Nitration with nitric acid in the presence of inorganic salts

NITRATION WITH NITRIC ACID IN THE PRESENCE OF INORGANIC SALTS 

A series of investigations has been devoted to the problem of nitrating cellulose with nitric acid mixed with inorganic salts. Thus for example, Bouchonnet, Trombe and Petitpas [51] have established that the nitration of cellulose by means of anhydrous nitric acid containing an admixture of different salts may yield nitrocellulose with a high nitrogen content shown in Table 80. 

The effect of nitrating cellulose with 100% nitric acid in the presence of different salts [51] 

Salt Content of salt in nitric acid, % Content of nitrogen j in nitrocellulose, % 

Hence salts exert a characteristic effect that brings about an increase in the nitrogen content of the nitrocellulose. 

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Nitration with mixtures of nitric and phosphoric acids Nitration with mixtures of nitric and acetic acid (or acetic anhydride) Nitration in mixtures and solutions including inactive substances Nitration with nitric acid in the presence of inorganic salts Nitration with nitrogen oxides Celluronic acid nitrates (carboxycelluloses nitrates)... 

Bonner and Brown [15] expressed the view that the increase in reaction rate due to added salts is similar to the increase initially resulting from the addition of water to anhydrous sulphuric acid, attaining the maximum at cj. 90% acid. They supported it by examining the rates of nitration of trimethylphenyl-ammbnium ion and 1-chloro-4-nitrobenzene. When ammonium sulphate was added, the rate increased more than X20 their value in the anhydrous acid. On the nitration of cellulose with nitric acid in the presence of inorganic salts (see Vol. 11, p. 346). 

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