hydroquinone

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. Both catechol and hydroquinone have extremely wide application fields. Catechol is an important intermediate in manufacturing pesticides and medicines and can also be used to produce perfumes (piperonal), dyes, photosensitive materials, electroplating materials, special inks, antioxidants, fungicides, light stabilizers, anticorrosive agents and promoters. Hydroquinone is mainly used in manufacturing film developers, anthraquinone dyes, azo dyes, desulfurization co-solvents in making ammonia, rubber antioxidants, polymerization inhibitors, coatings stabilizer and gasoline. China is the leading producer of hydroquinone.