Could a really hot surface (~ 500 degrees F) cause hydrogen peroxide to break down the same way that ultraviolet light does?

Its boiling point is 150 °C or 302 °F so it would cause it to boil away to vapour pretty quickly.

Lightlyseared is correct, the cleaning effect HO is having on that oven is probably minimal since most of it would be evaporated instantly. Probably best to try cleaning it while its not heated up.

Also, HO is the only sanctioned cleaner?????? What idiot came up with that?

What kind of oven, self cleaning or micro-convection etc?

Wait, are you cleaning this oven when it’s at 500F? If so, sounds like you need to report Mr. Sanctioned to OSHA.

Sounds dangerous!

The boiling point that @Lightlyseared mentions is the boiling point of pure H2O2. Drugstore grade H2O2 is only 3% concentration, so the BP when it first hits the surface would be very close to the BP of water, 212 °F. As the water boils off, the concentration of H2O2 increases until what’s left is a very strong concentration of H2O2. The vapor produced when that boils off is potentially explosive.

It’s not the same kind of breakdown that happens with UV. With UV, the H2O2 decomposes into two hydroxyl radicals (OH) which are good at dissolving organic compounds. But the heat just produces the lovely explosive H2O2 vapor.

H2O2 is rocket fuel, heh heh!

@tedd It’s the regulatory tug-of-war that results from Goldielocksian complaints. “This chemical is too caustic!” “This one is too smelly!” “This one is not eco-friendly!” So, we have peroxide.

@Tropical_Willie Commercial-grade convection oven, self-cleaning in that you can fill it up with a water/oven cleaner solution that’ll get sprayed around by a whirligig on the floor. For reasons probably pertaining to the big ol’ pane of glass in the front, the system waits until the ovens are rather more cool than is useful.

@stratman37 You clean the ovens while they’re hot, before the gunk has a chance to harden. SOP, even at home. I usually start when the ovens have reached their maximum operational temperature. I have heat-resistant gloves and access to a face shield, so no worries there.

@thorninmud @RocketGuy There was quite a lot of vapor the last time that I had cleaning duty. Heh. Wait ‘till I tell the manager that we’re spraying rocket fuel into an Inferno 3000. The vapor just vents to the hood, and the ovens aren’t gas-tight anyway, but boy oh boy will I enjoy the look on his face!

The glass doors on the Hardt aren’t bomb proof. LOL

@Tropical_Willie Heh, not even close. I took one out once with the overflow from another oven. That shoved a bunch of greasy water onto the burner in the back, for an entertaining light show before I got to the gas cutoff switch.
You work with ovens too?

No but I watched them install one at the local Deli. Recognized the name.

I wouldn’t worry about the vapour too much. Hydrogen peroxide vapour from 30% H2O2 is commonly used to disinfect hospitals with out causing that many explosions.

Now if you were to mix the hydrogen peroxide with some acetone and an acid…that would be something to worry about.

@Lightlyseared Oh, I’m not worried. Just a bit miffed that, thanks to some eco-nazi, I need to physically scrape the baked-on crap off.
Incidentally, what kinds of proportions would a person need on the acid and acetone, and what, exactly, would the end result look like? And the vapor, just how flammable is it? Would a lighter suffice?
I ask because I believe that it is good for one to know the full potential of the tools at his disposal.

What the end result of mixing acteone and hydrogen peroxide looks like