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2025943 
Journal Article 
Clean Manufacture of 2,4,6-Trinitrotoluene (TNT) via Improved Regioselectivity in the Nitration of Toluene 
Millar, RW; Arber, AW; Endsor, RM; Hamid, J; Colclough, ME 
2011 
Yes 
Journal of Energetic Materials
ISSN: 0737-0652 
TAYLOR & FRANCIS INC 
PHILADELPHIA 
29 
2 
88-114 
English 
WOS:000289267600002 
The U.S. Department of Defense requires an environmentally benign synthesis route to manufacture military grade trinitrotoluene (TNT), which eliminates the production of red water arising from the sulfiting process for removing unsymmetrical trinitrotoluene isomers. We have found that by using a novel nitrating system, N2O5 in dichloromethane, the proportion of metasubstituted nitrotoluenes can be suppressed, and improvements have also been made to the di- and trinitration steps. As a result, TNT with a set point near that of the Mil. Spec. can be made by our process, without the need for sulfite washing; after recrystallization it exceeds the specification. 
aromatic compounds; dinitrotoluene; nitration; process chemistry; TNT; toluene; trinitrotoluene