Process for the preparation of polyoxyalkylene polyamines
AssigneeTexaco Inc.
InventorsJohn M. Larkin, Terry L. Renken
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An improved method for the manufacture of high molecular weight polyoxyalkylene amines wherein a hydroxy-terminated polyoxyalkylene compound having a molecular weight of at least 500 is reacted with ammonia in the presence of hydrogen and Raney nickel/aluminum under anhydrous reductive amination conditions to provide the corresponding polyoxyalkylene amine in good yield and selectivity. The Raney nickel/aluminum is a nickel/aluminum alloy treated with a base, such as sodium hydroxide, so as to only partially leach the aluminum from the alloy, such that the final product contains from about 60 wt. % to about 75 wt. % of nickel and, correspondingly, from about 25 wt. % to about 40 wt. % of aluminum and is preferably used in nugget form.
Claims19
A method which comprises contacting a hydroxy-terminated polyoxyalkylene compound having a molecular weight of at least about 500 with ammonia and hydrogen in the presence of a catalyst under anhydrous reductive amination conditions to at least partially convert said compound to the corresponding amine, said catalyst being a Raney nickel/aluminum catalyst containing about 60 wt. % to about 75 wt. % of nickel and, correspondingly, about 40 wt. % to about 25 wt. % of aluminum.
A method which comprises the steps of continuously contacting a hydroxy-terminated polyoxyalkylene compound having a molecular weight of about 500 to about 10,000 with from about 4 to about 150 mole equivalents of ammonia and from about 0.5 to about 10 mole equivalents of hydrogen under anhydrous conditions in a reactor containing a fixed bed of catalyst at a temperature within the range of about 150.degree. to about 280.degree. C. and a pressure within the range of about 500 to about 10,000 psig for a time adequate to convert at least a portion of said compound to the corresponding polyoxyalkylene amine,
- said catalyst bed containing a bed of Raney nickel/aluminum nuggets containing about 60 wt. % to about 75 wt. % of nickel and, correspondingly, about 25 wt. % to about 40 wt. % of aluminum,
- said Raney nickel/aluminum nuggets having a surface area of not more than about 25 m.sup.2 /g, a porosity of about 0.01 to about 0.03 cc/g. and a particle size of about 1 mm to about 20 mm;
- the oxyalkylene groups of said compound being derived from ethylene oxide, propylene oxide, butylene oxide and mixtures thereof.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.