Runaway reaction and thermal explosion evaluation of cumene hydroperoxide (CHP) in the oxidation process

•We analyzed thermal explosion and runaway reaction accidents of CHP in the oxidation plant.•Thermal hazard analyses of industrial CHP.•Heat generating rate and heat removal rate evaluation in the oxidation tower.•Loss prevention and control of CHP in the oxidation plant by the simulation model.

Cumene hydroperoxide (CHP) is manufactured by cumene mixed with oxygen or air in the oxidation tower and is an important chemical and hazardous material for dicumyl peroxide (DCPO) manufacturing process, acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene (ABS) process, and phenol and acetone producing plant. Seven serious thermal explosion accidents of CHP was discovered and analyzed in Taiwan. The study was focused on thermal runaway reaction accident prevention in the oxidation plant. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and vent sizing package 2 (VSP2) were applied to detect thermal behaviors and thermokinetics of CHP. Exothermic onset temperature (T0) of 30 mass% CHP was evaluated to be 134 °C. Reaction order (n) of CHP was predicted to be 0.5 using experimental data of VSP2 and a prediction model. In the case of 30 mass% CHP, the critical temperature (Tc) in the oxidation tower was simulated to be 117 °C.