Hydrogen Peroxide – Uses, Prices, and Production

This blog is the eighth in a series of blogs I plan to write providing use, price, and production data on high-use inorganic and organic chemicals.  Click here to see the first blog in this series and a list of chemicals to be featured.  This blog provides data on hydrogen peroxide.   The primary purpose of these blogs is to present estimates of recent price, production, and sales revenues for the chemicals.

Uses.  Uses of hydrogen peroxide include:

Ø  As an oxidizer;

Ø  As a bleaching agent;

Ø  As an antiseptic, disinfectant, and antimicrobial agent;

Ø  As a starting chemical in producing other chemicals;

Ø  As a surface conditioning agent; and

Ø  As a propellant.

Industries in which hydrogen peroxide are used include:

Ø  Aeronautics;

Ø  Agriculture;

Ø  Aquaculture;

Ø  Packaging;

Ø  Chemical Synthesis;

Ø  Cosmetics & Personal Care;

Ø  Electronics;

Ø  Environmental and Water Treatment;

Ø  Food Processing;

Ø  Health Care;

Ø  Mining;

Ø  Pulp & Paper (largest use);

Ø  Textile;

Ø  Oil & Gas; and

Ø  Laundry.

Uses of hydrogen peroxide are based on the unstable peroxide bond.

Prices.  Many grades of hydrogen peroxide are sold, and these grades vary greatly in price.   2019 Chinese prices found on the Internet for industrial grade hydrogen peroxide are in the $350 to $450 per metric ton (mt) range.   Prices for food grades are much higher, for example, as high as $3,000 per mt.

Production.  Internet sources suggest that approximately 5 million mt tons of hydrogen peroxide were produced globally in 2019.  And sources indicate that global revenues from hydrogen peroxide sales were about $4 billion.

Sources also suggest that as much as 50% of hydrogen peroxide is used in the pulp and paper industry.  Assuming that lower, industrial grade hydrogen peroxide is used in the pulp and paper industry, and that the average price of this hydrogen peroxide is $400 per mt (see prices above), then revenues generated by hydrogen peroxide sales to the pulp and paper industry can be calculated as follows:  50% of 5 million mt of hydrogen peroxide produced in 2019 times $400 per mt sold equals approximately $1 billion of revenues.

This leaves approximately $3 billion ($4 billion less $1billion) of revenues generated by higher price hydrogen peroxide.  The average price of these higher grades would need to be approximately $1,200 per mt ($3 billion remaining revenues divided by 2.5 million remaining metric tons sold in 2019) to account for $4 billion of hydrogen peroxide 2019 global sales.