Development of a New Analytical Method for the Evaluation of Hazards from Slow Decomposition of Waste Streams and Process Solutions

摘要

A wide variety of liquid streams are generated as part of the process research andrndevelopment effort. Frequently these streams are drummed off, either as intermediates that mustrnbe held for processing or as wastes that must be sent off-site for disposal. The generation of noncondensiblerngas pressure is a hazard for this drum storage. Drum bulging would render therncontainer untransportable, and potential drum rupture is a safety and environmental risk.rnBecause of the long reaction times and low concentrations often involved, currentrnthermoanalytical techniques were inadequate to detect the potential of streams to generate gas. Arncustom-made apparatus, the Gas Evolution Test Cell (GETC), a tool developed in the MerckrnResearch Laboratories to measure the gas generation potential of various streams under preciselyrndefined conditions, is the key innovation for the development of a quantitative gas-generationrntest method.rnThe test method has several attractive features: it is quick and easy to set up, it measuresrnpressure generation rates of less than 0.5 psi/day, the data can easily be applied to real-worldrnsituations, and it can handle a wide variety of solutions.rnThis paper will discuss the background that led to the development of the GETC, itsrnconstruction and use, validation, and some examples of the GETC's use to support a highthroughputrnengineering research operation at Merck.