Kinetic study of bechamp process for nitrobenzene reduction to aniline

Aniline has numerous commercial applications. The largest application of aniline until September 2007 is for the preparation ofmethylene diphenyldiisocyanate (85 percent), an intermediate material in the production of rigidpolyurethane [1]. Other application of aniline is in rubber industry (9 percent), agrochemicals (i.e. herbicides, 2 percent), dye making and pigments manufacturing (2 percent) [2]. The principal use of aniline is in the dye industry as an intermediate component for producingazo dyes. NH2 group in aromatic amines is one of the chromophore groups in the dye formulation; and NH2 is also the member of auxochrome group which is necessary to impart the solubility and to increase the adherences property [3]. Preferable methods for nitroaromatic reductions are catalyst hydrogenation and Bechamp process.