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TNT MANUFACTURE^389

UTILIZATION AND NEUTRALIZING OF SULPHITATION LIQUORS

The sulphitation liquors contain dinitrotoluenesulphonic acids in a quantity

amounting to about 4% of the TNT produced. In a period of intensive manufacture

of TNT this may be of considerable importance from an economic point of view.

This is why the problem has arisen of how to utilize the organic compounds con-

tained in sulphitation liquors.

Batik [27] found that the acidification of sulphitation liquors with an inorganic

acid resulted in the formation of NaHSO 3 , which reduced the nitro- to the amino

group. Simultaneously, due to the presence of NaNO 2 , diazotization took place

and a red diazonium salt

was precipitated.

The compound may be utilized for further reactions, for example in dyestuffs

manufacture.

British Technical Records [6] mentioned another approach to the problem of utili-

zation of sulphitation liquors. According to these data, attempts were made in Great

Britain during World War I to make use of the reactivity of the sulpho group in

the ortho or para position to the nitro ones. By acting with methylamine, N-methyl-

dinitrotoluidine (I and II) was obtained, which, when further nitrated, yielded

“methyltetryl”. All the methods mentioned proved uneconomical.