Thermal hazard assessment of TMCH mixed with inorganic acids

Abstract

1,1-Bis(tert-butylperoxy)-3,3,5-trimethylcyclohexane (TMCH) is a typical peroxide with two peroxy groups that may runaway and/or explode due to mixing with inorganic acids, such as HCl, HNO3, H2SO4, or H3PO4. In this study, reactivities of TMCH mixed with the above inorganic acids were assessed by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). Furthermore, data obtained by DSC, such as exothermic onset temperature (T0), maximum temperature (Tmax), and heat of decomposition (ΔHd) could be employed to acquire thermal safety parameters. Moreover, thermal activity monitor III (TAM III) was employed to investigate the thermal hazards while storing or transporting TMCH and TMCH mixed with four types of commonly used inorganic acids, here as HCl, HNO3, H2SO4, or H3PO4 under isothermal conditions. Mixing TMCH with those inorganic acids resulted in higherΔHd except H3PO4, and mixing TMCH with HCl clearly decreased T0. Therefore, the phenomena of mixing those incompatible materials with TMCH can be concluded as the worst cases in terms of contamination hazards during storage and transportation of TMCH.