Detailed Product Description:

An aromatic organic compound which is a type of phenol, with a chemical

structure that includes two hydroxyl groups bonded to a benzene ring in a

para position.  It is a white granular powder at room temperature and pressure,

soluble in water, alcohol and ether.  Combustible.

Grade/Purity:

This is Reagent grade material with a minimum purity of 99%.

Applications:

Hydroquinone has a variety of uses principally associated with its action as

a reducing agent which is soluble in water.  It is a major component in most

photographic developers where, with the compound metol, it reduces silver

halides to elemental silver.

In human medicine, hydroquinone is used as a topical application in skin

whitening to reduce the color of skin as it does not have the same predisposition

to cause dermatitis as metol does.  

As a polymerization inhibitor, hydroquinone prevents polymerization of

acrylic acid, methyl methacrylate, etc.  It is also used as a raw material of

herbicides, rubber antioxidants, and dyestuffs.

Natural Occurrences:

Hydroquinones are one of the two primary reagents in the defensive glands

of bombardier beetles, along with hydrogen peroxide (and perhaps other

chemicals, depending on the species), which collect in a reservoir.  The

reservoir opens through a muscle-controlled valve onto a thick-walled

reaction chamber. This chamber is lined with cells that secrete catalases

and peroxidases.  When the contents of the reservoir are forced into the reaction

chamber, the catalases and peroxidases rapidly break down the hydrogen peroxide

and catalyze the oxidation of the hydroquinones into p-quinones.  These reactions

release free oxygen and generate enough heat to bring the mixture to the boiling

point and vaporize about a fifth of it, producing a hot spray from the beetle's

abdomen.  

Precautions:

Danger!  Toxic.  May be fatal if swallowed.  May cause irritation to skin,

eyes, and respiratory tract.  Combustible.

Download, read, and understand MSDS before using this substance.

                Click here to download MSDS (Material Safety Data Sheet)

Packaging:

Contents of 200 grams comes packed in 250ml wide-mouth HDPE Nalgene bottle.