Efficient Continuous Process for Manufacturing of 4-Aminodiphenylamine From Aniline and Nitrobenzene

摘要

An efficient continuous manufacturing process for 4-aminodiphenylamine by coupling aniline with nitrobenzene in the presence of tetramethylammonium hydroxide (TMAH) as a base, using flow reactors wherein base decomposition is considerably reduced by optimizing base quantity, process conditions and process equipment.

主权项

1. A process comprising the step of:
reacting aniline and nitrobenzene in the presence of TMAH as base and water in a continuous manner employing a series of continuous flow reactors under conditions suitable to produce at the flow reactors outlet a coupling reaction product including one or more TMA-salts of 4-NODPA and 4-NDPA along with one or more by-products including at least azobenzene, wherein a water to free TMAH molar ratio in the reaction product is at least about 3:1 and a water to total base ratio in the reaction product is less than 0.6:1.