Process for the preparation of carboxylic acid salts from primary alcohols

Abstract

The present invention provides a new and useful improvement in the process to manufacture a carboxylic acid salt, particularly an amino carboxylic acid salt, from a primary alcohol, particularly a primary aminoalcohol. The process of manufacturing amino carboxylic acid salts comprises contacting an aqueous solution of a primary aminoalcohol with a strong hydroxide base selected from the group consisting of an alkali metal hydroxide, an alkaline earth metal hydroxide, an ammonium hydroxide compound including a tetraalkyl ammonium hydroxide, or the like, in the presence of an effective amount of a catalyst. The catalyst comprises one or more of elements selected from the group consisting of copper, cobalt, nickel, and cadmium as well as optionally lesser amounts of chromium, titanium, niobium, tantalum, zirconium, vanadium, molybdenum, manganese, tungsten, cobalt, nickel, or mixtures thereof. The reaction mixture contains less than about 3000 ppm, preferably less than about 500 ppm, more preferably less than about 100 ppm of oxidized copper (Cu+ and/or Cu2+) during the reaction. The concentration of oxidizing agents in the reactants is minimized to prevent formation of oxidized copper from metallic copper catalyst.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.