Manufacture of nitric acid esters of aliphatic alcohols

Claim 1

IN THE MANUFACTURE OF NITRIC ACID ESTERS OF POLYHYDRIC ALKANOLS BY CONTACTING THE POLYHYDRIC ALKANOL WITH A NITRATING ACID, THE IMPROVED PROCESS WHICH COMPRISES: (A) INTRODUCING THE NITRATING ACID UNDER PRESSURE IN THE FORM OF A TURBULENT JET INTO A CONSTRICTED ELONGATED REACTION ZONE, (B) UTILIZING THE VACUUM PRODUCED BY SAID PRESSURIZED JET OF NITRATING ACID TO DRAW THE POLYHYDRIC ALKANOL BY SUCTION INTO SAID ELONGATED REACTION ZONE, (C) ALSO UTILIZING THE VACUUM PRODUCED BY SAID PRESSURIZED JET OF NITRATING ACID TO CONCURRENTLY DRAW A SMALL AMOUNT OF A NON-REACTIVE GAS INTO SAID ELONGATED REACTION ZONE, (D) SAID SMALL AMOUNT OF NON-REACTIVE GAS BEING WITHIN THE RANGE OF FROM ABOUT 5% TO ABOUT 30% BY VOLUME BASED ON THE VOLUME OF LIQUIDS SUPPLIED TO SAID REACTION ZONE, (E) SAID SMALL AMOUNT OF NON-REACTIVE GAS BEING THOROUGHLY DISPERSED WITHIN THE RESULTING LIQUID REACTION MIXTURE BY VIRTUE OF THE SUCTION EFFECT PRODUCED BY SAID PRESSURIZED TURBULENT JET OF NITRATING ACID. (F) SAID SMALL AMOUNT OF NON-REACTIVE GAS BEING SUFFICIENTLY DISPERSED SO AS TO PROVIDE A STABLE NON-EXPLOSIVE PREDOMINANTLY LIQUID EMULSION CAPABLE OF BEING TRANSPORTED OVER DISTANCE IN EXCESS OF 50 METERS WITHOUT SEPARATION, AND (G) IMMEDIATELY PASSING SAID EMULSION FROM THE NITRATION ZONE IN A CONTINUOUS STREAM DIRECTLY TO A CENTRIFUGAL SEPARATING ZONE AND THERE SEPARATING THE NITRIC ACIDALKANOL ESTER SO PRODUCED FROM THE SPENT ACID.