GB891067A - Improvements in the production of alcohols and amines - Google Patents

Abstract

A catalyst for use in the conversion of olefines, carbon monoxide and water to alcohols, and olefines, carbon monoxide, water and ammonia or primary or secondary amines to alkylated amines, comprises iron carbonyl and an amine, which form a complex in situ. Suitable amines for use in the catalyst are primary, secondary or tertiary amines either in the free state or as their salts. In the examples a catalyst consisting of N-n-butyl pyrrolidine and iron carbonyl is used for the production of butanol.ALSO:Alcohols or amines are formed by continuously reacting olefines, carbon monoxide and water or olefines, carbon monoxide, water and ammonia or a primary or secondary amine, respectively, at a temperature of 90 DEG C.-120 DEG C. and a carbon monoxide partial pressure of 2.0-7.0 atmospheres gauge, while using as catalysts complex iron carbonyl hydride compounds which are continuously formed during the reaction from iron pentacarbonyl and an amine. Under these conditions 12%-40% by weight of iron carbonyl compounds present are in the form of the pentacarbonyl. The iron carbonyl compound is usually added in the form of iron pentacarbonyl, but other carbonyls, e.g. the tetracarbonyl may be used. The process is used for the production of alcohols from olefines, carbon monoxide, e.g. propanol, butanol and pentanol and to the production of alkylated amines. Suitable primary and secondary amines for use in the production of alkylated amines are, for example, methylamine, dimethylamine, ethylamine, diethylamine, pyrrolidine, piperidine, aniline, p-phenylene diamine and also amines having additional functional groups, e.g. alanine, anthranilic acid and sulphanilic acid. In the examples propylene is reacted with carbon monoxide and water in the presence of iron carbonyl and N-n-butyl-pyrrolidine, to give butanol.