Kinetic Analysis of the Runaway Reaction Using Diglyme As a Solvent (the T2 Incident)

A runaway reaction at the chemical preparation facility called T2 laboratories in Jacksonville, Florida on December 19, 2007 is analyzed.  The approached involved estimating kinetic parameters based on temperature time traces presented in the CSB final report for ARSST (Advance Reactive System Screening Tool) experiments.   Further, we estimated the pressure rise rate based on the moles of non-condensable gases generated during the event.  A two reaction sequence, as reported in the CSB report, worked well for the kinetic models developed.  The resultant differential equations describing the system’s temperature and pressure development were solved using a mathematical simulator called Polymath. The presentation will be used to discuss the methods used, and how to generalize these to analysis of exothermic reaction data from calorimetric instruments.