Nitration process

摘要

This invention relates to a continuous process for the nitration of a nitratable aromatic compound in a solution of nitronium ion in a nitrator. The process comprises feeding the nitrator with a solution of nitronium ion of a composition in a defined area linking three points in a ternary phase diagram for nitric acid, sulphuric acid and water. The first of the three points corresponds to approximately 82% sulphuric acid and 18% nitric acid, the second to approximately 55% sulphuric acid and approximately 45% water and the third to 100% sulphuric acid. The nitratable aromatic compound is fed to the nitronium ion solution through a spray injector which is capable of providing a light emulsion of hydrocarbons in a solution of nitronium ion with the hydrocarbons uniformly distributed in the acid phase. The acid and the nitratable aromatic compound are intimately contacted in a throttling nitrator which contains mixing components.