The Advanced Reactive System Screening Tool (ARSST) facility has been established as a state-of-the-art experimental setup aimed at strengthening process safety, reactive hazard assessment, and safe scale-up practices in the chemical process industries. This facility represents a significant step towards enhancing industry-oriented safety research and testing capabilities.

The ARSST facility has been fully sponsored with a total financial support of ₹42.5 lakh by fourteen nearby chemical industries, reflecting strong industry–academia collaboration and trust in the facility’s relevance. The sponsoring industries include Gharda Chemical Ltd. Lote, Vinati Organics, Laxmi Organics, Excel Industries, USV Limited, Rallis India Ltd, Krishna Antioxidants, SI Group, Deepak Novochem, Kansai Nerolac Paints Limited, Dorf Ketal, Privi Organics, Godrej Agrovet, and Aimco Pesticides. Their collective contribution highlights the growing importance of proactive safety evaluation in modern chemical operations.

The ARSST is an advanced, easy-to-use, and cost-effective adiabatic screening calorimeter designed to rapidly identify thermal and pressure-related hazards associated with chemical reactions. It enables safe and controlled experimentation to evaluate reaction behavior under near-adiabatic conditions, closely simulating real process scenarios. The facility is particularly useful for screening runaway reactions, self-reactive chemicals, and gas-generating systems.

Using the ARSST facility, several critical safety parameters can be accurately determined, including onset temperature of reactions or decomposition, non-condensable gas generation, maximum pressure development, reaction kinetics, rate of temperature rise, and energy release characteristics. These parameters are essential for understanding reaction hazards and for designing appropriate safety measures such as relief systems and emergency controls.

The experimental data generated using ARSST play a vital role in ensuring safe operation of chemical industries. The results assist industries in making informed decisions related to process design, scale-up, risk mitigation, and emergency preparedness. Additionally, the facility supports training, research, and consultancy activities in the field of process safety and chemical reaction engineering.

Overall, the ARSST facility serves as a valuable shared resource for the chemical industry, promoting safer manufacturing practices, compliance with safety standards, and advancement of knowledge in reactive system safety. It stands as a successful model of industry-supported infrastructure dedicated to preventing chemical accidents and fostering sustainable industrial growth.