Urea peroxide CAS No. 124-43-6

Uses and Applications

Medical and Personal Care

• Dental Bleaching: Active ingredient in tooth whitening agents (typically 10-35% concentrations)

• Earwax Removal: 5-6.5% otic solutions to soften, loosen and remove excessive earwax (e.g., Debrox, Murine)

• Oral Wound Healing: Treatment for oral mucosal injuries

• Topical Anti-infective: Disinfectant for minor wounds and skin infections

• Cosmetics: Oxidizing agent in hair bleaching, permanent wave oxidation, and hair relaxing products

Agricultural and Environmental Applications

• Soil Remediation:

  • Alleviating continuous cropping obstacles: BC-UP (biochar-urea peroxide) composite degrades phenolic acids in soil, improving growth of medicinal plants like patchouli and ginseng

  • Reducing arsenic contamination in rice: Alternative nitrogen source that inhibits arsenic reduction and methylation

  • Pesticide residue degradation: Degrades glyphosate with half-life reduced to ~12 days

  • Volatile organic compound control: With iron-loaded bentonite, degrades trichloroethylene and controls vapor emissions

• Biomass Pretreatment: KOH-UHP-Si combined pretreatment significantly increases cellulose content in lignocellulose to 81.4%, removes 97.3% lignin, and increases glucose yield by 9-fold

Industrial Applications

• Textile and Paper Industry: Mild bleaching agent for cotton, linen, wool, and paper whitening

• Organic Synthesis: Mild oxidizing agent for epoxidation and other reactions

• Coal Desulfurization: Microwave-assisted removal of organic sulfur from coal

• Plastics Manufacturing: Used in production of certain plastics

• Blueprint Development and Starch Modification: Historical uses

Household and Commercial Products

• Earwax removal kits and drops

• Tooth whitening kits and gels

• Topical disinfectants

• Landscaping/yard products

Chemical and Physical Properties

Physicochemical Properties

• Chemical Formula: CH₆N₂O₃ (CO(NH₂)₂·H₂O₂)

• Molecular Weight: 94.07 g/mol

• Appearance: White crystalline solid or paste-like semisolid, odorless

• Melting Point: 75-85°C (decomposes)

• Solubility: Highly water soluble (≥500 g/L)

• Density: 0.8 g/cm³ (less dense than water)

• Stability: Stable at room temperature, decomposes when moistened or heated

• Autoignition Temperature: >680°F (>360°C)

Structural Characteristics

• Hydrogen-bonded adduct of urea and hydrogen peroxide

• Crystal structure: Space group P nca, unit cell parameters a=6.7317Å, b=4.8207Å, c=12.873Å

• Four molecules per unit cell, Z'=0.5

• Crystallography Open Database (COD) Number: 2106955

Computed Properties

• Hydrogen Bond Donor Count: 4

• Hydrogen Bond Acceptor Count: 3

• Rotatable Bond Count: 0

• Topological Polar Surface Area: 110 Ų

• Complexity: 29

• Covalently-Bonded Unit Count: 2

• Exact Mass: 94.03784206 Da

Safety and Handling

Hazard Classification (GHS)

• Pictograms: Oxidizer, Corrosive, Irritant

• Signal Word: Danger

• Hazard Statements:

  • H272: May intensify fire; oxidizer

  • H314: Causes severe skin burns and eye damage

  • H315: Causes skin irritation

  • H318: Causes serious eye damage

• Precautionary Statements: P210, P220, P260, P264, P280, etc.

Physical Hazards

• Oxidizer: May intensify fire, combustible when heated or in contact with organic substances

• Thermal Decomposition: Melts and decomposes when heated, releasing oxygen and ammonia

• Explosion Hazard: Containers may explode when heated; serious explosion hazard from shock or heat

• Reactivity: Strong oxidizing agent; liable to spontaneous combustion with organic materials

Health Hazards

• Inhalation: Dust causes irritation of nose from hydrogen peroxide formed when heated

• Eye Contact: Causes severe damage, potentially corneal damage

• Skin Contact: Moist skin contact causes temporary itching or burning sensation; may cause skin blistering

• Ingestion: Causes irritation of mouth and stomach

• Specific Effects: Dermatotoxin (skin burns), toxic pneumonitis

Emergency Response

• Fire Fighting: Use water only; do not use dry chemicals or foams

• Small Spills: Place material into clean, dry container with clean shovel

• Large Spills: Dike far ahead of liquid spill for later disposal

• Isolation Distance: 50 meters for liquids, 25 meters for solids

• First Aid: Flush eyes/skin with water for 20-30 minutes; do not induce vomiting if ingested

Personal Protective Equipment

• Rubber gloves and protective goggles

• Positive pressure self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA)

• Chemical protective clothing

• Structural firefighters' protective clothing for thermal protection

Storage Requirements

• Store in sealed containers

• Protect from light and moisture

• Keep in cool, dry place

• Separate from organic materials and combustibles

Regulatory Approvals

• United States: FDA-approved OTC drug ingredient, UN Number 1511 (Oxidizer), DOT Hazard Class 5.1

• European Union: REACH registered (EC Number 204-701-4), active status

• Australia: Listed on AICIS inventory

• New Zealand: HSNO approved with controls (HSR001360)

• Japan: NITE GHS classification available

Environmental Considerations

• Decomposition products: urea, oxygen, and water

• May form irritating ammonia gas during combustion

• Runoff from fire control may cause environmental contamination

• Considered for various environmental applications including soil remediation

Product Documents

• Safety Data Sheet (SDS)
• Certificate of Analysis
• Product Brochure
• Technical Data Sheet