20 Years and 200 Units Later: RSST/ARSST Continues Succes in Chemical Process Safety

Burr Ridge, IL, August 19, 2009 --(PR.com)-- This year marks the 20th Anniversary of the introduction of the Reactive System Screening Tool (RSST). The tool was developed and introduced by Fauske & Associates, LLC to address the prevailing concern that calorimeters required significant reactive expertise and were very time consuming and costly. The concept of the tool was later refined and made available as the Advanced Reactive System Screening Tool (ARSST).

The success of the tool is perhaps best illustrated by the extensive use of RSST/ARSST as an undergraduate unit operation laboratory tool. Some examples include Purdue University, Carnegie Mellon University, University of Michigan, University of Costa Rica, Northwestern University, Wayne State University, Michigan Technological University, Texas A&M, University of Iowa, University of Minnesota, University of Malibor, Slovenia, Unveridad de Zargoza, Spain, University of Yokohama, Japan, Memorial University, Canada.

Data from RSST/ARSST can be used directly to assess prevention (safe storage and transportation of self-reactive substances and organic peroxides) and accommodation (runaway reactions in terms of adequate pressure protection) of uncontrolled chemical activity. Its capabilities are further illustrated in the article, , "Managing Chemical Reactivity - Minimum Best Practice, Process Safety Progress,” Vol. 25, No. 2, June 2006 by Hans K. Fauske, D.Sc and President of FAI.

“Currently more than 200 units are used worldwide, and no serious incidents are known by me to have occurred at companies making use of the RSST/ARSST as part of their chemical hazard safety assessment,” states Dr. Fauske.

Dilip K. Das, Pressure Safety Specialist for Bayer Corporation states: "ARSST is perhaps the friendliest, ingenious calorimeter apparatus ever developed for establishing ERS data."

In 1980, FAI assumed early leadership roles in the acclaimed DIERS program for AIChE and the IDCOR program for the nuclear power industries. These activities led to state-of-the-art methodology and laboratory tools for characterizing chemical systems and computer models for analyzing severe accidents in commercial nuclear power plants that are being used worldwide. Recognized worldwide for phenomenological modeling, related to the prevention and accommodation of chemical and nuclear power accidents, FAI also provides advanced training and research in physics, chemical engineering, mechanical engineering, nuclear engineering, computer science and other fields. FAI is ISO-9001 and TickIT certified.

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