Method for the continuous production of an amine using an aluminum—copper catalyst

A process for the continuous preparation of a product by reaction of a primary alcohol having an aliphatic OH function with hydrogen and a nitrogen compound, at an absolute pressure of from 1 to 30 bar and at a temperature in the range from 170 to 300° C. in the presence of a catalyst comprising copper oxide and aluminum oxide, wherein the reaction takes place in the gas phase and the catalytically active composition of the catalyst before reduction with hydrogen comprises

• from 25 to 65% by weight of aluminum oxide (Al2O3),
• from 30 to 70% by weight of oxygen-comprising compounds of copper, calculated as CuO,
• from 0 to 2% by weight of oxygen-comprising compounds of sodium, calculated as Na2O, and
• less than 1% by weight of oxygen-comprising compounds of nickel, calculated as NiO,
• and the shaped catalyst body has a pellet shape having a diameter in the range from 1.3 to 2.8 mm and a height in the range from 1.2 to 3.2 mm, and
• wherein the reaction is carried out in a tube reactor in a gas recycle mode in which the circulating gas flow is in the range from 40 to 1500 m3 (at operating pressure)/[m3 of catalyst (bed volume)×hours], and
• wherein the product is 2-(2-di(C1-4-alkyl)aminoethoxy)ethanol, the primary alcohol having an aliphatic OH function is diethylene glycol, and the nitrogen compound is di(C1-4-alkyl)amine, or
• wherein the product is bis(2-di(C1-4-alkyl)aminoethyl) ether, the primary alcohol having an aliphatic OH function is diethylene glycol, and the nitrogen compound is di(C1-4-alkyl)amine, or
• wherein the product is bis(2-morpholinoethyl)ether (DMDEE), the primary alcohol having an aliphatic OH function is diethylene glycol, and the nitrogen compound is ammonia, or
• wherein the product is dimethylethylamine (DMEA), the primary alcohol having an aliphatic OH functional is ethanol, and the nitrogen compound is dimethylamine (DMA).