NITRO DERIVATIVES OF NAPHTHALENE 429
1,5 and 1,8-isomers are separated only when they are to be used for the manufac-
ture of dyestuffs intermediates. The separation is performed by means of selective
solvents, as for example dichloroethane, which dissolves, the l,8-isomer more readily
than the 1,5-isomer. Analytically, 1,5-dinitronaphthalene can be separated from
the 1,8-isomer by paper chromatography (Franc [24]). The mobile phase consists
of ethyl alcohol, water and acetic acid.
According to Pascal [20], both isomers form solid solutions belonging to Rooze
boom’s system III. When the content of the 1,5-isomer is 22.1%, they have the
lowest melting point, which is 145.5°C (Fig. 107). The other systems examined by
thermal analysis arc tabulated (Table 96).
TABLE 96
EUTECTICS WITH DINITRONAPHTHALENE :
1,5-DINITRONAPHTHALENE
The other % of DNN m.p.
component by weight °C
Author
α− Nitronaphthalene
Picric acid
1,3,5-Trinitronaphthalene
1,3,8-Trinitronaphthalene*
α− Nitronaphthalene
Picric acid
1,3,5-Trinitronaphthalene
8
10
10
27
54.5
113.6
101
165
Pascal [21]
T. Urbanski and Kwiatkowski [25]
Pascal [21]
Pascal [21]
1,8-DINITRONAPTHALENE
(^644) Pascal [21]
43 93
22 88
T. Urbanski and Kwiatkowski [25]
Pascal [21]
1,3,8-Trinitronaphthalene* 52 135 Pascal [21]
- Minimum of Roozeboom system III.
COMPOSITION OF THE COMMERCIAL PRODUCT
Patart [19] found that commercial grade dinitronaphthalene, being a mixture
of isomers, could be obtained by the nitration of naphthalene or α− nitronaphthalene
with a mixture of the composition:
HNO 3 8-70%
H 2 SO 4 0-76%
H 2 O 16-30%
As numerous experiments have shown, the weight ratio of the isomers depends
to a large extent on the nitration temperature.
According to Pascal [20], at 70°C a mixture of 60% of the 1,8-isomer
and 40% of the 1,5-isomer is formed. Hodgson and Whitehurst [26] have established
the 1,5- to 1,8-isomers ratio to be nearly ½, when naphthalene is nitrated at 0-35°C.