Identificaiton of potential thermal runaways using small scale thermal analytical techniques

With industry's focus on the early identification of potential thermal runaways in chemical processes, it is important that these potential thermal hazards be identified early in a process' development. Thermal runaways can be initiated in several ways: through an uncontrolled heat of reaction, the initiation of an exothermic decomposition/oxidation, or a combination of these two. It is therefore critical that information on exothermic decomposition/oxidation and heat of reaction be easily obtainable using small scale laboratory reactions.A small scale thermal hazards identification program, using process samples from a 200 ml reaction and small scale thermal analytical techniques, identifies potential thermal runaways rapidly. The small scale thermal hazards identification program utilizes three small scale thermal analytical techniques developed at the Merck Research Laboratories. These include the use of specially designed DSC reusable metal crucibles to identify closed system exothermic activity in process samples, the Small Scale Isothermal Age Technique to accurately determine exothermic onset temperatures and Syringe Injection calorimetry to determine heat of reactions which occur at room temperature.