Low pressure process for manufacture of 3-dimethylaminopropylamine (DMAPA)

摘要

An improved process for the production of 3-dimethylaminopropylamine in high (>99%) purity from N,N-dimethylaminopropionitrile utilizing a low pressure hydrogenation process is described. The basic process comprises contacting the nitrile with hydrogen at low pressure in the presence of a sponge nickel catalyst under conditions sufficient to effect the conversion of the nitrile to the primary amine product. The improvement in the process resides in a combination of carrying out the hydrogenation process at low pressures and temperatures in the presence of a catalytic amount of caustic base in order to give an improved selectivity of greater than 99.60% of DMAPN to DMAPA.