Process Safety Evaluation of a Tungsten-Catalyzed Hydrogen Peroxide Epoxidation Resulting In a Runaway Laboratory Reaction

An investigation of a runaway chemical reaction in the laboratory highlighted the potential hazards of oxidation chemistry involving hydrogen peroxide in the presence of tungsten catalysts. Under the process conditions, a combination of a high adiabatic temperature rise, an unstable target molecule, and a potentially incompatible mixture of hydrogen peroxide and tungsten catalyst produced a reaction mixture capable of high rates of self-heating and self-pressurization. Under conditions of poor heat removal, a runaway chemical reaction and loss of containment resulted. Tungsten species can catalyze the decomposition of hydrogen peroxide at low onset temperatures. The safety aspects of this synthetic methodology must be thoroughly assessed prior to scale-up.