Nitric production

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. 

Crystallizes from water in large colourless prisms containing 2H2O. It is poisonous, causing paralysis of the nervous system m.p. 101 C (hydrate), 189°C (anhydrous), sublimes 157°C. It occurs as the free acid in beet leaves, and as potassium hydrogen oxalate in wood sorrel and rhubarb. Commercially, oxalic acid is made from sodium methanoate. This is obtained from anhydrous NaOH with CO at 150-200°C and 7-10 atm. At lower pressure sodium oxalate formed from the sodium salt the acid is readily liberated by sulphuric acid. Oxalic acid is also obtained as a by-product in the manufacture of citric acid and by the oxidation of carbohydrates with nitric acid in presence of V2O5. 

Again, nitric acid readily dissolves lead but is unable to oxidise lead beyond the oxidation state -P 2. The reduction products of the nitric acid vary with the concentration of acid used, and a number of nitrogen oxides are usually obtained. Warm dilute nitric acid gives mainly nitrogen oxide, NO. 

The product is a solid yellow hydrated oxide. If prepared by a method in the absence of water, a black anhydrous product is obtained. Germanium(II) oxide is stable in air at room temperature but is readily oxidised when heated in air or when treated at room temperature with, for example, nitric acid, hydrogen peroxide, or potassium manganate(VII). When heated in the absence of air it disproportionates at 800 K ... 

Concentrated sulphuric acid and nitric acid—powerful oxidising agents—attack all the elements except nitrogen, particularly when the acids are warm. The products obtained reflect changes in stability of the oxidation states V and III of the Group V elements. 

Arsenic dissolves in concentrated nitric acid forming arsenicfV) acid, H3ASO4, but in dilute nitric acid and concentrated sulphuric acid the main product is the arsenic(III) acid, HjAsOj. The more metallic element, antimony, dissolves to form the (III) oxide Sb O, with moderately concentrated nitric acid, but the (V) oxide Sb205 (structure unknown) with the more concentrated acid. Bismuth, however, forms the salt bismulh(lll) nitrate Bi(N03)3. 5H,0. 

The second equilibrium is the more important, giving rise to the nitronium ion, NOj, already mentioned as a product of the dis sociation of dinitrogen tetroxide. Several nitronium salts have been identified, for example nitronium chlorate(VII), (N02) (C104) . If pure nitric acid is dissolved in concentrated sulphuric acid, the freezing point of the latter is depressed to an extent suggesting the formation of four ions, thus ... 

The final products are then sulphuric acid, nitrogen oxide and oxygen the two latter react and the cycle goes on. Theoretically therefore, the nitrous fumes are never used up. In practice, however, some slight replacement is needed and this is achieved by adding a little concentrated nitric acid to the mixture in the Glover tower ... 

Addition of water gives the hydrated nitrate Cu(N03)2.3H2O, the product obtained when copper (or the +2 oxide or carbonate) is dissolved in nitric acid. Attempts to dehydrate the hydrated nitrate, for example by gently heating in vacuo, yield a basic nitrate, not the anhydrous salt. 

It is dissolved by aqua regia (a mixture of concentrated hydrochloric and nitric acids). The product here is chlorauricil 11) acid, HAUCI4 in the complex chloraurate ion [AuClJ gold is in oxidation state + 3, auric gold. ... 

The simpler nitrop>arafIins (nitromethane, nitroethane, 1- and 2-nitroproj)ane) are now cheap commercial products. They are obtained by the vapour phase nitration of the hydrocarbons a gaseous mixture of two mols of hydrocarbon and 1 mol of nitric acid vapour is passed through a narrow reaction tube at 420-476°. Thus with methane at 476° a 13 per cent, conversion into nitro methane is obtained ethane at 420° gives a 9 1 mixture of nitroethane (b.p. 114°) and nitromethane (b.p. 102°) propane at 420° afifords a 21 per cent, yield of a complex mixture of 1- (b.p. 130-6°) and 2-nitropropane (b.p. 120°), nitroethane and nitromethane, which are separated by fractional distillation. 

Add 1 drop (0 05 ml.) of concentrated nitric acid to 2 0 ml. of a 0 5 per cent, aqueous solution of paraperiodic acid (HjIO,) contained in a small test-tube and shake well. Then introduce 1 op or a small crystal of the compound. Shake the mixture for 15 seconds and add 1-2 drops of 5 per cent, aqueous silver nitrate. The immediate production of a white precipitate (silver iodate) constitutes a positive test and indicates that the organic compound has been oxidised by the periodic acid. The test is based upon the fact that silver iodate is sparingly soluble in dilute nitric acid whereas silver periodate is very soluble if too much nitric acid is present, the silver iodate will not precipitate. 

Saccharic acid. Use the filtrate A) from the above oxidation of lactose or, alternatively, employ the product obtained by evaporating 10 g. of glucose with 100 ml. of nitric acid, sp. gr. 1 15, until a syrupy residue remains and then dissolving in 30 ml. of water. Exactly neutralise at the boiling point with a concentrated solution of potassium carbonate, acidify with acetic acid, and concentrate again to a thick syrup. Upon the addition of 50 per cent, acetic acid, acid potassium saccharate sepa rates out. Filter at the pump and recrystaUise from a small quantity of hot water to remove the attendant oxahc acid. It is necessary to isolate the saccharic acid as the acid potassium salt since the acid is very soluble in water. The purity may be confirmed by conversion into the silver salt (Section 111,103) and determination of the silver content by ignition. 

Toluene, Proceed as for Benzene but use 0-5 ml. of toluene and a mixture of 3 ml. of concentrated sulphuric acid and 2 ml. of fuming nitric acid. Gently warm the mixture over a free flame for 1-2 minutes, cool, and pour into 20 ml. of ice water. Recrystalhse the product from dilute alcohol. 2 4-Dinitrotoluene, m.p. 71°, is obtained. 

Diphenyl. Reflux a mixture of 1 g, of diphenyl, 2 ml. of glacial acetic acid and 0 -5 ml. of fuming nitric acid for 10 minutes. Pour into 20 ml. of cold water, filter oflF the precipitate, wash it with cold water imtil free from acid, and recrystallise from alcohol. The product is 4-nitrodiphenyl, m.p. 114°,... 

A brief account of aromatic substitution may be usefully given here as it will assist the student in predicting the orientation of disubstituted benzene derivatives produced in the different substitution reactions. For the nitration of nitrobenzene the substance must be heated with a mixture of fuming nitric acid and concentrated sulphuric acid the product is largely ni-dinitrobenzene (about 90 per cent.), accompanied by a little o-dinitrobenzene (about 5 per cent.) which is eliminated in the recrystallisation process. On the other hand phenol can be easily nitrated with dilute nitric acid to yield a mixture of ortho and para nitrophenols. It may be said, therefore, that orientation is meta with the... 

Add 25 g. of finely-powdered, dry acetanilide to 25 ml. of glacial acetic acid contained in a 500 ml. beaker introduce into the well-stirred mixture 92 g. (50 ml.) of concentrated sulphuric acid. The mixture becomes warm and a clear solution results. Surround the beaker with a freezing mixture of ice and salt, and stir the solution mechanically. Support a separatory funnel, containing a cold mixture of 15 -5 g. (11 ml.) of concentrated nitric acid and 12 -5 g. (7 ml.) of concentrated sulphuric acid, over the beaker. When the temperature of the solution falls to 0-2°, run in the acid mixture gradually while the temperature is maintained below 10°. After all the mixed acid has been added, remove the beaker from the freezing mixture, and allow it to stand at room temperature for 1 hour. Pour the reaction mixture on to 250 g. of crushed ice (or into 500 ml. of cold water), whereby the crude nitroacetanilide is at once precipitated. Allow to stand for 15 minutes, filter with suction on a Buchner funnel, wash it thoroughly with cold water until free from acids (test the wash water), and drain well. Recrystallise the pale yellow product from alcohol or methylated spirit (see Section IV,12 for experimental details), filter at the pump, wash with a httle cold alcohol, and dry in the air upon filter paper. [The yellow o-nitroacetanihde remains in the filtrate.] The yield of p-nitroacetanihde, a colourless crystalline sohd of m.p. 214°, is 20 g. 

Picric acid, the 2 4 6-trinitro derivative of phenol, cannot be prepared in good yield by the action of nitric acid upon phenol since much of the latter is destroyed by oxidation and resinous products are also formed. It is more convenient to heat the phenol with concentrated sulphuric acid whereby a mixture of o- and p-phenolsulphonic acids is obtained upon treatment of the mixture with concentrated nitric acid, nitration occurs at the two positicsis mela to the —SOjH group in each compound, and finally, since sulphonation is reversible, the acid groups are replaced by a third iiitro group yielding picric acid in both cases ... 

The latter procedure gives a purer product it is difficult to remove the last traces of benzoin from the benzil obtained by the nitric acid method. 

The catalysed nitration of phenol gives chiefly 0- and />-nitrophenol, (< 0-1% of w-nitrophenol is formed), with small quantities of dinitrated compound and condensed products. The ortho para ratio is very dependent on the conditions of reaction and the concentration of nitrous acid. Thus, in aqueous solution containing sulphuric acid (i 75 mol 1 ) and nitric acid (0-5 mol 1 ), the proportion of oriha-substitution decreases from 73 % to 9 % as the concentration of nitrous acid is varied from o-i mol l i. However, when acetic acid is the solvent the proportion of ortAo-substitution changes from 44 % to 74 % on the introduction of dinitrogen tetroxide (4-5 mol 1 ). 

The nitration of anisole in 40% aq. nitric acid in the presence of some nitrous acid yielded 2,4-dinitrophenol as the main product. In more concentrated solutions of nitric acid 0- and />-nitroanisoles were the main products, less than o-1 % of the weta-isomer being formed. " The isomeric ratios for nitration imder a variety of conditions are given later ( 5.3.4). 

Chloroanisole and p-nitrophenol, the nitrations of which are susceptible to positive catalysis by nitrous acid, but from which the products are not prone to the oxidation which leads to autocatalysis, were the subjects of a more detailed investigation. With high concentrations of nitric acid and low concentrations of nitrous acid in acetic acid, jp-chloroanisole underwent nitration according to a zeroth-order rate law. The rate was repressed by the addition of a small concentration of nitrous acid according to the usual law rate = AQ(n-a[HN02]atoioh) -The nitration of p-nitrophenol under comparable conditions did not accord to a simple kinetic law, but nitrous acid was shown to anticatalyse the reaction. 

Because of the chemical similarity between benzoyl nitrate and the acetyl nitrate which is formed in solutions of nitric acid in acetic anhydride, it is tempting to draw analogies between the mechanisms of nitration in such solutions and in solutions of benzoyl nitrate in carbon tetrachloride. Similarities do exist, such as the production by these reagents of higher proportions of o-substituted products from some substrates than are produced by nitronium ions, as already mentioned and further discussed below. Further, in solutions in carbon tetrachloride of acetyl nitrate or benzoyl nitrate, the addition of acetic anhydride and benzoic anhydride respectively reduces the rate of reaction, implying that dinitrogen pentoxide may also be involved in nitration in acetic anhydride. However, for solutions in which acetic anhydride is also the solvent, the analogy should be drawn with caution, for in many ways the conditions are not comparable. Thus, carbon tetrachloride is a non-polar solvent, in which, as has been shown above,... 

When acetic anhydride was in excess over nitric acid, acetyl nitrate and acetic acid were the only products. When the concentration of nitric acid was greater than 90 moles %, dinitrogen pentoxide, present as (N02+)(N0a ), was the major product and there were only small traces of acetyl nitrate. With lower concentrations of nitric acid the products were acetic acid, acetyl nitrate and dinitrogen pentoxide, the latter species being present as covalent molecules in this organic medium. A mixture of z moles of nitric acid and i mole of acetic anhydride has the same Raman spectrum as a solution of i mole of dinitrogen pentoxide in 2 moles of acetic acid. 

The mixture was prepared and allowed to achieve equilibrium to it was added an excess of urea which caused the immediate precipitation as urea nitrate of the free nitric acid present. As a result of the sudden removal of the nitric acid from the mixture, the system underwent change to re-establish the equilibrium however, the use of an excess of urea removed the nitric acid as it was produced from acetyl nitrate and acetic acid, and the consumption of acetyl nitrate proceeded to completion. Thus, by following the production of urea nitrate with the time from the addition of urea, the rate of the back reaction could be determined, and by extrapolating the results to zero time the equilibrium... 

Expts. 16, //. Pure nitric acid was used. In expt. 16 the reaction was of the first order in the concentration of the aromatic, and of half-life 1-1-5 minutes (similar to that of toluene under the same conditions). In expt. 17 the sodium nitrate slowed the reaction (half-life c. 60 min). About 2 % of an acetoxylated product was formed (table 5-4). 

Remembering that the observed second-order rate constant is merely the rate divided by the product of the stoichiometric concentrations of aromatic compound and nitric acid, the following relationship can be... 

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