Thermal hazard analyses of organic peroxides and inorganic peroxides by calorimetric approaches

摘要

Organic peroxides (OPs) and inorganic peroxides (IPs) are usually employed as an initiator for polymerization, a source of free radicals, a hardener, and a linking agent in low density polyethylene (LDPE), polyvinyl chloride (PVC), controlled-rheology polypropylene (CR-PP), and styrene industries. Worldwide, due to their unstably reactive natures, OPs and IPs have caused many serious thermal explosions and runaway reaction incidents. This study was conducted to elucidate its essentially hazardous characteristics. To analyze the runaway behavior of OPs and IPs in the traditional process, thermokinetic parameters including heat of decomposition (ΔH _d), exothermic onset temperature (T _0), self-accelerating decomposition temperature (SADT), time to maximum rate (TMR), critical temperature (T _c), etc., were measured by calorimetric approaches involving differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), vent sizing package 2 (VSP2), and calculation method. Safety and health handling information of hazardous materials and toxic substances is noted in material safety data sheets (MSDS) and was applied to analyze in process safety management (PSM) in the chemical industries, but MSDS are not providing important handling indicators concerning the SADT, TMR, T _c, etc. In view of loss prevention, more useful indicators must be provided in the sheets or guide book.