Decomposition of concentrated hydrogen peroxide on silver II. High temperature decomposition

Abstract

The heterogeneous decomposition of 90% hydrogen peroxide (HP) on silver has been investigated as a function of bulk solution temperature, silver surface temperature, and pressure. An abrupt transition between a region of lower rate of decomposition and one of higher rate occurs; the transition is strongly influenced by the rate of decomposition at low temperature. At high temperature the decomposition of 90% HP is rate-limited by heat transfer. At constant bulk solution temperature, the silver surface temperature and the HP decomposition rate increase with increasing pressure in the manner expected for a heat-transfer-limited process. At constant pressure with increasing bulk solution temperature, the silver surface temperature slowly increases while the HP decomposition rate and the silver loss rate slowly decrease.