Patent ID: 8536366

Claim:
A process for the continuous production of a compound of Formula (II), HO—R 1 —ONO 2 (II) wherein R 1 is a straight chain alkyl radical having from 3 to 6 carbon atoms, in a two-phase solvent system, comprising: (a) forming the two-phase solvent system by contacting a compound of Formula (I), HO—R 1 —OH (I) wherein R 1 is as defined above, with nitric acid in the presence of first and second immiscible solvents, (b) passing the two-phase solvent system under a flow condition through a mixing microreactor having an average hydraulic diameter and length to provide ΔW ≧1.3 ΔWs, wherein ΔW is a power loss of the reaction mixture flow at the flow condition through the mixing microreactor, and ΔWs is a straight-channel power loss of the reaction mixture flow at the flow condition through a circular cross-section straight-channel microreactor having an internal diameter equal to the average hydraulic diameter of the mixing microreactor and a length equal to the length of the mixing microreactor; and (c) in the mixing microreactor, continuously forming the compound of Formula (II) in the first solvent of the two-phase solvent system and extracting the formed compound of Formula (II) into the second solvent thereof.