In semiconductor manufacturing, acids and oxidants work together to deliver the precision modern devices require. In sulfuric–peroxide mixtures (SPM), hydrogen peroxide provides the oxidative power that strips away organic residues and polishes wafer surfaces. The challenge begins after cleaning is done. Once peroxide remains in solution, the mixture becomes chemically unstable—too reactive to reuse and too hazardous to ship.

That instability has made reuse impossible for decades. Fabs have been forced to neutralize, solidify, and haul valuable acid away simply because the oxidant wouldn’t cooperate. It’s a practical solution, but not a sustainable one.

Why SPM Reuse Has Been So Difficult

SPM is intentionally aggressive. That’s what makes it such an effective cleaning chemistry, and why it’s so hard to handle afterward. Even small amounts of residual peroxide continue reacting with trace metals and organic residues, releasing heat and gas that make long-term storage unsafe. The chemistry hasn’t failed; it’s just too active.

Conventional peroxide destruction methods can’t withstand this environment. Catalase breaks down in strong acid. Chemical reducers add new contaminants. Thermal methods require constant monitoring and introduce energy and safety concerns. The end result is the same: the peroxide is gone, but so is the acid’s value.

A New Way to Disarm Oxidants

The ARRO™ Program (Asset Recovery for Reuse or Offtake) approaches this challenge differently. Instead of neutralizing the entire mixture, ARRO™ uses a proprietary oxidant-removal media that remains stable even at negative pH. It selectively eliminates peroxide activity while leaving the underlying acid intact.

That means the acid doesn’t have to be wasted; it can be reused, re-blended, or safely transferred through verified ARRO offtake partners. In practice, the process looks simple: a reactive stream enters, peroxide is neutralized without additives, and the same high-strength sulfuric solution exits ready for reuse.

From Hazardous Waste to Reusable Chemistry

Once peroxide is removed and metals are recovered, the acid becomes a usable resource again. Some fabs feed it back into lower-spec cleaning steps like test-wafer processing. Others blend it with fresh acid to extend bath life. Where internal reuse isn’t practical, ARRO’s offtake network ensures the chemistry finds another purpose instead of a landfill.

Every reused liter delivers multiple gains, reduced chemical purchasing, lower hauling costs, and a measurable drop in CO₂ emissions tied to virgin acid production. What was once a high-risk waste stream becomes a predictable, circular input.

Why It Matters

SPM isn’t a small corner of fab operations; it’s one of the largest single contributors to chemical spend and waste volume. Recovering acids and removing oxidants at the source means:

• fewer drums leaving the facility,

• fewer raw-material deliveries, and

• a clearer path to Scope 3 emission reductions.

It’s also a cultural shift. For years, peroxide was treated as the barrier to reuse. ARRO™ proves it can be the unlock.

Reuse, Not Reaction

High-strength acids will always be essential to wafer cleaning, but their life doesn’t have to end after one cycle. By stabilizing oxidants instead of destroying everything around them, fabs can maintain process performance while cutting waste dramatically.

When oxidation stops being the reason you discard chemistry, it becomes the reason you can reuse it.

ARRO™ turns reactive waste into reusable acid, closing one of the most challenging loops in semiconductor manufacturing.