Incompatible effects of specific acids on the thermokinetics of 1,1-bis(tert-butylperoxy)-3,3,5-trimethylcyclohexane

1,1-Bis(tert-butylperoxy)-3,3,5-trimethylcyclohexane (TMCH), an industrial initiator and cross-linking agent comprising two active peroxy bonds, becomes unstable when specific acids—namely phosphoric acid (H3PO4), sulfuric acid (H2SO4), nitric acid (HNO3), or hydrochloric acid (HCl)—are added to it. The incompatible reactivity of TMCH with these specific acids was monitored through differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and thermal activity monitor III (TAM III). Thermophysical parameters, including exothermic onset temperature, decomposition heat, and peak temperature, were estimated through DSC dynamic testing to obtain the exothermic ranking. Isothermal testing was conducted using TAM III to estimate the thermokinetic parameters of the mixture of TMCH and a specific acid. A high reaction enthalpy was observed when TMCH was mixed with H2SO4, HNO3, or HCl due to the characteristic acid-catalyzed reactions. Furthermore, HCl initiated an earlier onset temperature for TMCH decomposition, and the mixtures of TMCH with HNO3 and HCl presented multiple thermal curves with complex exothermic peaks. In summary, the thermokinetic parameters and reaction models of TMCH with specific acids were evaluated to classify the runaway potential.