The New Jersey Institute of Technology's
Electronic Theses & Dissertations Project

Title:	Process modelling of the nitration of toluene
Author:	Shah, Nitin K.
View Online:	njit-etd1989-054 ([iii], 187 pages ~ 6.0 MB pdf)
Department:	Department of Chemical Engineering, Chemistry and Environmental Science
Degree:	Master of Science
Program:	Chemical Engineering
Document Type:	Thesis
Advisory Committee:	Roche, Edward Charles, Jr. (Committee chair) Bart, Ernest N. (Committee member) Hundert, Irwin (Committee member)
Date:	1989-09
Keywords:	Toluene Nitration Chemical process control Distillation
Availability:	Unrestricted
Abstract:	The thesis on the process modelling of the nitration process focuses specifically on the product separation of the nitrated aromatic material from the reactor and - wash section of the process. Included in the text is an overview of the main process steps associated with the production of para and ortho-nitrotoluene. The critical issues concerning the reaction of nitric acid and toluene were summerized, and resulted in this subject being deferred for future work. The separation of the isomers into pure components is an important. part of the MNT process because of the close high boiling points of the isomeric products. The most desirable product in the process is the para isomer even though the ortho isomer is usable. An existing computer model was modified and used to study the batch distillation columns used to recover toluene and the marketable isomers of MNT. A typical washed organic intermediate feed to the separation section (batch columns) was analyzed using the continuous refiux batch distillation model. The results of the modelling program indicate that the separation campaign is a lengthy process, but that high purity products can be obtained.