Process to selectively manufacture diethylenetriamine (DETA) or other desirable ethyleneamines via continuous transamination of ethylenediamine (EDA), and other ethyleneamines over a heterogeneous catalyst system

1. A process for the manufacture of one or more ethyleneamines by a transamination reaction, comprising:

providing a first mixture comprising ethylenediamine and at least one additional ethyleneamine chosen from diethylenetriamine, triethylenetetramine, tetraethylenepentamine, piperazine, aminoethylethanolamine, aminoethylpiperazine, piperazinoethylethylenediamine, and heavy polyamine; and

reacting the first mixture in the presence of a transamination catalyst to provide a second mixture comprising ethyleneamines, wherein at least two ethyleneamines are each present in a first amount in the first mixture, wherein the at least two ethyleneamines are each present in a second amount in the second mixture, and wherein the first amount is different than the second amount for each corresponding ethyleneamine of the at least two ethyleneamines.

2. The process according to claim 1 , wherein the catalyst comprises:

a) a support portion comprising an acidic mixed metal oxide comprising a transitional alumina and a second metal oxide; and

b) a catalyst portion comprising nickel and rhenium, wherein:

the second metal oxide has a weight percentage that is less than the weight percentage of alumina,

the catalyst portion is 25 weight percent or less of the catalyst,

the catalyst portion comprises nickel in an amount in the range of 2 to 20 weight percent, based upon total catalyst weight, and

there is no boron in the catalyst portion.

3. The process of claim l, wherein all of the ethyleneamines in the first mixture are present in an amount that is different than the amount of the corresponding ethyleneamines in the second mixture.

4. The process of claim 1 , wherein the catalyst comprises:

a) a support portion comprising an acidic mixed metal oxide comprising a transitional alumina and a second metal oxide, wherein the second metal oxide has a weight percentage that is less than the weight percentage of alumina; and

b) a catalyst portion comprising one or more metals selected from the group consisting of cobalt, nickel, and copper,

wherein there is no, or less than 0.01 wt. % rhenium in the catalyst, and the catalyst portion is 25 wt. % or less of the catalyst.

5. The process according to claim 4 , wherein the catalyst portion is in the range of 3wt. % to 18 wt. % of the catalyst.

6. The process according to claim 4 , wherein the catalyst portion comprises two or three metals selected from the group consisting of cobalt, nickel, and copper.

7. The process according to claim 6 , wherein the catalyst portion comprises cobalt and nickel in a weight ratio in the range of 1:9 to 9:1.

8. The process according to claim 4 , wherein the catalyst portion comprises no rhenium, or less than 0.005 wt. % rhenium.

9. A process for the manufacture of one or more ethyleneamines by a transamination reaction, comprising:

providing a first mixture comprising ethylenediamine and at least one additional ethyleneamine chosen from diethylenetriamine, triethylenetetramine, tetraethylenepentamine, piterazine, aminoethylethanolamine, aminoethylpiperazine, piperazinoethylethylenediamine, and heavy polyamine; and

reacting the first mixture in the presence of a transamination catalyst in a fixed bed reactor to provide a second mixture comprising ethyleneamines, wherein at least two ethyleneamines are each present in a first amount in the first mixture, wherein the at least two ethyleneamines are each present in a second amount in the second mixture, and wherein the first amount is different than the second amount for each corresponding ethyleneamine of the at least two ethyleneamines.

10. A process for the manufacture of one or more ethyleneamines by a transamination reaction, comprising:

providing a first mixture comprising ethylenediamine and at least one additional ethyleneamine chosen from diethylenetriamine, triethylenetetetramine, tetraethylenepentamine, piperazine, aminoethylethanolamine, aminoethylpiperazine, piperazinoethylethylenediamine, and heavy polyamine; and

reacting the first mixture in the presence of a transamination catalyst to provide a second mixture comprising ethyleneamines, wherein at least two ethyleneamines are each present in a first amount in the first mixture, wherein the at least two ethyleneamines are each present in a second amount in the second mixture, wherein the first amount is different than the second amount for each corresponding ethyleneamine of the at least two ethyleneamines, and wherein the catalyst comprises:

a) a support portion comprising an acidic mixed metal oxide comprising a transitional alumina and a second metal oxide; and

b) a catalyst portion comprising nickel and rhenium, wherein:

the second metal oxide has a weight percentage that is less than the weight percentage of alumina,

the catalyst portion is 25 weight percent or less of the catalyst composition,

the catalyst portion comprises nickel in an amount in the range of 2 to 20 weight percent, based upon total catalyst composition weight, and

there is no boron in the catalyst portion.

11. The process according to claim 10 , wherein the transitional alumina comprises delta alumina.

12. The process according to claim 11 , wherein the transitional alumina further comprises one or more of gamma, theta or alpha alumina.

13. The process according to claim 12 , wherein the support portion comprises at least 50 weight percent transitional phase alumina.

14. The process according to claim 10 , wherein the transitional alumina comprises theta alumina.

15. The process according to claim 14 , wherein the transitional alumina further comprises one or more of gamma or alpha alumina.

16. The process according to claim 1 , wherein the second amount of at least one of the at least two ethyleneamines in the second mixture is greater than the first amount in the first mixture.