Thermal Decomposition Analysis and Safety Study on Di-tert-butyl Peroxide

Di-tert-butyl peroxide (DTBP) is widely used as modifier, cross-linking agent and polymerization initiator in industry although it is a reactive and exothermically unstable peroxide. So far, available thermal analyses were most based on DTBP in diluents. Thermal activities of pure DTBP (97% purity) were studied in this paper, and as a contrast, 20% mass concentration DTBP in toluene was also investigated. Thermal analysis apparatus, thermal screening unit (TSu) and accelerating rate calorimeter (ARC), were employed to supply basic thermodynamic and kinetic parameters such as detectable exothermic onset temperature T0, heat of decomposition Q, maximum temperature rise rate (dT×dt-1)max, maximum pressure rise rate (dP × dt-1)max, activation energy E, and frequency factor A, etc. On the basis of thermal study, it was demonstrated that toluene was not a good diluent for DTBP and pure DTBP was more danger compared to DTBP in diluents.