There are many applications in industry and households where oxygen-containing bleaching agents and disinfectants are used. The products used there usually contain hydrogen peroxide as the main component, sometimes also peracetic acid as a far more effective component.
Hydrogen peroxide and peracetic acid are hazardous substances and dangerous goods with limited storage stability. Safe electrochemical production at the point of use from non-hazardous starting materials is advantageous.
To achieve this, a reactor is designed that can produce the necessary hazardous substances in situ. First, hydrogen peroxide is generated electrochemically by oxygen reduction using a gas diffusion electrode. The hydrogen peroxide can then be chemically converted to peracetic acid using a suitable activator.
Various cell modifications are being investigated to identify a suitable reactor. The evaluation of different cathode and anode materials as well as separators and membranes is carried out using electrochemical and physico-chemical characterization methods. The applicability of different electrolytes, activators and catalysts will also be investigated.