Manufacturing of

Nitrobenzene
Nitration of Benzene
Reaction : C6H6 + HNO3 C6H5NO2 + H2O
Process description
 Hot Sulfuric acid at C o n c e n tr ate d
S u l fu r i c A c i d
90°C is run from the
B

heat-insulated
storage tank (B) into
one of a battery of A2 A3 A4
A1
nitrators (A1 to A4).
 Under vigorous N i tr i c C o n ce n tr ate d
S u l fu r i c A c i d
agitation, sufficient S tao criadg e N itr ic A c id lin e
B

63 percent nitric
acid is added to the
nitrator to produce a
mixed containing 4 A1 A2 A3 A4
percent HNO3.
 Sufficient benzene is
N i tr i c C o n c e n tr a te d
then delivered from its B e n ze n e acid S u l fu r i c A c i d B
S to r a g e
storage scale tank to S to r a g e N i tr i c A c i d l i n e

react with all the nitric

acid in the reactor.
Upon completion of the
reaction, which takes A2 A3 A4
A1
about 10 min, the B e n ze n e l i n e
agitation is topped and
the charge permitted to
settle.
 The crude N i tr i c C o n c e n tr a te d
B e n ze n e
supernatant S to r a g e
ac id
S to r a g e N i tr i c A c i d l i n e
S u lfu r i c A c i d B

nitrobenzene is drawn
off through side
outlets (C) on the
nitrator and sent to C C C C
A2 A3 A4
the neutralizer. B e n ze n e li n e
A1
 The spent acid, which is B e n ze n e N itric C o n c e n tr ate d
S u l fu r i c A c i d
free of nitric acid but
acid B
Sto rag e
Sto rag e N itr ic A c id lin e

contains small amounts

of nitrobenzene, is
drawn off in operating C
A1
C
A2
C
A3
C
A4
B e n ze n e l i n e
sequence at the outlets
(D1 to D4) located at D1 D2 D3 D4
the base of the Spent A cid

nitrators. H e ate r
 V apour

The spent acid is first

S e p ar ato r


directed to the acid

heater (E) and then B e n ze n e
N itr ic C o n c e n tr a te d
S u l fu r i c A c i d
delivered to the vapour S t o r a g e
ac id B
Sto rag e N itric A cid line

separator. The
evaporator effectively H e a te d
removes the water of C
A1
C
A2
C
A3
C
A4
R esidual A cid

nitration and returns the

B e n ze n e l i n e

sulfuric acid to the

D1 D2 D3 D4
system at its original Spent A cid

strength. H eater
 C ondenser

 The small quantity

of nitrobenzene
V apour
S e p ar ato r

found with the water C o n ce n tr ate d

in the condenser is
N itr ic
B e n ze n e S u l fu r i c A c i d
acid B
Sto rag e
S to r ag e N itr ic A c id lin e

separated and H e a te d

added to the crude

C C C C R esidual A cid
A1 A2 A3 A4
B e n ze n e l i n e

charge. D1 D2 D3 D4
Spent A cid

H eater