Practical approach to prediction and prevention of runaway reactions

Abstract

A chemical reaction that becomes uncontrollable and escapes may cause a major event involving people, property and the surrounding area. Temperature runaway can be observed as a result of accidents such as overcharging, cooling water failure, pipe obstruction, and excessive initial heating. They can devise various techniques to avoid temperature runaway as a result of events, as well as advise on operational and technical improvements to the process to make it more robust to component failures and accidents. Exothermic methods used in the chemical industry have the potential to cause runaway reactions, resulting in fatalities and damage to infrastructure. Traditional approaches to prevention and prediction of runaway reactions are costly and unsuited to Ministry of Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises (MSME) units. Consequently, we often see incidents in MSME units caused by runway reactions. To reduce such mishaps, a no-cost theoretical prediction system and convenient preventative strategies are recommended.