CHETAH Program

The CHETAH program (www.chetah.usouthal.edu) is a unique tool for predicting both thermochemical properties and certain "reactive chemicals" hazards associated with a pure chemical, a mixture of chemicals, or a chemical reaction. This is accomplished through a knowledge of only the molecular structure(s) of the components involved by an implementation of Benson's method of group additivity. CHETAH is useful for classifying materials for their ability to decompose with violence, for estimating heats of reaction or combustion, and for predicting lower flammable limits and certain other flammability parameters.

For thermochemical estimations, CHETAH is designed to conveniently and accurately calculate several important properties as a function of temperature for pure materials, mixtures, and reactions. For hazard evaluation, CHETAH is designed to be a conservative screening tool for use during the early stages of compound synthesis or process development.

The CHETAH project is overseen and guided by ASTM International Committee E27-07. ASTM International (www.astm.org) is a professional organization engaged in developing consensus standards for industry. Research, development, and maintenance of the CHETAH program is accomplished at the University of South Alabama with support from royalty income. CHETAH has a long history of service to industry and government and is in use by hundreds of organizations worldwide.

Click here for the CHETAH brochure (PDF Format)