TNT Production

TNT may be prepared by either a continuous or a batch process, using toluene, nitric acid (HNO3), and sulfuric acid as raw materials (Eq. 12.18) [7]. 

The government s biggest TNT plants were at Giant, California, and Racine, Wisconsin. As the town name implies, the plant at Giant was set up to produce 2,000,000 pounds of TNT per month. Two other TNT plants blew up during World War I—Aetna Explosives Company at Oakdale, Pennsylvania, with several hundred killed and Semet-Solvay Company at Split Rock, New York, with 60 killed. 

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In recent years there has appeared a considerable volume of literature dealing with nitrations. The expl-oriented publications on nitrations can be divided, albeit somewhat arbitrarily, into three general headings nitration mechanisms TNT production and miscellaneous nitrations, ie, production and prepn of expls other than TNT. Studies of nitration mechanisms were summarized in the preceding section. Recent investigations on expl production and prepn via nitration will be presented below in chronological order TNT Production... 

In the production of TNT from the reaction between toluene and mixed acids (nitric/sulfuric), TeNMe forms in amounts between 0.2—0.4% of the total wt of TNT. This TeNMe has been held responsible for several expins which have occurred in TNT plants, causing fatal injuries to personnel and severe damage to facilities. These expins were attributed to the presence of TeNMe in the acid fume lines and the acid storage tanks. Mixts of TeNMe and readily oxidizable materials are known to form very powerful and sensitive expl mixts. Since TeNMe is also isolated from the nitration of Nitrobenzene (NB), the TeNMe formed in the nitration of toluene may arise from the oxidation of the aromatic ring and/or methyl group. In an effort to gain more informa-. tion on the origin of TeNMe from TNT production, radioactive carbon-14 (14C) was used as a tracer to determine the extent to which each of the carbon atoms in the toluene skeleton of the various nitro-substituted isomers contributes to... 

Improved Synthesis for TNT Production , SRI Project PYU-7360-011, Final Report, Contract No DAAG 05-68-C-0723, Menlo Park, Calif (1972), 59 18) B.S. Thyagarajan K.C. 

C.A. Spano, R.A. Chulk, T.T. Walsh C. DiPietro, Abatement of Nitrobodies in Aqueous Effluents from TNT Production and Finishing... 

Comparison of Measured TNT Products with Isentropic Compositions... 

Industrial TNT production produces both atmospheric and water pollution. The spent acid from the three stages of mono-, di- and tri-nitration pose considerable disposal problems. On an industrial scale the mixed acid from previous di- and tri-nitrations is usually refortified with nitric acid and used for mono- and di-nitration respectively. Diluted sulfuric acid is often... 

The nitration of dinitrotoluene to TNT requires the use of mixed acid fortified with oleum, and the use of elevated temperature, which produces its own pollutants and impurities, including tetranitromethane and nitrogen oxides. An excellent discussion of industrial TNT production has been given by Urbahski. ... 

T he petroleum industry entered the field of aromatics production largely because the unprecedented demand for toluene for the manufacture of TNT at the outbreak of World War II in 1939 could not be met by other sources. As a result of its efforts, the industry supplied 75 to 85% of all the toluene which was nitrated for TNT production during the latter years of World War II. Since that time the petroleum refiners have remained in the field and at present they are major suppliers of toluene and xylenes. In Table I it is shown that in 1949 about 59% of the toluene and 84% of the xylenes produced in the United States were derived from petroleum sources. The petroleum industry has diversified its operations in the field of aromatics production until at present a variety of materials is offered. Table II presents a partial list of the commercially available aromatics, together with some of their uses. A number of other aromatics, such as methylethyl-benzene and trimethylbenzene, have been separated in small scale lots both as mixtures and as pure compounds. 

Studies aimed toward greater safety in TNT production include consideration of the use of suppressive shielding (Ref 26), design of conveyor belts without danger of detonation or propagation (Ref 40), and a study of the possible expl hazard from drowning tank material (Ref 18)... 

A problem associated with TNT production is the disposal of Tetranitromethane (TNM) (see Vol 8, M83-L ff)> a toxic, odorous and expl material which is obtained in the exit gas from the trinitration step to the extent of about 0.3-0.5 lbs/100 lbs TNT. TNM was formerly vented to the atm, but this practice is now illegal. It can be recovered by scrubbing the gas with aq Na carbonate containing stabilized... 

Continuous TNT Production , Fifth Annual Seminar on Nitroaromatic Chemistry, PicArsn (11 Sept 1974) 22) M.E. Hill et al, Process... 

Processes for Continuous TNT Production , 5th Annual Seminar on Nitroaromatic Chemis-... 

Finally, place 108 grams of 70% sulfuric acid into a beaker, and then add the dry filtered-off TNT product. Then stir the mixture to form a slurry. Continue to stir the slurry for 1 hour at room temperature, and then filter-off the TNT product. Afterwards, wash the TNT with 1500 milliliters of a 5% sodium bicarbonate solution, followed by four 500-milliliter portions of cold water, and then vacuum dry or air-dry the TNT product. 

C.A. Spano, R.A. Chulk, T.T. Walsh C. DiPietro, Abatement of Nitrobodies in Aqueous Effluents from TNT Production and Finishing Plants in Pollution Engineering and Scientific Solutions , E.S. Barrekette, Ed, Plenum Press, NY (1973) 16) D.H. Rosenblatt, Investiga-... 

It is produced, as was earlier discussed, by direct nitration with nitric and sulfiiric acids. The nitration takes place in several steps. The last step, which is trinitration, uses free SO3 gas bubbled through the highly concentrated acids. Both batch and continuous synthesis processes are used for TNT production. It is preferred to produce the pure 2,4,6-form the other isomers are separated out by various techniques. Purity is tested by measuring the solidification point. The... 

Toluene output at one time used to be almost entirely directed to trinitrotoluene (TNT) production for industrial and military uses. Cheaper industrial explosives, such as various ammonium nitrate formulations have now become available making TNT a less important product. Uses of TNT are now almost entirely confined to military applications. However, the first stage in the preparation of toluenediisocyanate still involves the mono-, and di-nitration of toluene using a mixture of nitric and sulfuric acids, as in the first stages of TNT production. Depending on the nitration strategies employed, one of two isomer mixtures of... 

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