Analysis of differential scanning calorimetric data for reactive chemicals

Abstract

In this report, the results of 849 differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) experiments for 820 reactive chemicals are presented. Exothermic onset temperatures (To) and heats of decomposition (Q) for those chemicals were analyzed to see if it is possible to classify their hermal hazards by these two factors. The values of the two factors, which were widely and uniformly distributed, were independent of each other based on statistical considerations. We report that it is possible to classify and to predict the thermal hazards of reactive chemicals by two-dimensional representation in terms of To and Q. The reactive chemicals were classified into 28 types according to the functional groups in the molecules. The proportion of exothermically decomposed samples and the mean values of To and Q for each type of compound were determined, and it has become apparent that the functional groups affect thermal stability. The effects of sample cell type (pinhole cell and sealed cell) and cell material on DSC results are also discussed. © 1991.