Hazard identification thermal stability

Thermochemical hazards are only one of many types of potential hazards in chemical processes, but they are of special concern because they are not easily identified and assessed. Even after it is determined that a potential thermal hazard exists, it must be decided whether that hazard can be avoided, controlled, or accepted. Identification of thermochemical hazards becomes even more of a problem when the exact composition of the material being handled, such as a distillation residue, is unknown, or when seemingly unimportant factors, such as catalytic amounts of impurities in starting materials, play an important part in the thermal stability of the process material. 

Additionally, under the Europa Environmental Directive 96/82/EC called Saveso II Directive" on the control of major accident hazard involving dangerous substances, information on dangerous substances is inventoried. Of the several interesting literature databases, a process chemist would find the literature references from www.rxeforum.com very useful for the kinetic models and calorimetric data for product development and validation very useful while considering the thermal stability of the reactions. The article The Identification of Decomposition Products in as Industrial Nitration Process under Thermal Runaway Conditions " would have been very useful in developing the direct nitration process. 

---