White needle shaped crystals. Easy to dissolve in alcohols and ethers, soluble in water, and slightly soluble in benzene. It easily turns light red when exposed to light in the air. An aqueous solution can oxidize and turn brown in air. Flammable when exposed to open flames or high heat. Can react with strong oxidants. Under high heat decomposition, toxic gases are released. Hydroquinone is a weak acid. Reacts with most oxidants to convert into ortho benzoquinone and para benzoquinone. Hydroquinone has a There are three crystal forms, β and γ. Type A is a triangular needle shaped or diamond shaped crystal that crystallizes from water and is stable. The Lu type is a triangular crystal that crystallizes from methanol and is unstable. The gamma type is a monoclinic crystal obtained by sublimation method and is unstable. All three types of crystals can emit fluorescence through friction.
In the field of water treatment, adding hydroquinone to the hot and cooling water of a closed-loop heating and cooling system can have a corrosion inhibition effect on the metal on the water side. Hydroquinone is used as a deoxygenation agent for boiler water. It is added to the preheated deoxygenation of boiler water to remove residual dissolved oxygen.