Feedback on “Chemistry Technobabble”
As I expected I might, I had a bit of push-back on my recent piece entitled “Chemistry Technobabble.” In particular, a reader asked, “Did you know there is enough H202 in the oceans in many places to use as a supply?”
Yes, but one can also say that there is 1.5 million tons of gold in our oceans. I.e., it’s there, but completely impractical to retrieve.
Most of the hydrogen peroxide produced in the industrialized world is made in large chemical plants, where methane, or natural gas, is used to provide a source of hydrogen, which is then reacted with oxygen in a catalytic process under high heat. I.e., it’s highly energy intensive.
