GB679014A - Improvements in and relating to the production of amines - Google Patents

Abstract

Amines are prepared by passing a saturated aliphatic primary mono-alcohol containing 2-9 carbon atoms or the corresponding aldehyde, or a saturated secondary aliphatic mono-alcohol of 2-9 carbon atoms or the corresponding ketone, or cyclohexanol or a homologues, or the corresponding ketone, containing up to 9 carbon atoms, or tetrahydrofurfuryl alcohol or tetrahydrofurfural, together with ammonia and hydrogen in the vapour phase, at a temperature of 180-240 DEG C., and a pressure of 10-25 atmospheres, over a supported copper catalyst or a foraminate copper catalyst which before use has been treated with an alkaline earth metal basic compound (see Specification 650,251, [Group III]. The foraminate catalyst may be prepared from a copper-aluminium alloy and the supported catalyst may be copper-on-kieselguhr, copper-on-zinc oxide, copper-on-alumina, or copper chromite. The alkaline earth compound may be calcium, strontium, or barium hydroxide. In an example, ethanol is passed with ammonia, hydrogen, and a little triethylamine over a foraminate copper-aluminium catalyst impregnated with barium hydroxide, giving a mixture of mono-, di-, and triethylamine. Other alcohols and ketones are listed as starting materials. Specifications 265,960, 334,193, [both in Class 2 (iii)], 588,256, 621,749 and 634,097 also are referred to.