Abstract:
Process for the manufacture of para-nitro-meta-cresol in high yield from directly available and inexpensive meta/para-cresol mixtures, without need heretofore for first resolving the cresol mixture to provide a separate meta-cresol reactant.The process comprises subjecting the cresol mixture to nitration, whereby para-nitro-meta-cresol is formed, and then separating the para-nitro-meta-cresol from the resulting nitration reaction mixture.In one embodiment, the cresol mixture is introduced into reaction with an aqueous acid mixture containing HNO.sub.3 and HNO.sub.2 as the only acid ingredients, under defined critical conditions of feed flow rate, temperature, acid concentrations, and reactant proportions to provide the cresol nitration reaction product mixture.