Hydrogen peroxide

Hydrogen peroxide is a chemical compound with the formula H₂O₂. In its pure form, it is a very pale blue, clear liquid, slightly more viscous than water. It is used as an oxidizer, bleaching agent, and antiseptic. Concentrated hydrogen peroxide has also been used as a propellant in rocketry.

Hydrogen peroxide is unstable and slowly decomposes in the presence of light. Because of its instability, it is typically stored with a stabilizer in a weakly acidic solution. Hydrogen peroxide is found in biological systems including the human body.

Hydrogen peroxide is a powerful, environmentally friendly industrial oxidant, which (in contrast to other common oxidizing agents) produces only water as a by-product. Hydrogen peroxide is primarily used for bleaching paper and textiles, in chemical synthesis, and is increasingly being used to treat industrial waste.