Patent ID: 7728175

Claim:
A process for making a poly(trimethylene ether)diamine of the formula comprising: a) contacting poly(trimethylene ether)glycol of the formula with thionyl halide and optionally with dimethylformamide, optionally in the presence of a solvent, at a temperature of less than about 25° C. to form a reaction mixture; b) raising the temperature of the reaction mixture to a temperature of 50 to 150° C. and holding the reaction mixture at the raised temperature for about 2 to 24 hours; c) forming a poly(trimethylene ether)halide of the formula wherein X is Cl or Br; d) combining the poly(trimethylene ether) with 1-10 molar equivalents of alkali metal azide in the presence of a solvent at a temperature of 25 to 200° C. to form a poly(trimethylene ether)azide of the formula and e) contacting the poly(trimethylene ether)azide with a reducing agent, or under hydrogen gas with catalytic amount of catalyst, in a solvent or solvent mixture, at a pressure of about 15 to 500 psi and at a temperature of 25 to 200° C., to form a poly(trimethylene ether)amine of the structure wherein n is 4 to 170.