Case study: Improving filtration performance in hydrogen peroxide production
Key Highlights
- Filtration is critical in hydrogen peroxide production for ensuring process stability, product quality, and equipment safety.
- The existing cartridge filters showed signs of swelling and deformation, raising concerns about long-term reliability and maintenance costs.
- Side-stream testing allowed for a risk-free, real-world comparison of filtration technologies, providing objective performance data.
- The new Cleanova cartridges delivered approximately 40% higher performance and maintained structural integrity throughout the trial.
- Validated filtration upgrades can reduce operational risks, extend service life, and lower total cost of ownership in chemical processing.
Reliable filtration performance is critical in hydrogen peroxide production, supporting process stability, product quality and operational safety at multiple stages of the process. When a major international specialty chemicals producer encountered ongoing issues with an established cartridge filtration system at one of its production facilities, the company called in Cleanova to identify and validate an alternative solution.
The resulting project demonstrates how a carefully managed filtration upgrade can deliver measurable performance improvements and reduce operational risk in a demanding chemical processing environment.
Why filtration is critical in hydrogen peroxide production
Hydrogen peroxide is an essential ingredient in many industrial applications, including pulp and paper, water treatment, chemical synthesis, mining and electronics manufacturing. More than six million tonnes are produced globally each year. The production process places huge demands on equipment such as filtration systems.
Filtration is used to remove particulate contamination from process streams, helping to protect equipment, maintain product quality and support safe, stable operation. It is also used to recover and recycle expensive catalysts. Because hydrogen peroxide is a highly reactive oxidizing chemical, filtration components must be manufactured of compatible materials and maintain their mechanical integrity under challenging operating conditions.
Depending on plant design and process requirements, cartridge filters are commonly used to provide inline purification. Filter integrity and mechanical stability are particularly important because any reduction in filtration effectiveness can affect operating reliability and increase maintenance requirements.
Existing cartridge performance created reliability concerns
The specialty chemicals manufacturer involved in this example operates multiple hydrogen peroxide production facilities across North and South America as well as Europe. At one site, engineers experienced ongoing issues with the incumbent cartridge filtration solution.
During operation, the cartridges exhibited signs of swelling and mechanical deformation under process conditions. While the existing system remained operational, these characteristics raised questions regarding long-term reliability, service life and overall cost of ownership. The operator wanted a filtration solution capable of delivering equivalent or improved filtration performance while providing greater mechanical robustness.
Because of the critical nature of the process, any proposed replacement needed to be validated under real operating conditions before being considered for implementation.
In hydrogen peroxide production, filtration performance is about more than efficient particle removal. Mechanical stability is equally important, because any deformation of the filter element can affect consistency, service life and operator confidence. The objective was to demonstrate that improved performance could be achieved without disrupting a critical production process.
Side-stream testing enabled objective filtration validation
Cleanova worked closely with the customer to develop a structured evaluation program that would enable direct comparison between the existing filtration technology and an alternative cartridge design. Rather than introducing risk to production operations, the trial was conducted in a controlled side stream, allowing both technologies to be assessed simultaneously under identical process conditions.
The objective was not only to demonstrate filtration efficiency but also to assess the complete operational performance of the cartridges under authentic process conditions.
Chemical producers need confidence that a filtration upgrade will deliver measurable benefits without compromising reliability. By conducting side-by-side testing in the customer's operating environment, Cleanova was able to generate objective performance data and eliminate any risk to production continuity.
Three-month trial demonstrated stronger cartridge performance
The trial produced clear results. Under stress conditions, the Cleanova cartridge solution delivered approximately 40% higher performance than the incumbent filtration technology. Equally significant was the mechanical behavior of the cartridges throughout the test period.
Inspection of the Cleanova elements revealed no evidence of swelling, deformation or loss of structural integrity. Performance remained stable throughout the evaluation period. By contrast, the incumbent cartridges displayed visible expansion and signs of mechanical instability during operation. These findings were verified through both operational performance data and joint inspection activities conducted by personnel from the production facility and Cleanova's technical team.
For the plant operator, the benefits extended beyond improved filtration performance. Mechanical deformation within cartridge systems can introduce uncertainty into maintenance planning and increase concerns regarding long-term reliability. By eliminating this failure mode, the upgraded solution offered the potential to improve process consistency and increase confidence in long-term operation.
Following successful completion of the validation program, the company approved full-scale implementation of the Cleanova filtration solution. The success of the installation at the trial site subsequently supported broader deployment across additional production capacity within the organization.
Filtration validation supports lower operating costs and reduced risk
The implications of this project extend beyond one facility or one producer. The validation approach delivered major improvements in filtration reliability, reduced the risk of cartridge-related performance issues and provided a pathway toward lower total cost of ownership through extended service life and reduced maintenance requirements.
At an industry level, this highlights the growing importance of application-specific filtration design within the chemical processing sector. As producers seek to improve efficiency, reliability and sustainability, filtration systems can no longer be viewed merely as consumables. They must be evaluated as process-critical assets capable of influencing overall plant performance.
Every chemical process presents its own operating challenges. The most successful filtration projects are those built around a detailed understanding of the application, supported by rigorous validation under real process conditions. This approach allows operators to make evidence-based decisions and minimize implementation risk.
Application-specific filtration design delivers broader value for chemical producers
For other hydrogen peroxide producers and chemical manufacturers, the case demonstrates the value of working with a filtration specialist who combines application expertise with structured performance testing. Rather than relying solely on established industry standards, operators can achieve meaningful improvements in reliability and operating economics by validating alternative filtration technologies against specific performance criteria.
From a cost-benefit perspective, the broader lesson for chemical producers is that filtration upgrades don’t just deliver marginal gains. When alternative technologies are rigorously validated against real process requirements, the resulting improvements can be substantial. Enhanced reliability, longer service life and significantly improved filtration performance can translate directly into lower operating costs, reduced process risk and stronger plant economics.
About the Author
Inês Ferreira
Inês Ferreira is Global Product Manager, Process Filtration at Cleanova. She is a chemical engineer specializing in process filtration technologies and industrial applications and works closely with customers and cross-functional teams worldwide to develop filtration solutions that improve process efficiency, product quality, equipment protection, and operational reliability. Her experience spans industries including chemicals, food and beverage, energy, manufacturing, and data center cooling, where effective filtration plays a critical role in performance and sustainability.
Inês holds a Bachelor's degree in Chemical Engineering and a Master's degree in Process, Environment and Energy from the University of Coimbra. She began her career in the electroplating industry, gaining hands-on experience in industrial manufacturing, process optimization, and operational performance improvement, expertise that continues to shape her understanding of customer processes and filtration requirements. In 2023, she joined Dollinger Filtration/Celeros Flow Technology as a process engineer, working across a variety of industrial applications and developing expertise in liquid filtration systems, process reliability, and application-driven filtration solutions.