Prediction of reactive hazards based on molecular structure.

There is considerable interest in prediction of reactive hazards based on chemical structure. Calorimetric measurements to determine reactivity can be resource consuming, so computational methods to predict reactivity hazards present an attractive option. This paper reviews some of the commonly employed theoretical hazard evaluation techniques, including the oxygen-balance method, ASTM CHETAH, and calculated adiabatic reaction temperature (CART). It also discusses the development of a study table to correlate and predict calorimetric properties of pure compounds. Quantitative structure-property relationships (QSPR) based on quantum mechanical calculations can be employed to correlate calorimetrically measured onset temperatures, T(o), and energies of reaction, -deltaH, with molecular properties. To test the feasibility of this approach, the QSPR technique is used to correlate differential scanning calorimeter (DSC) data, T(o) and -deltaH, with molecular properties for 19 nitro compounds.