Abstract This article covers the thermal properties of cumene hydroperoxide (CHP) and dicumyl hydroperoxide (DCPO). Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) was employed to determine the reaction kinetics, heat of decomposition (Δ H d ), exothermic onset temperature ( T 0 ), reaction order ( n ), etc. A thermal activity monitor (TAM) was also used to detect the storage index and thermal hazard parameters under various external temperatures. The onset temperatures of CHP and DCPO were determined to be 110°C using DSC. This article describes the best operating conditions when handling CHP and DCPO. © 2009 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Process Saf Prog, 2010