摘要 |
This invention relates to a process for nitrating toluene to produce dinitrotoluene characterized by a liquid phase nitration characterized in that reaction of anhydrous nitric acid with toluene in a reactor at a reaction temperature of between 20 .degree.C and 30 .degree.C for a reaction time of less than 15 minutes, said reaction employing a molar ratio of nitric acid plus any water to toluene of between 10:1 and 15:1, said reaction being conducted in the absence of sulfuric acid, and in the absence of any aprotic dipolar solvent during the reaction and in the absence of any aprotic dipolar solvent to halt the reaction, to produce said dinitrotoluene in a product mixture that is free of nitrocresol, followed by vacuum distillation of the product mixture, in the absence of any aprotic dipolar solvent, to remove unreacted nitric acid from said product mixture thereby providing said dinitrotoluene.
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