GB966264A - Production of alkyl pyridines - Google Patents

Abstract

Alkyl pyridines are prepared by heating together in the vapour phase, a mixture of formaldehyde, ammonia, an aliphatic ketone with two methylene groups adjacent to the carbonyl carbon atom, and a saturated aliphatic aldehyde with two or more carbon atoms in the molecule. The mixture may be heated at from 300-500 DEG C. and a condensation catalyst, e.g. silica, alumina or a mixture of silica and alumina, optionally with titania, zirconia, ceria or thoria, or compounds of zinc, cadmium, tin, lead, tungsten, nickel, cobalt, chromium, molybdenum, iron, palladium or silver. The aldehyde may be acetaldehyde, propionaldehyde and n-butyraldehyde, and the ketones, acetone, methylethyl ketone and diethyl ketone. Examples describe the production of pyridine bases comprising, 5-ethyl-2-methyl and 2-ethyl-5-methyl pyridine, 3,5-diethyl pyridine, 2,3,5-trimethyl pyridine, 2:5-, 3:5-, 2:6- and 2:4-butidine, a - and g -picoline, pyridine, 2-ethyl pyridine, and 2:4:6-collidine.