dead skin, cleaning the area.

Applications Of Hydrogen Peroxide

Hydrogen peroxide finds application as a disinfectant owing to its oxidizing properties. Commercially available, 3% hydrogen peroxide can be used to disinfect surfaces. In oral hygiene care, it is employed as a mouth rinse; however, its concentration has to be minimal. In skin-care applications, hydrogen peroxide is used to clean wounds. Due to its properties of disinfecting and bleaching, it can also be used as part of a skin-care routine. Also, since it is a cerumenolytic, earwax or cerumen can be dissolved using Hydrogen peroxide.

How To Produce Hydrogen Peroxide:

Hydrogen Peroxide Production from Anthraquinone: Hydrogen Peroxide is produced using the anthraquinone process. During the method, anthraquinone is commonly hydrogenated on a palladium catalyst to the corresponding anthrahydroquinone. The product that is hydrogenated gets autoxidized, and the atoms of hydrogen are transferred to oxygen, finally producing hydrogen peroxide and regenerating anthraquinone.

Key Market Players in The Hydrogen Peroxide Market:

• Solvay SA
• Evonik Industries AG
• Arkema
• Kemira Oyj

Hydrogen Peroxide Price Trend and Forecast Insights

North America

In the American market, Hydrogen Peroxide prices lowered at the beginning of the third quarter of 2022 as a result of the bearish market sentiment from the downstream paper and pulp industries. The rapid price drop for Hydrogen Peroxide was furthered on the back of the rise in natural gas production in the USA, which decreased the prices of upstream anthraquinone in the domestic market. There was an increase in prices during the latter half of the third quarter as a result of bullish demand from the paper and pulp industry. The elevated natural gas production in the domestic market failed to lower the prices of upstream anthraquinone because of the high rates of export to Europe.

APAC 

The Hydrogen Peroxide prices in the Chinese market dipped at the beginning of Q3 of 2022 as a result of unstable economic conditions along with feeble buying sentiments. The stable supply of natural gas from Russia eased the prices of upstream anthraquinone. The increase in prices during the final half of the third quarter was propelled by the rise in demand from downstream paper in the packaging sector. Hydrogen Peroxide’s price trend in Japan throughout the third quarter was equivalent to that of the Chinese market.

Europe 

Hydrogen Peroxide prices in the European market sank amid the initial half of Q3 of 2022. The demand within the paper and pulp industry displayed a weak sentiment in the European markets as a result of frail rates of operation led by high prices of energy in Europe. The European buying sentiments were poor as the demand for bleaching in industries was stunted as a result of poor run rates. During the last half of the third quarter, Hydrogen Peroxide prices rose due to the hike in demand for paper in the downstream packaging sector.

In conclusion, As per Procurement Resource, a team of experts that lead in assisting various industry experts in procuring several chemicals and other commodities, the Hydrogen Peroxide Market Dynamics covered in the blog indicate that the several factors influencing the prices of Hydrogen Peroxide are poor demand from the downstream paper and pulp industries, rise in natural gas production, which lowers the costs of anthraquinone in the domestic market, frail rates of operation led by high prices of energy.