Oxidation of anthracene to anthraquinone by air/oxygen in the presence of small amounts of nitric acid was studied in the liquid phase. The effects of various process variables (e.g. temperature, flow rate, amount of nitric acid and solvent substrate ratio) were investigated. An attempt was made to minimise the amount of nitric acid. The optimum conversions of anthracene into anthraquinone free from nitro compounds, using air and oxygen was found to be 81.7 and 96.2% respectively with corresponding purities of 98.5% and 99.6%.
Various processes for the oxidation of anthracene in the liquid‐phase have been reviewed with special consideration to the mechanistic pathways involved. The prospect of the processes with crude anthracene/less pure anthracene as feed‐stock has been emphasized.
Oxidation of anthracene in acetic acid by the oxygenlnitric acid system has been studied and an attempt has been made to ascertain a practical limit of the amount of solvent keeping the commercial prospects in view. The effects of other reaction parameters such as flow rate, amount of nitric acid and water, residence time, etc., have been investigated. While opting for a solvent1 substrate ratio of 10, the optimum conversion of anthracene to anthraquinone fiee from nitro-compounds has been found to be 91 with purity of 98.7%, acceptable to dye-stuff industries.
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