Thermal decomposition analysis of 1,1-bis(tert-butylperoxy)cyclohexane with sulfuric acid contaminants

Abstract

Owing to the thermally unstable 1,1-bis(tert-butylperoxy)cyclohexane (BTBPC) having two active O–O peroxide group, it is a thermal instability material. It is usually used as an initiator in radical polymerization. This study focused on the runaway reactions of BTBPC alone and mixed with various concentrations of sulfuric acid (H2SO4) (1.0, 2.0, 4.0, and 8.0 N). The essential thermal stability kinetic parameters, such as exothermic onset temperature (To), peak temperature (Tp), apparent activation energy (Ea), heat of decomposition (ΔHd), and rate constant (k), were evaluated by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) at the heating rate of 4.0 °C min−1 between 30.0 and 300.0 °C. A kinetics-based curve fitting method was employed to assess the thermal stability kinetic parameters and possible reaction scheme. H2SO4 appears to inhibit the decomposition reaction of BTBPC, especially when BTBPC is mixed with 8.0 N H2SO4.