Evaluation of the hazard of heat generation by oxidation of materials using a differential-type adiabatic calorimeter

Abstract

The rapid evaluation of the hazard of heat generation by oxidation of materials using a differentialtype adiabatic calorimeter (DAC) was investigated, assessing oleic acid and polyethylene glycol samples of various masses. The same samples were analyzed using an accelerating rate calorimeter and a high-sensitivity calorimeter (C80), for comparison purposes. The kinetic parameters of the exothermic reactions were determined from the C80 data, and the associated exothermic behaviors of the samples were compared with those observed using the DAC. Oleic acid exhibited self-heating at lower temperatures compared with polyethylene glycol according to each measurement method. Thus, the comparative risk of heat generation of chemical materials by oxidation may be evaluated using a DAC. The DAC technique allows the prediction of exothermic behavior based on a single measurement performed over the course of a single day. Thus, the assessment of autoxidation exothermic behaviors using a DAC may be applied to allow rapid screening of the hazard of heat generation induced by oxidation of chemical substances.