METHOD FOR PRODUCING ETHYLENE AMINES AND ETHANOL AMINES BY THE HYDROGENATING AMINATION OF MONOETHYLENE GLYCOL AND AMMONIA IN THE PRESENCE OF A CATALYST

• Main Authors: HOFFER BRAM WILLEM, SCHWAB EKKEHARD, PICKENAECKER KARIN, MELDER JOHANN-PETER, VAN CAUWENBERGE GUNTHER, PAPE FRANK-FRIEDRICH, KRUG THOMAS
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 29.01.2009
• Subjects: ACYCLIC OR CARBOCYCLIC COMPOUNDS; CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY; ORGANIC CHEMISTRY

A process for preparing ethylene amines and ethanolamines by hydrogenative amination of monoethylene glycol and ammonia in the presence of a catalyst, wherein a catalyst having an active composition comprising ruthenium and cobalt and no further additional metal of group VIII and also no metal of group IB is used in the form of shaped catalyst bodies which in the case of a spherical shape or rod shape in each case have a diameter of <3 mm, in the case of a pellet shape have a height of <3 mm and in the case of all other geometries in each case have an equivalent diameter L=1/a' of <0.70 mm, where a' is the external surface area per unit volume (mms2/mmp3) and: a ' = Ap Vp where Ap is the external surface area of the shaped catalyst body (mms2) and Vp is the volume of the shaped catalyst body (mmp3), is proposed.