METHOD FOR PRODUCING ETHYLENEAMINES FROM UNTREATED AAN

摘要

The invention relates to a process for preparing an ethylene amine mixture, which comprises the following steps: a) crude AAN which is largely free of formaldehyde cyanohydrin (largely FACH-free) is heated at a temperature of from 50 to 150° C. to give an amino nitrile mixture comprising aminoacetonitrile (AAN) and from 5 to 70% by weight of iminodiacetonitrile (DAN), b) hydrogenation of the amino nitrile mixture obtained in step a) in the presence of a catalyst. Ethylenediamine (EDA) and/or diethylenetriamine (DETA) and also, if appropriate, further ethylene amines can be isolated from the ethylene amine mixtures obtained.