Thermal Hazards Evaluation on the Manufacturing of LPO by DSC for Environment Protection in Material Engineering and its Application

Lauroyl chloride is synthesized by the reaction of phosphorus trichloride and lauroyl acid. It is, in turn, oxidized by a toluene solution of hydrogen peroxide and sodium peroxide to manufacture lauroyl peroxide (LPO). As a retrospective case, a cleaning drum exploded during transfer of the toluene layer including LPO to the filter after separation of the aqueous phase. It is speculated that plant managers did not fully apprehend the hazardous decomposition of LPO, or could not make operators understand it. This study investigated the reaction hazards in the manufacturing process to forestall explosion in the manufacturing of LPO by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and TSS model simulations.