Granted Patent B2

US 8,658,818 · App. 12/953,111 · Granted Feb 25, 2014

Abstract

Claims (25)

1. A method of producing a nitrate ester, comprising:

combining sulfuric acid with at least one of ammonium nitrate and a metal nitrate to form a nitrating solution; and

adding a polyol comprising at least one of triethylene glycol, pentaerythritol, diglycerol, 1,1,1-tris(hydroxymethyl)-ethane, 1,2,4-butanetriol, glycerin, diethylene glycol, and cellulose to the nitrating solution.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein combining sulfuric acid with at least one of ammonium nitrate and a metal nitrate to form a nitrating solution comprises combining from about 50% by weight to about 98% by weight of sulfuric acid with the at least one of ammonium nitrate and a metal nitrate.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein combining sulfuric acid with at least one of ammonium nitrate and a metal nitrate to form a nitrating solution comprises combining the sulfuric acid with at least one of sodium nitrate, potassium nitrate, ammonium nitrate, calcium nitrate, and magnesium nitrate.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein combining sulfuric acid with at least one of ammonium nitrate and a metal nitrate to form a nitrating solution comprises adding the at least one of ammonium nitrate and a metal nitrate into the sulfuric acid at a temperature of less than about 20° C.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein adding a polyol to the nitrating solution comprises adding the polyol to the nitrating solution comprising from about one molar equivalent to about two molar equivalents of at least one nitrate salt for each hydroxyl group of the polyol.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein adding a polyol to the nitrating solution comprises adding the polyol to the nitrating solution at a temperature within a range of from about 0° C. to about 80° C.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein adding a polyol to the nitrating solution comprises reacting nitronium ions in the nitrating solution with oxygen atoms of the polyol.

8. A method of producing a nitrate ester, comprising reacting an aliphatic polyol having at least three —OH functional groups with a nitrating solution comprising sulfuric acid and at least one of ammonium nitrate and a metal nitrate.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein reacting an aliphatic polyol having at least three —OH functional groups with a nitrating solution comprising sulfuric acid and at least one of ammonium nitrate and a metal nitrate comprises reacting the aliphatic polyol, the sulfuric acid, the at least one of ammonium nitrate and a metal nitrate, and water.

10. The method of claim 8 , wherein reacting an aliphatic polyol having at least three —OH functional groups with a nitrating solution comprising sulfuric acid and at least one of ammonium nitrate and a metal nitrate comprises producing a nitrate ester.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein reacting an aliphatic polyol having at least three —OH functional groups with a nitrating solution comprising sulfuric acid and at least one of ammonium nitrate and a metal nitrate comprises reacting an aliphatic polyol having at least three —OH functional groups with a nitrating solution comprising from about one molar equivalent to about two molar equivalents of the at least one of ammonium nitrate and a metal nitrate for each nitrate group of the nitrate ester.

12. The method of claim 8 , wherein reacting an aliphatic polyol having at least three —OH functional groups with a nitrating solution comprising sulfuric acid and at least one of ammonium nitrate and a metal nitrate comprises producing a nitrate ester comprising pentaerythritol tetranitrate, diglycerol tetranitrate, 1,1,1-tris(methylol)ethane trinitrate, 1,2,4-butanetriol trinitrate, or nitroglycerin.

13. The method of claim 8 , wherein reacting an aliphatic polyol having at least three —OH functional groups with a nitrating solution comprising sulfuric acid and at least one of ammonium nitrate and a metal nitrate comprises adding the at least one of ammonium nitrate and a metal nitrate to the sulfuric acid at a temperature in a range of less than about 20° C.

14. The method of claim 8 , wherein reacting an aliphatic polyol having at least three —OH functional groups with a nitrating solution comprising sulfuric acid and at least one of ammonium nitrate and a metal nitrate comprises adding the aliphatic polyol to the nitrating solution at a temperature of less than about 80° C.

15. The method of claim 8 , wherein reacting an aliphatic polyol having at least three —OH functional groups with a nitrating solution comprising sulfuric acid and at least one of ammonium nitrate and a metal nitrate comprises:

adding the at least one of ammonium nitrate and a metal nitrate to the sulfuric acid at a temperature in a range of from about 0° C. to about 20° C.; and

combining the aliphatic polyol with the nitrating solution at a temperature in a range of from about 0° C. to about 80° C. to form a reaction mixture.

16. The method of claim 15 , further comprising separating a nitrate ester from the reaction mixture.

17. The method of claim 16 , further comprising purifying the nitrate ester.

18. A method of producing a nitrate ester, comprising:

reacting a polyol with a nitrating solution, wherein the polyol comprises at least one of triethylene glycol, pentaerythritol, diglycerol, 1,1,1-tris(hydroxymethyl)-ethane, 1,2,4-butanetriol, and glycerin, and wherein the nitrating solution comprises sulfuric acid and at least one of ammonium nitrate and a metal nitrate.

19. The method of claim 1 , wherein adding the polyol to the nitrating solution comprises stirring the polyol with the nitrating solution.

20. The method of claim 8 , wherein reacting an aliphatic polyol having at least three —OH functional groups with a nitrating solution comprising sulfuric acid and at least one of ammonium nitrate and a metal nitrate comprises reacting at least one of pentaerythritol, diglycerol, 1,1,1-tris(hydroxymethyl)-ethane, 1,2,4-butanetriol, and glycerin with the nitrating solution.

Assignments (10)