Reactive chemicals testing

Review of reactive chemicals test data for evidence of flamma-bihty charac teristics, exotherms, shock sensitivity, and other evidence of instability... 

Reactive chemicals test results (thermal stability, calorimetric, ARC, DSC)... 

Unique aspects of reactive hazards that should be examined during process hazard analysis (PHA), such as the need for reactive chemical test data, and methods to identify and evaluate worst case scenarios involving uncontrolled reactivity. 

There is no publicly available database to share reactive chemical test information. 

Surveyed companies share chemical data of a general nature for most chemicals (e.g., material safety data sheets [MSDS]) and good handling practices for some. However, detailed reactive chemical test data, such as thermal stability data-which can be valuable in identifying reactive hazards-are not typically shared. 

Suggested improvements for sharing reactive chemical test data, incident data, and lessons learned. 

Additionally, as discussed earlier, though several computerized tools and literature resources are available to identify reactive hazards, the surveyed companies generally do not use them. Also, they typically do not share detailed reactive chemical test data... 

The survey participants were asked about their reactivity testing programs. Three of five companies visited by CSB use expert opinion to examine the need for testing. Seven of nine use a mix of in-house and contracted testing capabilities. Two respondents rely on literature surv eys and expert opinion instead of chemical testing. Only two of 10 respondents to a recent SOCMA survey54 use reactive chemical test data to identify hazards. (SOCMA membership includes many small- and medium-sized companies.)... 

Although no dedicated data repository for reactive chemical test results is generally available to industry or the public, a substantial amount of test data have been generated by the chemical industry. One company visited by CSB had compiled a database of over 60,000 reactive chemical test results. Survey participants were asked if such data are shared with other companies. 

Currently, there is no mechanism to effectively share reactive chemical test data throughout industry. The feasibility of a publicly available test database has not yet been studied by industry or government. Reactive chemical experts at one company visited by CSB expressed an interest in working with the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) to develop such a database. 

Small sites generally have little/no capability in R D, process engineering, reactive chemical testing, and chemistry. 

The company has a full range of reactive chemical test equipment onsite. 

Reactive chemical testing is done at the corporate level. 

HarsNet maintains that reactive chemical testing and analysis is too complex for most small-and medium-sized companies because of the wide spectrum of processes and equipment involved. The project seeks to provide an industry guide for estimating the thermal hazard of a chemical synthesis without sophisticated testing and analysis. 

An important, safety-related role of research is reactive chemicals testing (4). At Dow, Research and Development has the responsibility of determining the potential hazards of chemicals and mixtures. (See further discussion in Ref. 3.)... 

Mixtures of solvents or of a solvent with a reactive material can also create troublesome situations. Generally, the MF for such mixtures should be obtained from reactive chemical testing data. However, if reactive chemical testing data is not available, a satisfactory approximation can be obtained by using the MF of the component with the highest MF value. 

A particularly troublesome mixture is the hybrid, a mixture of combustible dust and flammable gas which can form an explosive mixture in air. Dow requires that reactive chemical testing be employed to determine the proper MF in this unique situation. 

Because of the complexity of reactive chemicals testing, not all laboratories, are equipped or qualified to conduct the tests required. However, many Dow laboratories can perform several of the needed tests. The local Reactive Chemicals Committee identifies and arranges for needed testing. 

Reactive Chemicals Testing - The fundamental testing done by analytical laboratories to evaluate the compatibility and reactivity of chemicals in a variety of processing and handling conditions. 

All necessary Reactive Chemicals testing and engineering analysis have been completed and appropriately included in the operating discipline. 

TS D employees have a product stewardship responsibility for the products Dow manufactures and sells. As part of their stewardship activities they should obtain and communicate pertinent reactive chemicals hazard information to handlers and users of Dow products. They should also make sure that the MSDS sheets for their products reflect the current reactive chemicals test data. 

When possible, the team should be composed of experienced representatives from Research, Engineering, Production, Process Safety, Reactive Chemicals Testing or other appropriate functions. The responsibilities of the Large Site Reactive Chemicals Teams are to ... 

Define appropriate reactive chemicals testing results and reactive chemicals analysis templates for the technology as it applies to the individual plants. 

Review the reactive chemicals test data summaries for exotherms, shock sensitivity or other indicators of instability or energy release potential. 

To provide basic reactive chemicals hazard data, the following thermal considerations and test guidelines have been developed. The descriptions of tests are necessarily brief and incomplete. The owner should, therefore, consult their Reactive Chemicals Testing partner for details of the test, its significance and limitations, and for a detailed interpretation of the test results. 

For applicability and limitations of each test, consult the reactive chemicals testing supervisor or refer to the appropriate ASTM standards. In addition, ASTM E502 reviews the closed-cup methods and discusses potential problems with testing mixtures. 

Computerized Database - Existing data generated at our various reactive chemicals testing laboratories is stored in a computerized database and is available to all employees. The database (REACHEM) is on the Dow Intranet. Information on the database may be obtained by calling (517) 636-0927. 

Data on new or unknown chemicals or mixtures may be obtained by submitting a sample to the reactive chemicals testing group in your area. It is very important to realize that every test has its own interpretation due to test limitations and variations in test conditions. Therefore, a person knowledgeable about the tests should be consulted for interpretation of the test results. 

If an owner obtains new data from a reactive chemicals testing group or from a supplier, a copy should be forwarded to the appropriate Technology Center for its review and files. In addition, data generated on well-defined materials should be sent to CRI in Midland by the reactive chemicals testing groups. 

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