RAPID SCREENING OF EXOTHERMIC REACTION HAZARDS

摘要

The disadvantage with traditional methods for experimental thermal screening has been mat in order to keep the testing cost to a minimum, an important requirement since large numbers of samples are assessed, differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), is widely used. This is known to have many limitations but its widespread use continues - largely due to the lack of a credible alternative. This paper will present a discussion of these issues, with examples, and will also describe a new development, the Thermal Screening Unit (TS~U), as a potential solution to the problem. The thermal screening unit is an instrument specially designed for the fast and efficient hazard screening of liquids, solids and heterogeneous systems. The unit provides an alternative device to DSC and DTA for use in hazard assessment and provides information regarding reaction "onset temperatures," rates of temperature rise as well as crucial information regarding me rates and magnitudes of pressure rise in chemical systems. Typical data from the unit is presented together with case studies and a comparison to differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) data. Methods for preliminary quantitative analysis of reaction heat and kinetics using TS" data will also be included.