CONVERSION OF OXYGEN-CONTAINING POLYAMINES

• Main Authors: DOUMAUX, ARTHUR R., JR, GIBSON, CHARLES A, SCHRECK, DAVID J
• Format: Patent
• Language: English; French
• Published: 05.05.1992
• Edition: 5
• Subjects: ACYCLIC OR CARBOCYCLIC COMPOUNDS; APPARATUS THEREFOR; CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROCESSES, e.g. CATALYSIS OR COLLOIDCHEMISTRY; CHEMISTRY; COMPOSITIONS BASED THEREON; GENERAL METHODS OF ORGANIC CHEMISTRY; HETEROCYCLIC COMPOUNDS; MACROMOLECULAR COMPOUNDS OBTAINED OTHERWISE THAN BY REACTIONSONLY INVOLVING UNSATURATED CARBON-TO-CARBON BONDS; METALLURGY; ORGANIC CHEMISTRY; ORGANIC MACROMOLECULAR COMPOUNDS; PERFORMING OPERATIONS; PHYSICAL OR CHEMICAL PROCESSES OR APPARATUS IN GENERAL; THEIR PREPARATION OR CHEMICAL WORKING-UP; THEIR RELEVANT APPARATUS; TRANSPORTING

D-14873 CONVERSION OF OXYGEN-CONTAINING POLYAMINES Process for preparing polyalkylene polyamines by contacting an alkanolamine, such as, ethanolamine, and a reactive nitrogen-containing base which is ammonia or a primary or secondary amine, in a first reactor to produce an alkyleneamine, such as, ethylenediamine, and an aminoalkylalkanolamine, such as, aminoethylethanolamine, in the presence of a catalytically effective amount of an amination catalyst and at a temperature and pressure sufficient to form the alkyleneamine and aminoalkylalkanolamine. Then the alkyleneamine, aminoalkylalkanolamine, unreacted alkanolamine and unreacted nitrogen-containing base are reacted in a second reactor to produce the polyalkylene polyamines, such as, diethylenetriamine, in the presence of a catalytically effective amount of an amination catalyst, such as, a reductive amination catalyst or a phosphorus-containing catalyst, and at a temperature and pressure sufficient to form the polyalkylene polyamines. Preferably the phosphorus-containing catalyst is a Group IIIB metal acid phosphate. By controlling the relative amounts of the feed components, one can achieve a desired D-14873 molecular weight distribution and range in the polyalkylene polyamine product. The process has utility in the preparation of cyclic and noncyclic organic amines.