Aniline

The production of aniline by nitration of benzene and the catalytic

hydrogenation of mono-nitrobenzene (MNB) is the dominant production
route practiced today. KBR is the exclusive licensor of the DuPont
aniline technology, which is currently used in four world-scale facilities.
The technology sets the benchmark in the industry for product quality,
product yield, process safety and environmental controls. KBR offers comprehensive services including technology
licensing, basic and detailed engineering, construction, and support for plant operation such as operator training
and start-up services.

The Process
Benzene is nitrated with mixed acid (nitric and sulfuric) at high selectivity and conversion to produce MNB. The
nitration product is separated and the spent acid is re-concentrated by removing the water of reaction. The nitration
process utilizes the heat of reaction for the re-concentration of the sulfuric acid. The water produced by nitration of
benzene, as well as the water that enters the nitration system with the nitric acid leaves the nitration/acid concentration
system and is sent to waste treatment. The crude MNB product is washed in a series of contactors to remove residual
acid and nitrophenolic impurities formed during the reaction. Unreacted benzene is removed from the product by
steam stripping and recycled.

MNB is fed together with hydrogen into a liquid phase plug-flow hydrogenation reactor that contains a DuPont
proprietary catalyst. The supported noble metal catalyst has a high selectivity and the MNB conversion per pass is
100%. The reaction conditions are optimized to achieve essentially quantitative yields and the reactor effluent is free
of MNB. Excess hydrogen from the reactor effluent is vented and the reactor product is sent to a dehydration column
to remove the water of reaction followed by a purification column to produce high quality aniline product.

Product Quality
The DuPont/KBR Aniline Process consistently produces a very high quality aniline product, suitable for all MDI
production technologies, and other specialty chemical applications. The typical product quality is:

Aniline, wt% 99.95

Mono-nitrobenzene, ppmwt 0.1
Water, ppmwt 300
Color, APHA 30
Freeze Point (dry basis) oC -6.0

Petro_InsertTier2_Anilne_R3.indd1 1 2/16/07 8:18:05 AM

 VENT
DUPONT/KBR ANILINE PROCESS
HYDROGENATION DEHYDRATION ANILINE PURIFICATION

REACTION WATER
ANILINE

MONONITROBENZENE

HYDROGEN
TARS

High-Quality, Low Cost Technology

The DuPont/KBR Aniline process has been optimized to produce high quality aniline product at low manufacturing
cost. Key features of this technology are:
ACETONE PRODUCT

High Yields - The process consistently achieves 99.5% efficiency of mono-nitrobenzene utilization.

High Purity Product - Aniline produced from this technology maintains constant high product purity without
variations due to changes in catalyst activity, which are typical of vapor-phase fixed-bed hydrogenation technologies.
The aniline product from this process is the highest quality in the industry, with less than 0.1 ppmwt MNB.
SPENT AIR
Superior Catalyst System – The proprietary DuPont hydrogenation catalyst and the liquid phase hydrogenation system
provides excellent catalyst life. It also avoids the complexity of a catalyst regeneration system typical ofPHENOL
vapor-phase
PRODUCT
technologies. The high selectivity catalyst achieves essentially quantitative yields with minimal by-product formation,
CONCENTRATION PHENOL FRACTIONATION

thus resulting in a very simple product purification

CATALYST system.

Low Capital Cost – The DuPont/KBR hydrogenation system is mechanically simple and compact. Unlike vapor-phase
fluidized-bed or fixed-bed technologies, parallel reactor trains or multiple reactor stages are not required.

CLEAVAGE
AIR

CUMENE HYDROCARBON
RECOVERY
PHENOL RECOVERY

WASTE OIL TO FUEL

EFFLUENT TREATMENT WASTEWATER

Cumene Light Ends

Spent Air