Ammonium Persulfate

In the literature, it has been estimated that 20% of all persulfates are used in printed circuit manufacture. Ammonium Persulfate is used in the treatment of metal surfaces for the manufacturing of semiconductors, cleaning and etching of printed circuits, activation of copper and aluminum surfaces. The persulfate’s oxidation capability is used to micro etch and clean some printed circuit board substrates. Persulfates (Ammonium, Sodium, and Potassium salts) can be used as etchants for titanium, zinc, and nickel alloys.  Ammonium Persulfate and Sodium Persulfate are used prior to adhesive bonding or plating to clean and mill aluminium, brass, copper, and many other metal substrates. They are important oxidants in coating and plating processes. Also, persulfates are used to clean and activate charcoal and carbon before and after use of as absorbents.

Ammonium Persulfate is a strong oxidizing agent with many applications, including bleaching, etching, and polymer synthesis. Ammonium Persulfate is also used as a bleach activator - especially for cold bleaching in the textile industry and in hair bleaching formulations.  Ammonium Persulfate is an initiator for the emulsion or solution polymerization of acrylic monomers, vinyl acetate, vinyl chloride etc. and for the emulsion co-polymerization of styrene, acrylonitrile, and butadiene.

Other applications include chemical synthesis, disinfection, water treatment, waste gas treatment, paper (modification of starch, re-pulping particularly for cold bleaching).