Nitric Acid → 4-Nitrotoluene

HRID 1075498Notes

Reaction equation

HRID 1075498 reaction equation
[N+:1]([O-:4])(O)=[O:2].S(=O)(=O)(O)O.[C:10]1([CH3:16])[CH:15]=[CH:14][CH:13]=[CH:12][CH:11]=1>>[N+:1]([C:13]1[CH:14]=[CH:15][C:10]([CH3:16])=[CH:11][CH:12]=1)([O-:4])=[O:2]

Participants

4

Procedure

Dinitrotoluene is an important intermediate in producing toluenediisocyanate based polyurethanes. One of the conventional processes for producing dinitrotoluene is referred to as the mixed acid nitration process wherein toluene is reacted with nitric acid in the presence of sulfuric acid in a mononitration zone to produce the intermediate product, mononitrotoluene (MNT), which then is separated from the spent acid and the recovered mononitrotoluene contacted with nitric acid in the presence of sulfuric acid to form dinitrotoluene in a dinitration zone. Dinitrotoluene (DNT) then is separated from the aqueous phase and the spent sulfuric acid purified and concentrated. Typical, product specifications (weight %) for commercial grade dinitrotoluene generally will be greater than 98.5% dinitrotoluene, less than 0.1% mononitrotoluene, less than 0.1% trinitrotoluene, less than 0.1% by-products, less than 1.0% water and yield of toluene to dinitrotoluene greater than 98% at conversion levels of >99.9%. The isomer content of product DNT contains a minimum of 95% (on a water free basis) 2,4-plus 2,6-isomer with the balance of the DNT being made up of 2,3-; 3,4-; 2,5-; and 3,5-isomers. The normalized 2,4-plus 2,6-isomer content is between 79.0-81.0% 2,4-isomer and between 19.0-21.0% 2,6-isomer.

Sources & evidence

ORD record
ord-977afbb93e7c49da9836d6cbbddfe30b
Source dataset
uspto-grants-1999_05
Patent number
US05902910

Reaction notes

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