GB728599A - Catalytic hydrogenation of nitriles to amines - Google Patents

Abstract

Organic nitriles are hydrogenated to their corresponding amines in the presence of a catalyst, using a hydrogenating gas which contains 10-200 parts by volume of carbon monoxide per million parts of hydrogen. Suitable catalysts are precipitated and pelletted salts of iron, cobalt or copper, or sintered oxides of these metals. The carbon monoxide may be introduced with the hydrogenating gas or may be derived from compounds added to the reactants or deposited on the catalyst. In examples, adiponitrile is hydrogenated to hexamethylenediamine using a cobalt catalyst (see Group III) at a temperature of 130-175 DEG C., a pressure of 100-700 atmospheres, and in the presence of ammonia. When using a fixed bed of catalyst, regeneration of the catalyst is effected by periodically stopping the introduction of carbon monoxide until the hot portion of the bed moves from the exit end to the inlet end.ALSO:In the catalyst hydrogenation of organic nitriles to their corresponding amines using a hydrogenating gas which contains 10-200 parts by volume of carbon monoxide per million parts of hydrogen (see Group IV (b)), the catalyst in the form of a fixed bed is regenerated by periodically stopping the introduction of carbon monoxide until the hot portion of the bed moves from the exit end to the inlet end. Suitable catalysts are precipitated and pelletted salts of iron, cobalt, or nickel, or sintered oxides of these metals. A cobalt catalyst is prepared by igniting precipitated cobalt carbonate to form the oxide, mixing with stearic acid ester to form pills, sintering in an oxidizing atmosphere, and reducing in hydrogen before use.