Safe process development from reaction hazards testing

A thorough, in-depth understanding of the reactive nature of chemical proce ssing operations is the first step to accomplishing the reduction of risks of these operations to a tolerable level. This understanding may be obtaine d through a laboratory evaluation using recognized and accepted process saf ety testing technologies as well as the conventional process hazards analys is. A systematic process safety testing program characterizes the reactive nature of both the desired and undesired chemistry. These data are needed t o define the critical limits of temperature, pressure, power output, concen tration, and dosing rates of processes involving reactive chemicals. The mi nimum basic data are the variation of energy (or power), temperature and pr essure as a function of time, and reaction mass composition. The realistic use of these data requires an understanding of both the limitations of some laboratory data for scale-up and acceptable safety margins for industrial size operations. This paper will briefly review the current regulatory envi ronment for chemical process safety, describe the integration of various ca lorimetric test techniques, and illustrate the use of data from isothermal differential scanning, and adiabatic calorimetry for improving process safe ty. An example, taken from the investigation of an accident involving the r eaction between an amine and chlorine-substituted derivative. demonstrates the use of calorimetric data in understanding the origin and progress of th e accident. Suggestions for how to improve process safety, based on the cal orimetric information are also presented. (C) 2001 Published by Elsevier Sc ience B.V.