Process for the production of dinitrotoluene

摘要

In the production of dinitrotoluene by a two-stage reaction of toluene with nitric acid in the presence of sulphuric acid, wherein toluene is nitrated to mononitrotoluene in the first stage using spent acid from the second stage, and the mononitrotoluene is nitrated to dinitrotoluene in the second stage using concentrated spent acid from the first stage, the improvement which comprises concentrating spent acid under vacuum in an indirectly-heated evaporator and feeding mononitrotoluene into the superheated vapor of the evaporator.