Higher alcohols for solvents in amine production
View Patent ↗A nitrile-containing mixture, which includes a nitrile dissolved in a higher alcohol solvent, and hydrogen are fed to a reactor containing a catalyst. An amine is produced by hydrogenating the nitrile that is dissolved in the higher alcohol solvent. In a preferred embodiment, the reactor also contains a caustic solution. The preferred nitrile-containing mixture includes octadecaneditrile (ODDN) and hexanol to produce a preferred octadecanediamine (ODDA) through hydrogenation.
1. A method for the production of an amine from a nitrile by hydrogenation comprising,
a) feeding hydrogen and a nitrile-containing mixture into a reactor having a sponge metal catalyst, said nitrile-containing mixture includes a nitrile dissolved in a higher alcohol solvent; and
b) hydrogenating said nitrile to form an amine.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein said reactor further includes a caustic solution including a caustic material.
3. The method of claim 2 , wherein said caustic material is an alkali metal hydroxide.
4. The method of claim 2 , wherein said caustic solution includes 25 wt. % of a caustic material in water.
5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the caustic material is a blend containing 50 wt. % sodium hydroxide and 50 wt. % potassium hydroxide.
6. The method of claim 1 , wherein said higher alcohol solvent is selected from the group consisting of C-5 to C-12 alcohols, diols, triols and aromatic alcohols.
7. The method of claim 6 , wherein said higher alcohol solvent is n-hexanol.
8. The method of claim 7 , wherein said nitrile is octadecanedinitrile.
9. The method of claim 1 , wherein said nitrile is selected from the group consisting of aliphatic nitriles, aromatic nitriles and their derivatives.
10. The method of claim 9 , wherein said nitrile is selected from the group consisting of proprionitrile, tallow nitriles and benzyl nitriles.
11. The method of claim 9 , wherein said nitrile is octadecanedinitrile.
12. The method of claim 9 , wherein said higher alcohol solvent is n-hexanol.
13. The method of claim 1 , wherein said amine is selected from the group consisting of aliphatic amines, aromatic amines, and their derivatives.
14. The method of claim 13 , wherein said amine is selected from the group consisting of hexamethylene diamine, benzyl amine, and tallow amines.
15. The method of claim 13 , wherein said amine is octadecanediamine.
16. The method of claim 1 , wherein said sponge metal catalyst is a sponge-type nickel catalyst.
17. The process of claim 1 , wherein said reactor is operated at a temperature of 75–150° C.
18. The process of claim 17 , wherein said reactor is operated at a temperature of 90–110° C.
19. The process of claim 1 , wherein said reactor is operated at a pressure of 50–500 psig.
20. The process of claim 19 , wherein said reactor is operated at a pressure of 100–500 psig.
21. The process of claim 1 , wherein said nitrile-containing mixture includes 50 wt. % of said nitrile and 50 wt. % of said higher alcohol solvent.