A phlegmatizer is a compound that minimizes the explosive tendency of compound or material. The term is derived from the word
phlegmatic
The four temperament theory is a proto-psychological theory which suggests that there are four fundamental personality types: sanguine, choleric, melancholic, and phlegmatic. Most formulations include the possibility of mixtures among the types w ...
, meaning 'not easily excited'. Many chemical compounds that are potentially explosive have useful non-explosive applications. One large family of phlegmatizers are
phthalate ester
Phthalates (, ), or phthalate esters, are esters of phthalic acid. They are mainly used as plasticizers, i.e., substances added to plastics to increase their flexibility, transparency, durability, and longevity. They are used primarily to soften ...
s, which are used as solvents to minimize the explosive tendency of
organic peroxide
In organic chemistry, organic peroxides are organic compounds containing the peroxide functional group (). If the R′ is hydrogen, the compounds are called hydroperoxides, which are discussed in that article. The O−O bond of peroxides easily b ...
s, such as
dibenzoyl peroxide
Benzoyl peroxide is a chemical compound (specifically, an organic peroxide) with structural formula , often abbreviated as (BzO)2. In terms of its structure, the molecule can be described as two benzoyl (, Bz) groups connected by a peroxide () ...
and
MEKP
Methyl ethyl ketone peroxide (MEKP) is an organic peroxide with the formula CH3)(C2H5)C(O2H)sub>2O2. MEKP is a colorless oily liquid. It is widely used in vulcanization (crosslinking) of polymers.
It is derived from the reaction of methyl ethy ...
, which are widely used initiators for
polymerization
In polymer chemistry, polymerization (American English), or polymerisation (British English), is a process of reacting monomer, monomer molecules together in a chemical reaction to form polymer chains or three-dimensional networks. There are ...
s.
[{{Ullmann , vauthors = Herbert K, Götz PH, Siegmeier R, Mayr W , title = Peroxy Compounds, Organic , doi = 10.1002/14356007.a19_199]
References
Liquid explosives
Organic peroxide explosives