Applications of Nitration

The nitration reaction is categorised as a general category of a chemical process.

In organic chemistry, the nitration process can be described as the method by which a nitro group (single bond, NO2 ) is introduced into a chemical organic compound. The process of nitration is of two types namely, the Ipso nitration and aromatic nitration. There are many major industrial applications of nitration chemistry in industry. Various products obtained after the completion of the nitration process are produced on a commercial scale, for instance, toluene, benzene, chlorobenzene, phenol, alcohol etc. A significant contribution is a reaction of transforming toluene structure to (TNT) trinitrotoluene.

AN INSIGHT INTO THE CONCEPT OF – NITRATION

The process of nitration in organic chemistry is the method by which a nitro group (NO2 ) is introduced into an organic compound. The misuse of the term is also applied to the various processes that involve the formation of esters of nitrate between nitric acid and alcohol (for example, the production of nitroglycerin). 

It is simply a double exchange reaction or substitution reaction where NO2 groups (one or more) of the nitrating agent substitute the other groups (generally hydrogen atoms) of the reactant which have to get nitrated. 

The distinguishing feature between the final molecular structures of nitrates and nitro compounds is that in esters of nitrate/organic nitrates, the nitrogen is attached to an oxygen atom that is in turn attached to a carbon atom (nitrito group). In nitro compounds, the nitrogen (N) atom is directly attached to a non-oxygen atom (usually a carbon or nitrogen atom).

The two types of nitration are categorised as follows:

1. Ipso nitration: The nitrating agent used in ipso nitration is called nitric acid (HNO3). Through this process, we can achieve efficient access to numerous nitro compounds (aromatic).
2. Aromatic nitration:

The active species of this type is called the NO2+ Nitronium ion. For instance, the nitration reaction of the benzene compound (C6H6)

There are many major industrial applications of nitration chemistry in industry. 

APPLICATIONS OF NITRATION PROCESS

• The most crucial is to synthesise nitroaromatic compounds, for example, nitrobenzene (C6H5NO2). 
• Majorly, nitration process chemistry in industry is utilised for making explosives. For instance, a Nitration reaction is used to form nitroguanidine from guanidine. The changing reaction of toluene structure (C7H8) to (TNT) / trinitrotoluene.

On an industrial level, TNT/ trinitrotoluene is created by undergoing three steps.

• Firstly, the toluene structure undergoes nitration with a nitrating agent (nitric acid and sulfuric acid) and leads to the formation of a compound called mononitrotoluene (MNT).
• The compound- MNT is isolated, followed by re-nitration to the compound dinitrotoluene (DNT).
• Finally, DNT undergoes a nitration reaction to form trinitrotoluene (TNT). The agent used to achieve this reaction is an anhydrous mixture (which contains no water) of oleum and nitric acid. 
• In the process of manufacturing, Nitric acid gets taken up and absorbed whereas the sulfuric acid (in diluted form) can be further reused as well as reconcentrated.
• Ultimately, after the completion of nitration, a method called sulfitation is performed to stabilise the TNT compound.

• Furthermore, they have wife applications as precursors for a reaction and as chemical intermediates in the reaction process and precursors. 
• The annual production of nitroaromatics is gross and in tons.
• Picric acid, nitrocellulose, RDX, and nitroglycerin are some crucial examples of explosives.
• Another significant use of nitration chemistry in the industry is the nitrated product called Dinitrotoluene. DNT/ Dinitrotoluene is transformed into toluene diisocyanates (toluene structure). The latter has its application in the production of elastomers, fibres, polyurethane foams and varnishes.
• Various products obtained after the completion of the nitration process are produced on a commercial scale.

• Toluene
• Benzene
• Chlorobenzene
• Phenol
• Alcohol
• Paraffins
• Aromatic amines
• Glycerine
• Glycol

CONCLUSION

In the general category of the chemical process comes the process of nitration reaction. In organic chemistry, the nitration process can be described as the method by which a nitro group (single bond, NO2) is introduced into a chemical organic compound. The nitration reaction is of two types categorised as Ipso nitration and aromatic nitration. The nitration reaction is very important in the formation and production of explosive reagents. For instance, compounds like RDX, TNT, PETN (pentaerythritol tetranitrate) etc. are the most known commercial and military explosives to be the final product after the nitration.