Synthesis Of Dinitroglycerin By Crude Glycerol Ddesb 2010

Synthesis of Dinitroglycerin by Crude Glycerol

Demetrio Bastos-Netto1, Heraldo da Silva Couto1, José
Márcio Amaral Vasconcellos2and Letivan Mendonça-Filho3,
1VSE – Vale Solutions in Energy,2COPPE-UFRJ, 3Brazilian Army,
Telephone: 55 12 3321 2317
Fax: 55 12 3321 2380
E-mail:demetrio.bastos@vsesa.com.br

Abstract
Glycerolis a by-product from the biodiesel industry. As the biodiesel production is increasing exponentially, the crude glycerol generated from the transesterification of vegetables oils is also beinggenerated in large amounts. Despite the wide applications of pure glycerol in food, pharmaceutical, cosmetics, and many other industries, it is too costly to refine the crude glycerol to high purity grades,especially for medium and small biodiesel producers. This research suggests a low cost process for production of dinitroglycerin from the crude glycerol obtained with the production of biodiesel.This process allows the replacement of bidistilled glycerol by crude glycerol pre-treated only with activated charcoal followed by filtration, which represents a significant advantage in cost reductionof the raw material. The dinitroglycerin can be used replacing the nitroglycerin as an active ingredient in the manufacture of explosives and propellants. The dinitroglycerin is also a precursormaterial at the manufacturing of poly glycidyl nitrate.

1. INTRODUCTION
The production process of nitroglycerin in laboratory is done by slowly adding pure glycerole (≥ 99.9%) with a nitrating mixturecontaining 50.50 wt% nitric acid at 98% and 49.50% of the vitreous oleum 28 %.
The proportion of the nitrating mixture is 5:1 with respect to the glycerol to be nitrated. The mixture to be added in aballoon glass reactor is achieved by air flow. The mixture is then cooled to 0° C with a mixture of ice and water placed around the flask containing the nitrating mixture. Glycerol containing...