Patent ID: 7615665
Filing Date: 2009-11-10
Classification: B01J,C07C,C07D

Abstract:
1. A process comprising: providing a starting material comprising ethylenediamine; and reacting the starting material in the presence of a heterogeneous transition metal catalyst to form one or more ethylene amines; wherein the catalyst comprises a catalytically active composition, which prior to treatment with hydrogen, comprises a mixture of oxygen-containing compounds of aluminum, copper, nickel and cobalt; and wherein the catalyst is present as one or more shaped catalyst particles selected from spheres, extrudates, pellets and other geometries, wherein the sphere or extrudate has a diameter of <3 mm, the pellet has a height of <3 mm, and the other geometries have an equivalent diameter L=1/a′ of <0.70 mm, where a′ is the external surface area per unit volume (mm s 2 /mm p 3 ), as defined by where A p is the external surface area of the catalyst particle (mm s 2 ) and V p is the volume of the catalyst particle (mm p 3 ).