Thermal hazard assessment on hydroperoxides-examples on cumene hydroperoxide

Distributed Multimedia Information System Laboratory School of Computer Science, Florida International University Miami, FL 33199, USA Abstract Since the nineteenth century, the chemical process industries have developed rapidly not only in terms of degree of complexity and throughput, but also in potential hazards. Such hazards exist when chemicals undergo decomposition, polymerization or other unexpected runaway reactions in various processes. A variety of methods of hazard assessment are used to understand the various possible unexpected reactions in preliminary design stages. These methods include establishing the safety index, reaction hazard index, and safety parameter and assessment procedure, respectively. What is needed is a convenient and cost-effective method for hazard assessment in the process industries. Various factors dictate the accuracy of these methods, such as physical properties of active chemicals, reaction types and thermokinetic parameters. The aim of this study is to introduce and compare some assessment methods with specific examples on Cumene Hydroperoxide, and to elucidate the effects of reaction types and thermokinetic parameters via simulation. The ultimate goal is to develop more useful and practicable methods for hazard assessment for reactively unstable chemicals so that a proactive disaster prevention program can be adequately established.