Method for hydrogenating nitriles in the presence of a ruthenium catalyst carried on ZrO2

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10995057-B2
Application number	US-201716323578-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 1, 2017
Priority date	Sep 8, 2016
Publication date	May 4, 2021
Grant date	May 4, 2021

Abstract

The present invention relates to a process for hydrogenating nitriles with hydrogen in the presence of a ZrO 2 -supported ruthenium catalyst.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A process, comprising hydrogenating at least one nitrile compound in the presence of hydrogen and a fixed-bed ruthenium catalyst supported on ZrO 2 , wherein the fixed-bed ruthenium catalyst comprises 0.05 to 20 wt % of ruthenium, based on the total weight of the fixed-bed ruthenium catalyst.

2. The process according to claim 1 , wherein the process is operated continuously.

3. The process according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one nitrile compound comprises a dinitrile compound.

4. The process according to claim 1 , wherein the nitrile compound is selected from the group consisting of a cyanoethylated single alcohol, a cyanoethylated multiple alcohol, a cyanoethylated amine and an alpha-aminonnitrile.

5. The process according to claim 1 , wherein the hydrogenating does not occur in the presence of an added solvent.

6. The process according to claim 1 , wherein the hydrogenating occurs in the presence of ammonia.

7. The process according to claim 1 , wherein hydrogenation takes place at a temperature in the range from 20 to 200° C. and a pressure in the range from 20 to 300 bar.

8. The process according to claim 7 , wherein the process is operated continuously.

9. The process according to claim 8 , wherein the at least one nitrile compound comprises a dinitrile compound.

10. The process according to claim 9 , wherein the nitrile compound is selected from the group consisting of a cyanoethylated single alcohol, a cyanoethylated multiple alcohol, a cyanoethylated amine and an alpha-aminonnitrile.

11. The process according to claim 10 , wherein the hydrogenating does not occur in the presence of an added solvent.

12. The process according to claim 11 , wherein the hydrogenating occurs in the presence of ammonia.

13. The process according to claim 1 , wherein the fixed-bed ruthenium catalyst comprises 0.05 to 15 wt % of ruthenium, based on the total weight of the fixed-bed ruthenium catalyst.

14. The process according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one nitrile compound comprises a dinitrile compound, wherein the hydrogenating does not occur in the presence of an added solvent, wherein the hydrogenating occurs in the presence of ammonia, and wherein the fixed-bed ruthenium catalyst comprises 0.05 to 15 wt % of ruthenium, based on the total weight of the fixed-bed ruthenium catalyst.

15. The process according to claim 1 , wherein the fixed-bed ruthenium catalyst supported on ZrO 2 does not undergo significant deactivation when used continuously over 960 hours compared to a fixed-bed cobalt catalyst or a fixed-bed ruthenium catalyst supported on Al 2 O 3 .

Assignees

• Basf Se

Inventors

• Eidamshaus Christian
• Krug Thomas
• Melder Johann-Peter
• Pastre Joerg
• Bebensee Regine Helga
• Jaegli Stephanie

Classifications

• C07C211/14

  Amines containing amino groups bound to at least two aminoalkyl groups, e.g. diethylenetriamines · CPC title

• B01J21/066

  Zirconium or hafnium; Oxides or hydroxides thereof · CPC title

• C07C211/03

  Monoamines · CPC title

• C07C209/48 Primary

  by reduction of nitriles · CPC title

• C07C213/02

  by reactions involving the formation of amino groups from compounds containing hydroxy groups or etherified or esterified hydroxy groups · CPC title