Color stabilization of amines

1) A process for producing a color-stable tertiary amine product comprising the steps of:

• a) providing a distillation apparatus having a boiling pot portion, a condenser, and a receiver;
• b) providing a major amount of a desired tertiary amine product in said boiling pot, said tertiary amine having the chemical structure:
• 8
• in which x may be any integer between 1 and 8, including 1 and 8;
• wherein R1 may be hydrogen, hydroxy, or the group:
• 9
• wherein Y may be:
• i) hydrogen;
• ii) any alkyl group, whether straight-chain, branched, or cyclic containing between 1 and 10 carbon atoms, including 1 and 10;
• or iii) the group —(CH2)xOH in which x may be any integer between 1 and 8, including 1 and 8;
• and wherein Z may be may be:
• i) hydrogen;
• ii) any alkyl group, whether straight-chain, branched, or cyclic containing between 1 and 10 carbon atoms, including 1 and 10;
• iii) the group—(CH2)xOH in which x may be any integer between 1 and 8, including 1 and 8;
• or iv) an aminoalkyl group defined by the formula:
• 10
• in which m may be any integer between 1 and 6, including 1 and 6;
• and S and T are each independently selected from the group consisting of:
• hydrogen, or any C 1 to C6 alkyl group;
• and R2, and R3 may each independently be:
• i) hydrogen;
• ii) any alkyl group, whether straight-chain, branched, or cyclic containing between 1 and 10 carbon atoms, including 1 and 10;
• or iii) the group—(CH2)xOH in which x may be any integer between 1 and 8, including 1 and 8;
• c) providing a minor amount of an ethyleneamine derivative which has a boiling point higher than said desired tertiary amine product at standard temperature and pressure, said ethyleneamine derivative being selected from the group consisting of:
• ethylenediamine;
• aminoethylethanolamine;
• diethylenetriamine;
• triethylenetetramine;
• tetraethylenepentamine;
• pentaethylenehexamine;
• 1,2-propylenediamine;
• N-(2-hydroxypropyl)ethylenediamine;
• N-(2-hydroxybutyl)ethylenediamine;
• N-(2-hydroxyethyl)-1,2-propylenediamine;
• N-(2-hydroxypropyl)-1,2-propylenediamine;
• and N-(2-hydroxybutyl)-1,2-propylenediamine in said boiling pot;
• d) providing heat to said boiling pot portion so as to cause vaporization of said desired tertiary amine product and its subsequent condensation in said condensor to yield a liquid tertiary amine product;
• and
• e) collecting said liquid tertiary amine product in said receiver,
• wherein said ethyleneamine derivative is present in said pot portion in any amount between about 0.001% and about 20% by weight based on the total amount of tertiary amine present in said pot portion.