Nitric acid history

Influence of the mode of operation on process performance. The mode of operation of stirred-tank reactors can also significantly affect reactor performance. The history of concentrations will be changed by the time policy of reactant(s) addition to the reaction mixture. In view of our very limited possibility of controlling of temperature in stirred-tank reactors, the temperature-time dependencies for different policies of dosing will also be different. For example, the result of nitration depends upon the method of addition of nitric acid to aromatics, and the choice which phase is dispersed and which is continuous. Consequently, if the reaction is concentration- or temperature-sensitive the result will be dependent on the mode of operation (see Example 5.3.1.5). 

As mentioned earlier, there are many nitrogen compounds that are either explosives or propellants. That is one reason why nitrates and nitric acid have been so important throughout several centuries of history. 

The most important nitrolysis reaction to date is the formation of RDX (3) and HMX (4) from the caged methylenediamine known as hexamine (104). These important military explosives were first mass manufactured by this route towards the end of the Second World War and they are still prepared by this route today. The process uses a mixture of acetic anhydride, ammonium nitrate and nitric acid. The nitrolysis of hexamine is one of the most widely studied reactions in the history of explosives. Many other cyclic and linear polynitramines have been isolated from these reactions and this rich chemistry is discussed in more detail in Section 5.15. 

Continuous partial pressure nitrator using nitric acid alone) 19)A.A. Swanson, PB Rept 320 (1945) O.W.Strickland et al, PB Rept 925 (1945) (Continuous methods for manuf of P ETN, which were used in Germany during WWII) 20JN.Shreve, ChemMetEngrg 52, 103 05 (Way 1945) (History of continuous process development) 21)E.Berl, USP 2384415... 

Accident statistics formerly showed nitration as the most widespread and powerfully destructive industrial unit process operation (it has been overtaken by polymerisation). This is because nitric acid can, under certain conditions, effect complete and highly exothermal conversion of organic molecules to gases, the reactions often being capable of acceleration to deflagration or detonation. Case histories are described and safety aspects of continuous nitration processes are discussed in detail [1]. Of the 25 chapters of the book [2], each a paper presented at the symposium on Advances in Industrial and Laboratory Nitrations at Philadelphia in 1975, 3 deal with safety aspects of nitration Ch. 8, Hanson, C. etal., Side Reactions during Aromatic Nitration, Ch. 22, Biasutti, G. S.,... 

In order to establish the feasibility of the project, a study of the history of the nitric acid market over the last decade is presented, both in a domestic and global perspective. The size and nature of the market is studied, including the determination of general trends in industry and potential growth areas. 

Since osmium was first isolated as the tetroxide, one of its most important and celebrated coordination complexes, a brief account of the history of its coordination chemistry is not out of place. The tetroxide, and subsequently the metal, was first isolated in 1803 by Smithson Tennant1 (1761-1815) by distillation with nitric acid of the black material derived after aqua regia treatment of platinum metal concentrates. Of the tetroxide Tennant wrote ... 

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