Product Overview
Hydrogen Peroxide 5% ACS Grade is a dilute aqueous oxidizer supplied as a colorless liquid with a slightly sharp odor. At five percent concentration by weight, it delivers controlled oxidizing activity suited to laboratory analysis, bench-scale reactions, and light industrial processes where a higher-strength peroxide would be unnecessary or harder to handle safely.
This product is designated ACS Grade — a procurement distinction that signals it was sourced to a tighter purity specification than a corresponding technical-grade product. Buyers in analytical labs, QC departments, and research facilities commonly request ACS Grade reagents when background impurities could interfere with results.
Alliance Chemical offers this solution in sizes from 1-quart bottles through 330-gallon totes, covering everything from a single bench run to a full-scale process feed. SDS documentation, a Technical Data Sheet, and lot-specific Certificates of Analysis are available for every order.
Why This Concentration
Five percent hydrogen peroxide sits at the low end of the industrial concentration ladder. That is exactly the point: it is mild enough for routine laboratory work — titrations, sample preparation, glassware cleaning — without the decomposition energy and PPE burden that come with higher strengths. For many analytical procedures, 5% is a working concentration you can pipette directly rather than diluting a more concentrated stock and introducing a measurement step.
If your process demands stronger oxidizing action, consider Hydrogen Peroxide 10% ACS Grade or Hydrogen Peroxide 25% ACS Grade. For applications where ACS-level purity is not required — general cleaning, non-analytical water treatment, or facility maintenance — Hydrogen Peroxide 5% Technical Grade offers the same concentration at a lower price point. Buyers stepping down in strength for rinse or dilution work may also look at Hydrogen Peroxide 3% Technical Grade.
The trade-off is straightforward: lower concentration means gentler handling and a simpler hazard profile, but also slower reaction kinetics and more volume consumed per mole of active oxygen delivered. Choose the strength that matches your process, not the strongest one on the shelf.
Chemical Profile
Hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂, molecular weight 34.015, CAS 7722-84-1) at 5% w/w in water presents as a colorless liquid with a slightly sharp odor. The solution has a density of 1.02 at 20 °C, making it only marginally denser than water. It is fully miscible — solubility is reported at greater than or equal to 100 mg/mL at 72 °F. Vapor pressure is low at 1 mmHg at 59.5 °F, so evaporative losses under normal storage conditions are minimal. The liquid form is stable when stored properly, though hydrogen peroxide will decompose over time if exposed to heat, light, or catalytic contaminants such as metal ions or organic residues.
Industrial Applications
Hydrogen peroxide at this concentration serves several distinct roles across laboratory and industrial settings:
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Oxidizing agent in chemical manufacturing — H₂O₂ donates oxygen in controlled oxidation reactions. At 5%, it provides a moderate oxidation potential useful for bench-scale synthesis, sample digestion, and reactions where a slow, steady oxygen release is preferred over a vigorous one.
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Analytical reagent — Laboratories use 5% hydrogen peroxide in titrations, colorimetric assays, and ICP sample preparation. The ACS Grade designation matters here because trace-level impurities in a lower-grade reagent can bias analytical results.
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Bleaching agent in textile processing — Dilute peroxide bleaches cellulose-based fibers and paper pulp by breaking chromophore bonds. Five percent is a common working strength for small-batch or specialty textile runs where aggressive bleaching would damage the substrate.
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Water treatment — Municipal and industrial water systems use hydrogen peroxide to oxidize dissolved iron, manganese, hydrogen sulfide, and organic contaminants. At 5%, it can be metered directly into a treatment train without a secondary dilution system.
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Laboratory glassware cleaning — Peroxide solutions break down organic residues on glass and stainless-steel surfaces. Combined with an acid in a piranha-type cleaning protocol, 5% H₂O₂ provides the oxidizing component at a manageable reaction rate.
Handling & Storage
Hydrogen Peroxide 5% ACS Grade carries a GHS signal word of Warning and the hazard statement H319: Causes serious eye irritation (per the product's GHS classification). At this concentration, the primary personnel risk is eye and mucous-membrane irritation on contact.
PPE: Wear chemical splash goggles and nitrile or rubber gloves when handling. A lab coat or chemical-resistant apron protects clothing and skin. In poorly ventilated spaces, work under a fume hood or ensure mechanical ventilation.
Incompatibilities: Keep hydrogen peroxide away from reducing agents, organic materials, metals (especially copper, iron, and manganese), and strong alkalis. These catalyze decomposition, generating oxygen gas and heat. Never return used or contaminated peroxide to the original container.
Storage: Store in original HDPE or compatible glass containers in a cool, dry, well-ventilated area out of direct sunlight. Containers should be vented or fitted with pressure-relief caps, since even dilute peroxide slowly generates oxygen gas. Inspect containers periodically for bulging. Keep away from flammable materials and heat sources.
Hazmat & Shipping
Hydrogen Peroxide at 5% concentration is not assigned a UN number, hazard class, or packing group under the DOT Hazardous Materials Table (per 49 CFR 172.101). At this dilution, the product falls below the regulatory threshold for classification as a hazardous material for transport.
Note that the absence of a DOT hazmat classification applies strictly to the transport regulatory category. Carrier-specific policies, surcharges, and routing decisions are set independently by each carrier and may vary.
Shipping guidance on this page has been reviewed by Andre Taki, DOT Hazmat Specialist.
Documentation
A Safety Data Sheet ships with every order and is available in English, Spanish, French, and Japanese. A Technical Data Sheet is also on file for this product. Lot-specific Certificates of Analysis are available, documenting the actual assay and impurity profile of the batch you receive — request one at checkout or contact our team.
Why Buy from Alliance Chemical
This product is available to order in sizes from a single quart to a 330-gallon tote, with SDS, TDS, and lot-specific COA documentation available for every shipment — because a lab purchasing a reagent-grade oxidizer needs traceability, not just a jug.
Alliance Chemical has served over 55,000 customers since 1998, operating under USDOT registration #2188383. Most in-stock orders ship in 1–2 business days from our warehouse at 204 S Edmond St, Taylor, Texas 76574.
