Nitration of 2-nitrotoluene using nitric acid, acetic anhydride and Hβ zeolite produces a 97% yield of 2,4-dinitrotoluene along with 3% of 2,6-dinitrotoluene. Nitration of 4-nitrotoluene under similar reaction conditions produces 2,4-dinitrotoluene in 89% yield. When chloroacetic anhydride was used instead of acetic anhydride, nitration of 4-nitrotoluene produced a quantitative yield (>99%) of 2,4-dinitrotoluene.

A steady-state cross-flow reactor for ethylene epoxidation was simulated using industrial data (low oxygen/ethylene feed ratio) and pilot plant data (high oxygen/ethylene feed ratio). A comparison between the conventional fixed-bed reactor and the cross-flow reactor with two types of feeding modes was performed. The present study showed the possibility of enhancing the reactor yield by distributing the ethylene optimally at equal spaced along the reactor for both commercial and pilot plant cases.