Catalyst for the hydration of nitriles, and process for the hydration of acrylonitrile into acrylamide

摘要

1. A process for the preparation of a catalyst based on copper and vanadium for the hydration of nitriles characterised in that it is produced at ambient temperature in an inert atmosphere and comprises the following steps : a) dissolving in water a complexing agent capable of complexing copper II compounds in water-soluble form ; b) alkalinising the solution produced by an alkali metal hydroxide ; c) dissolving a compound of copper II in the medium obtained in step b) ; d) dissolving a water-soluble compound of vanadium in the medium produced in step c) ; e) dissolving a reducing agent for the copper II ions in the medium from step d) ; f) and recovering the catalyst formed after washing of the precipitate obtained ; the amounts of reactants used in steps a), b), c), d) and e) corresponding to : - a complexing agent/copper II compound molar ratio ranging from 2/1 to 10/1 ; - a base/copper II compound molar ratio ranging from 2/1 to 10/1 ; - a copper II/vanadium molar ratio of at least 6/1 ; and - an amount of reducing agent ranging from 100% to 300% of the stoichiometric amount.