Catalysts and method for the production of amines

• US 20050107637A1
• Filed: 03/07/2003
• Published: 05/19/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 03/14/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: BASF AG (BASF SE)
• Original Assignee: BASF AG (BASF SE)
• Inventors: Iselborn, Stefan, Hullmann, Michael, Melder, Johann-Peter, Gerlach, Till, Rudloff, Martin, Funke, Frank
• Granted Patent: US 7,183,438 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 564/471
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 23/70 of the iron group metals or copper
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 23/755 Nickel
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 37/03 Precipitation; Co-precipitation
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 37/06 Washing B01J37/0009, B01J37/0018 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C07C 209/16 with formation of amino groups bound to acyclic carbon atoms or to carbon atoms of rings other than six-membered aromatic rings
• CPC Class Codes: C07C 209/26 by reduction with hydrogen
• CPC Class Codes: C07C 211/03 Monoamines
• CPC Class Codes: C07C 213/02 by reactions involving the formation of amino groups from compounds containing hydroxy groups or etherified or esterified hydroxy groups
• CPC Class Codes: C07C 217/08 the oxygen atom of the etherified hydroxy group being further bound to an acyclic carbon atom
• CPC Class Codes: C07D 295/023 Preparation; Separation; Stabilisation; Use of additives

Abstract

Disclosed are catalysts, the catalytically active mass of which contains 22 to 40 percent by weight of oxygen-containing compounds of zirconium, calculated as ZrO₂, 1 to 30 percent by weight of oxygen-containing compounds of copper, calculated as CuO, 15 to 50 percent by weight of oxygen-containing compounds of nickel, calculated as NiO, the molar ratio between nickel and copper being greater than 1, 15 to 50 percent by weight of oxygen-containing compounds of cobalt, calculated as CoO, and less than 1 percent by weight of an alkali metal, calculated as alkali metal oxide, prior to being treated with hydrogen. Also disclosed is a method for the production of amines by reacting primary and secondary alcohols, aldehydes, or ketones with hydrogen and nitrogen compounds selected from the group ammonia, primary and secondary amines, in the presence of said catalysts at an elevated temperature and an elevated pressure.

Claims

1. A process for preparing amines by reacting primary or secondary alcohols, aldehydes or ketones with hydrogen and nitrogen compounds selected from the group consisting of ammonia and primary and secondary amines at elevated temperature and superatmospheric pressure in the presence of a catalyst whose catalytically active composition prior to treatment with hydrogen comprises

from 22 to 40% by weight of oxygen-containing compounds of zirconium, calculated as ZrO₂,

from 1 to 30% by weight of oxygen-containing compounds of copper, calculated as CuO,

from 15 to 50% by weight of oxygen-containing compounds of nickel, calculated as NiO, with the molar ratio of nickel to copper being greater than 1,

from 15 to 50% by weight of oxygen-containing compounds of cobalt, calculated as CoO,

and less than 0.5% by weight of alkali metal, calculated as alkali metal oxide.

2. A process as claimed in claim 1, wherein the catalytically active composition of the catalyst prior to treatment with hydrogen contains less than 0.35% by weight of alkali metal, calculated as alkali metal oxide.

3. A process as claimed in claim 1, wherein the catalytically active composition of the catalyst prior to treatment with hydrogen contains less than 0.2% by weight of alkali metal, calculated as alkali metal oxide.

4. A process as claimed in claim 1, wherein the catalytically active composition of the catalyst prior to treatment with hydrogen comprises

from 25 to 40% by weight of oxygen-containing compounds of zirconium, calculated as ZrO₂,

from 2 to 25% by weight of oxygen-containing compounds of copper, calculated as CuO,

from 21 to 45% by weight of oxygen-containing compounds of nickel, calculated as NiO, with the molar ratio of nickel to copper being greater than 1, and

from 21 to 45% by weight of oxygen-containing compounds of cobalt, calculated as CoO.

5. A process as claimed in claim 1, wherein the reaction is carried out at from 80 to 300°

C.

6. A process as claimed in claim 1, wherein the reaction is carried out in the liquid phase at pressures of from 5 to 30 MPa or in the gas phase at pressures of from 0.1 to 40 MPa.

7. A process as claimed in claim 1 for preparing amines of the formula I

8. A catalyst as defined in claim 1.

9. The use of a catalyst as claimed in claim 8 for preparing amines by reacting primary or secondary alcohols, aldehydes or ketones with hydrogen and nitrogen compounds selected from the group consisting of ammonia and primary and secondary amines at elevated temperature and superatmospheric pressure.