Intrinsic Hazards Assessment: Chemical Reactivity Hazards Assessment for Nitration Processes and Nitrochemicals Handling

摘要

Nitrochemicals made from the nitration of organic or inorganic molecules are highly reactive chemicals used for producing a variety of commercial products worldwide. However, the potential for over-nitration and the inadvertent or unexpected decomposition can pose very high chemical reactivity hazards. Such reactions are exothermic leading to generation of heat that can accelerate the reaction causing a rapid temperature and pressure increase in a vessel. A detailed chemical reactivity hazard assessment should include the estimation and/or measurement of several parameters such as the heat of reaction, adiabatic temperature rise, maximum self-heat rate, exothermic onset temperature and oxygen balance. A systematic approach used for assessing chemical reactivity hazards in a nitrochemicals plant and implementation of safe designs is presented in this paper.