Cyanoethylation of aromatic amines
AssigneeJefferson Chemical Company, Inc.
InventorsMichael E. Brennan, Ernest Leon Yeakey
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Abstract
An improved process is disclosed for the production of cyanoethylated aromatic amines comprising contacting an aromatic amine with acrylonitrile in the presence of a silica-alumina catalyst in a liquid phase reaction at elevated temperature. Aromatic polyamines are cyanoethylated according to the process of this invention to form a reaction product comprising poly-(N-monocyanoethylated) aromatic amines and poly-(N-monocyanoethylated) aromatic amines additionally having at least one cyanoethyl group attached to the nucleus of the aromatic ring.
Claims10
In a process for cyanoethylation of aromatic amines selected from the group of aromatic monoamines, aromatic diamines and polymethylene polyphenyl polyamines having an average functionality of from about 2.0 to about 3.0, with acrylonitrile, the improvement which consists essentially of contacting the reactants at a temperature of from about 80.degree.C to about 300.degree.C in the liquid phase in the presence of a silica-alumina catalyst having an alumina content of from about 5 to about 50 weight percent, the catalyst being present in an amount of from about 1 to about 20 percent by weight, based upon the aromatic amine, and recovering cyanoethylated aromatic amines from the reaction mixture.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.