Process for separating isomers of dinitrotoluene

Claim 1

A process for separating 2,4-dinitrotoluene from a feed mixture comprising 2,4-dinitrotoluene and 2,6-dinitrotoluene, said process comprising contacting said mixture at a temperature within the range from about 20° C. to about 200° C. and at a pressure to maintain liquid phase with an adsorbent comprising an L type zeolite whose cations have been exchanged with K, an X type zeolite whose cations have been exchanged with a cation selected from the group consisting of Na, Ca, Ba and K, or a Y type zeolite whose cations have been exchanged with a cation selected from the group consisting of Ca, Ba, K, Na, Li and Mg thereby selectively adsorbing said 2,4-dinitrotoluene, removing the remainder of said mixture from said adsorbent, and then recovering said 2,4-dinitrotoluene by desorption at a temperature within the range from about 20° C. to about 200° C. and at a pressure to maintain liquid phase with a desorbent material comprising a C 3 to C 5 alcohol, a ketone, an ester, or nitrobenzene.