Explosion incidents associated with comprehensive studies on methyl ethyl ketone peroxide under thermal decomposition: A review

This review gathered and discussed the available results on the thermal hazards, thermal kinetics, decomposition mechanism, autocatalytic behavior, thermal explosion, deflagration ability, and incompatibility hazards associated with the thermal decomposition of methyl ethyl ketone peroxide (MEKPO). The present review constructed a diagram showing all activation energy E_a and log A values for the thermal decomposition of MEKPO. Some disagreement exists in the values of E_a and log A (unit: s⁻¹ M¹⁻ⁿ) derived from differential scanning calorimetry; thus, more extensive studies must be conducted to resolve disputes. Nearly no literature exists on the thermal explosion and deflagration ability of MEKPO, and the reactions of MEKPO with incompatible contaminants remain unclear. Concerning the complex decomposition mechanism of MEKPO, experimental determination and identifications of intermediates have not been obtained. Available technology must be improved to enable the collection of accurate data on thermal hazards, thermal kinetics, decomposition mechanisms, explosion and deflagration phenomena, autocatalytic behavior, and incompatibility. This review has integrated an up-to-date summary of the most recent approaches and offers perspectives regarding future research. These current findings can serve as a reference for completing subsequent experimental investigations, theoretical studies, and designs of inherently safer measures for producing or handling MEKPO.