Acrylonitrile (ACN) is a clear, colorless or pale-yellow flammable liquid with a sweet, pungent, irritating odor. It is soluble in organic solvents such as ethanol, ethyl acetate, carbon tetrachloride, and benzene, but is only partially soluble in water. Because of the presence of both a carbon-carbon double bond and a carbon-nitrogen triple bond in the same molecule, ACN is very reactive. Violent polymerization can occur in the presence of alkalis or peroxides, or upon exposure to light. Owing to its highly toxic nature, it must be handled extremely carefully and is typically shipped in carbon steel tank cars or trucks. The following overview of production technologies was developed from information in the public domain. ACN is produced commercially via the ammoxidation (an industrial process for the production of nitriles using ammonia and oxygen) of propylene or propane.
