Preparation of polyalkylene polyamines

Abstract

An improved process for selectively preparing a predominantly noncyclic polyalkylene polyamine compound is disclosed wherein an alkyleneamine compound is contacted with an alkanolamine compound in the presence of a phosphorus-containing cation exchange resin at a temperature of from about 250.degree. C. to about 400.degree. C. under a pressure sufficient to maintain the mixture essentially in liquid phase and the polyalkylene polyamine is then recovered from the resultant reaction mixture. In a preferred embodiment ethylenediamine is contacted with monoethanolamine to produce a predominantly linear polyethylene polyamine product with very low yields of heterocyclic amine materials. The desired polyethylene polyamines produced can be directly recovered from the reaction products by known purification procedures.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.