Thermal Decomposition Behavior and Thermal Hazard of Benzoyl Peroxide under Different Environmental Conditions

Thermal decomposition characteristics of benzoyl peroxide (BPO) were preliminary studied by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), microcalorimeter (C600) and high-pressure calorimeter (DSC 204 HP). DSC and C600 were used to research the effect of thermal history on the thermal decomposition characteristics of BPO. The time to maximum rate under adiabatic conditions (TMRad) and the self-accelerating decomposition temperature (SADT) were calculated by combining with the thermal equilibrium equation. The results reveal that the initial decomposition temperature, the highest decomposition temperature and the decomposition completion temperature of BPO increased with the increase of heating rate. The mass scale and thermal history have significant effects on its thermal decomposition. The apparent activation energy of the BPO was calculated by the Kissinger method to be 146.8 kJ mol(-1), the apparent activation energy calculated by Friedman method presents that BPO has different apparent activation energy at different stages of the reaction. T-D2, T-D4, T-D8 and T-D24 were gained to be 83.5, 80.2, 77.0 and 72.2 degrees C, respectively. With the increase of the packing quality, the SADT gradually decreased, resulting in a further increased in the risk. To prevent accidents, the initial temperature of BPO should be well governed and massive storage should be avoided.