Reaction hazard analysis for cumene hydroperoxide with sodium hydroxide or sulfuric acid

Organic peroxides (OPs) are very susceptible to thermal sources, chemical pollutants or even mechanical shock. Over the years, they have caused many serious explosions. Cumene hydroperoxide (CHP) is widely employed to produce phenol and dicumyl peroxide (DCPO) in the manufacturing process. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and thermal activity monitor (TAM) were employed to determine the potential thermal hazards and thermokinetic parameters (such as exothermic onset temperature (T0), maximum temperature (Tmax), and enthalpy (ΔH)) of CHP mixed with sodium hydroxide (NaOH) and sulfuric acid (H2SO4). High performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) was used to analyze the concentration vs. time of CHP.When CHP is mixed with NaOH, the T0 is induced earlier and reactions become more intricate than the pure CHP solution. CHP added to NaOH or H2SO4 is more dangerous than pure CHP alone. Depending on the operating conditions, NaOH and H2SO4 are the incompatible chemicals for CHP.