DETERMINATION OF THE HEAT OF FORMATION OF ALKYL GLYCID ETHERS FOR THE ASSESSMENT OF THEIR FIRE HAZARD

Abstract

Epoxy compounds, i.e. compounds that contain a three-membered ring of two
hydrogen atoms and one oxygen atom, were synthesized in the middle of the last century
and were initially used only as starting products for epoxy resins [1]. But over time, the
scope of their application has expanded significantly. In particular, glycidol and its
derivatives, in which the hydroxyl hydrogen atom is replaced by alkyl groups, attracted
the attention of the chemical industry. The history of production and use of glycidol
ethers (epoxy-containing ethers) dates back only a few dozen years. But today they are
widely used in industry, in particular as solvents, semi-products for the synthesis of
other chemical products and, in particularly large quantities, as active thinners and
modifiers of epoxy resins and other polymer materials [2-4]. Theoretical and
laboratory studies of the properties of these compounds do not keep up with the
development of the scale of their manufacture and application. Meanwhile, most of
them belong to combustible substances, and the lower representatives (methylglycidol
and ethyl, propyl and n-butyl derivatives) may also be flammable. This necessitates a
detailed study of their thermodynamic properties, most of which are based on the heat
of compound formation. In this work, this indicator was determined for the four most
typical representatives through the experimental determination of their heat of
combustion and subsequent recalculation according to Hess's law.