Nitric catalysts

Catalytic gas-phase reactions play an important role in many bulk chemical processes, such as in the production of methanol, ammonia, sulfuric acid, and nitric acid. In most processes, the effective area of the catalyst is critically important. Since these reactions take place at surfaces through processes of adsorption and desorption, any alteration of surface area naturally causes a change in the rate of reaction. Industrial catalysts are usually supported on porous materials, since this results in a much larger active area per unit of reactor volume. 

The most widely used reactions are those of electrophilic substitution, and under controlled conditions a maximum of three substituting groups, e.g. -NO2 (in the 1,3,5 positions) can be introduced by a nitric acid/sul-phuric acid mixture. Hot cone, sulphuric acid gives sulphonalion whilst halogens and a Lewis acid catalyst allow, e.g., chlorination or brom-ination. Other methods are required for introducing fluorine and iodine atoms. Benzene undergoes the Friedel-Crafts reaction. ... 

In the presence of catalyst, usually platinum, ammonia is oxidised by oxygen (and air) to nitrogen oxide. NO. This reaction, used to obtain nitric acid from ammonia (p. 238), can be demonstrated in the laboratory using the apparatus shown in Figure 9.4 the oxygen rate should be slow. 

C. Palladium on carbon catalyst (5 per cent. Pd). Suspend 41-5 g. of nitric acid - washed activated carbon in 600 ml. of water in a 2-litre beaker and heat to 80°. Add a solution of 4 1 g. of anhydrous palladium chloride (1) in 10 ml. of concentrated hydrochloric acid and 25 ml. of water (prepared as in A), followed by 4 ml. of 37 per cent, formaldehyde solution. Stir the suspension mechanically, render it alkaUne to litmus with 30 per cent, sodium hydroxide solution and continue the stirring for a further 5 minutes. Filter off the catalyst on a Buchner funnel, wash it ten times with 125 ml. portions of water, and dry and store as in B. The yield is 46 g. 

To solve some of the environmental problems of mixed-acid nitration, we were able to replaee sulfuric acid with solid superacid catalysts. This allowed us to develop a novel, clean, azeotropic nitration of aromatics with nitric acid over solid perfluorinated sulfonic acid catalysts (Nafion-H). The water formed is continuously azeotroped off by an excess of aromatics, thus preventing dilution of acid. Because the disposal of spent acids of nitration represents a serious environmental problem, the use of solid aeid eatalysts is a significant improvement. 

Sulphuric acid catalysed nitration in concentrated nitric acid, but the effect was much weaker than that observed in nitration in organic solvents ( 3.2.3). The concentration of sulphuric acid required to double the rate of nitration of i-nitroanthraquinone was about 0-23 mol 1, whereas typically, a concentration of io mol 1 will effect the same change in nitration in mixtures of nitric acid and organic solvents. The acceleration in the rate was not linear in the concentration of catalyst, for the sensitivity to catalysis was small with low concentrations of sulphuric acid, but increased with the progressive addition of more catalyst and eventually approached a linear acceleration. 

The relative weakness of the two effects, and the adoption of the kinetic form of the catalysis to the linear law only when the concentration of the additive was greater than c. 0-2 mol 1 , results from the equilibria existing in anhydrous nitric acid. In the absence of catalyst,... 

The nitronium ions produced in this way tend to repress the selfdehydration of the nitric acid and therefore the net concentration of nitronium ions is not proportional to the concentration of the catalyst. When sufficient sulphuric acid has been added to make the self-ioniza-tion of nitric acid relatively unimportant, the nitronium ions will be produced predominantly from the above ionization, and the acceleration will follow a linear law. 

Unlike the effect of sulphuric acid upon nitration in nitric acid ( 2.2.3 where zeroth-order reactions are unknown), the form of the catalysis of zeroth-order nitration in nitromethane by added sulphuric acid does not deviate from a first-order dependence with low concentrations of catalyst. ... 

Another possible route to 2-unsubstituted thiazoles is replacement of a mercapto group by a hydrogen. Various methods have been used hydrogen peroxide in acid medium (17-19) dilute nitric acid (17), and metallic catalysts (20-22). 

Oxidation. Acetaldehyde is readily oxidised with oxygen or air to acetic acid, acetic anhydride, and peracetic acid (see Acetic acid and derivatives). The principal product depends on the reaction conditions. Acetic acid [64-19-7] may be produced commercially by the Hquid-phase oxidation of acetaldehyde at 65°C using cobalt or manganese acetate dissolved in acetic acid as a catalyst (34). Liquid-phase oxidation in the presence of mixed acetates of copper and cobalt yields acetic anhydride [108-24-7] (35). Peroxyacetic acid or a perester is beheved to be the precursor in both syntheses. There are two commercial processes for the production of peracetic acid [79-21 -0]. Low temperature oxidation of acetaldehyde in the presence of metal salts, ultraviolet irradiation, or osone yields acetaldehyde monoperacetate, which can be decomposed to peracetic acid and acetaldehyde (36). Peracetic acid can also be formed directiy by Hquid-phase oxidation at 5—50°C with a cobalt salt catalyst (37) (see Peroxides and peroxy compounds). Nitric acid oxidation of acetaldehyde yields glyoxal [107-22-2] (38,39). Oxidations of /)-xylene to terephthaHc acid [100-21-0] and of ethanol to acetic acid are activated by acetaldehyde (40,41). 

Acid—Base Chemistry. Acetic acid dissociates in water, pK = 4.76 at 25°C. It is a mild acid which can be used for analysis of bases too weak to detect in water (26). It readily neutralizes the ordinary hydroxides of the alkaU metals and the alkaline earths to form the corresponding acetates. When the cmde material pyroligneous acid is neutralized with limestone or magnesia the commercial acetate of lime or acetate of magnesia is obtained (7). Acetic acid accepts protons only from the strongest acids such as nitric acid and sulfuric acid. Other acids exhibit very powerful, superacid properties in acetic acid solutions and are thus useful catalysts for esterifications of olefins and alcohols (27). Nitrations conducted in acetic acid solvent are effected because of the formation of the nitronium ion, NO Hexamethylenetetramine [100-97-0] may be nitrated in acetic acid solvent to yield the explosive cycl o trim ethyl en etrin itram in e [121 -82-4] also known as cyclonit or RDX. 

Bromoacetic acid can be prepared by the bromination of acetic acid in the presence of acetic anhydride and a trace of pyridine (55), by the HeU-VoUiard-Zelinsky bromination cataly2ed by phosphoms, and by direct bromination of acetic acid at high temperatures or with hydrogen chloride as catalyst. Other methods of preparation include treatment of chloroacetic acid with hydrobromic acid at elevated temperatures (56), oxidation of ethylene bromide with Aiming nitric acid, hydrolysis of dibromovinyl ether, and air oxidation of bromoacetylene in ethanol. 

Although many variations of the cyclohexane oxidation step have been developed or evaluated, technology for conversion of the intermediate ketone—alcohol mixture to adipic acid is fundamentally the same as originally developed by Du Pont in the early 1940s (98,99). This step is accomplished by oxidation with 40—60% nitric acid in the presence of copper and vanadium catalysts. The reaction proceeds at high rate, and is quite exothermic. Yield of adipic acid is 92—96%, the major by-products being the shorter chain dicarboxytic acids, glutaric and succinic acids,and CO2. Nitric acid is reduced to a combination of NO2, NO, N2O, and N2. Since essentially all commercial adipic acid production arises from nitric acid oxidation, the trace impurities patterns ate similar in the products of most manufacturers. 

In order to control the concentration of lower dibasic acid by-products in the system, a portion of the mother liquor stream is diverted to a purge treatment process. Following removal of nitric acid by distillation (Fig. 3, K), copper and vanadium catalyst are recovered by ion-exchange treatment (Fig. 

Cyclohexane. The LPO of cyclohexane [110-82-7] suppUes much of the raw materials needed for nylon-6 and nylon-6,6 production. Cyclohexanol (A) and cyclohexanone (K) maybe produced selectively by using alow conversion process with multiple stages (228—232). The reasons for low conversion and multiple stages (an approach to plug-flow operation) are apparent from Eigure 2. Several catalysts have been reported. The selectivity to A as well as the overall process efficiency can be improved by using boric acid (2,232,233). K/A mixtures are usually oxidized by nitric acid in a second step to adipic acid (233) (see Cyclohexanol and cyclohexanone). 

Nitrates. Iron(II) nitrate hexahydrate [14013-86-6], Fe(N03)2 6H20, is a green crystalline material prepared by dissolving iron in cold nitric acid that has a specific gravity of less than 1.034 g/cm. Use of denser, more concentrated acid leads to oxidation to iron(III). An alternative method of preparation is the reaction of iron(II) sulfate and barium or lead nitrate. The compound is very soluble in water. Crystallisation at temperatures below — 12°C affords an nonahydrate. Iron(II) nitrate is a useful reagent for the synthesis of other iron-containing compounds and is used as a catalyst for reduction reactions. 

Acid mixtures containing nitric acid and a strong acid, eg, sulfuric acid, perchloric acid, selenic acid, hydrofluoric acid, boron trifluoride, or an ion-exchange resin containing sulfonic acid groups, can be used as the nitrating feedstock for ionic nitrations. These strong acids are catalysts that result in the formation of nitronium ions, NO" 2- Sulfuric acid is almost always used industrially since it is both effective and relatively inexpensive. 

Zeohtes have recendy been employed as soHd catalysts for the vapor-phase nitration of aromatics with nitric acid. Additional research is required to improve yields and to niinimi2e loss of catalytic activity as the nitration progresses (see Molecularsieves). 

Organic Reactions. Nitric acid is used extensively ia iadustry to nitrate aHphatic and aromatic compounds (21). In many iastances nitration requires the use of sulfuric acid as a dehydrating agent or catalyst the extent of nitration achieved depends on the concentration of nitric and sulfuric acids used. This is of iadustrial importance ia the manufacture of nitrobenzene and dinitrotoluene, which are iatermediates ia the manufacture of polyurethanes. Trinitrotoluene (TNT) is an explosive. Various isomers of mononitrotoluene are used to make optical brighteners, herbicides (qv), and iasecticides. Such nitrations are generally attributed to the presence of the nitronium ion, NO2, the concentration of which iacreases with acid strength (see Nitration). 

Dual-Pressure Process. Dual-pressure processes have a medium pressure (ca 0.3—0.6 MPa) front end for ammonia oxidation and a high pressure (1.1—1.5 MPa) tail end for absorption. Some older plants still use atmospheric pressure for ammonia conversion. Compared to high monopressure plants, the lower oxidation pressure improves ammonia yield and catalyst performance. Platinum losses are significantiy lower and production mns are extended by a longer catalyst life. Reduced pressure also results in weaker nitric acid condensate from the cooler condenser, which helps to improve absorber performance. Due to the spHt in operating conditions, the dual-pressure process requires a specialized stainless steel NO compressor. 

Conversion of Ammonia. Ammonia [7664 1-7] mixed with air and having an excess of oxygen, is passed over a platinum catalyst to form nitric oxide and water (eq. 10). The AH g = —226 kJ/mol of NH consumed (—54 kcal/mol). Heats of reaction have been derived from heats of... 

Monosaccharides such as glucose and fmctose are the most suitable as starting materials. When starch is used, it is first hydrolyzed with oxahc acid or sulfuric acid into a monosaccharide, mainly glucose. It is then oxidized with nitric acid in an approximately 50% sulfuric acid solution at 63—85°C in the presence of a mixed catalyst of vanadium pentoxide and iron(III) sulfate. 

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