Nitroglycerine, production plant

A nitroglycerine microprocessing plant, developed by IMM for the Chinese class-A company Xi an, is an example of the smart scaled-out concept, showing that just one caterpillar micromixer is sufficient for the continuous production of pharmaceutical-degree nitroglycerine, with a throughput of approximately 15 kg/h (Thayer 2006). 

Fig. 14. Nitroglycerine production microprocess plant with staff at industrial site in Xi an, China...

Figure 5.31 Microprocess production plant for pharmaceutical nitroglycerine (by courtesy of H. Lowe/IMM).

Some data published by Stettbacher [39] concerning the Schmid plant at Gyttorp Sweden, which had a production capacity of 600 kg nitroglycerine per hour are listed below ... 

In the earlier design when the plant was started up, the first nitroglycerine produced may be polluted by slime from the nitrator and separator. It is therefore transferred to a hand washer (17b) to be washed as in batch production. 

The manufacture of nitroglycol on an industrial scale consists in the nitration of glycol in the same type of plant as those used for the production of nitroglycerine. 

Many nitrated products are explosives, including DNT, TNT, and nitroglycerine (NG). To minimize the potential for ran away reactions and explosions, the compositions of the feed acids and reaction conditions arc currently better controlled diati formerly. In some processes, 99% or more of the feed UNO reacts. Dispersions (or mixtures) of such a waste acid and the nitration product are relatively safe to handle. Also, centrifugal separators are used in many modem processes to rapidly separate the hydrocarbon and used acid phases. Rapid separation greatly reduces the amounts of nitrated materials in the plant at any given time and reduces undesired reactions of the nitrated products. 

The Xi an Huian Industrial Group in Xi an, China, operates a nitroglycerin plant at 15 kg/h production that has been developed and installed by IMM (see Figure 5.31) [62]. 

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