Textile Bleaching
Inorganic peroxide derivatives
Hydrogen Peroxide forms perhydrates and peroxo compounds with alkali metal salts. The best known are sodium perborate (mono and tetrahydrate NaBO3.H20,NaBO3.4H2O) and sodium carbonate peroxyhydrate 2Na2CO3.3H2O2 which are used as ingredients of heavy duty washing powders. Inorganic peroxides of calcium, zinc, strontium, magnesium and barium are made by reaction of the metal hydroxide with Hydrogen Peroxide.
Epoxidation
Hydrogen Peroxide and peracids react with unsaturated compounds to produce epoxides. Amongst the commercially important products are epoxidised vegetable oils like soyabean, groundnut and rapeseed, which are used as stabilisers/plasticisers for PVC. Other products of industrial importance include α-olefin oxides and terpene oxides.
Hydroxylation
By selecting more vigorous reaction condition than required for epoxidation, α-olefins and unsaturated oils can be converted to diols. Hydroxylation of the aromatic nucleus is also possible and is used on an industrial scale to produce hydroquinone and catechol.