Hydro-amination of low alcohols

The conversion of basic and renewable organic materials into valuable chemical products via simple processes is essential for generation of economic wealth. Value can be added to low value basic chemical materials produced in large quantities by converting them into speciality chemicals. The present study is an example. By-products of sugar industry, namely molasses and bagasses, can be used as a feedstock to produce valuable chemicals. By fermentation, molasses can be converted into a variety of organic compounds including ethanol, and other alcohols, lactic, glutamic and citric acids, glycerol and some antibiotics; Hydroamination of low alcohols (C2-C4) over Co/Si02 catalysts yielding amines, has been selected as an option to add value to these materials. This process involves reaction of alcohol with ammonia at temperatures ranging from 150 to 210°C and pressures of 18 to 200 bar in presence of hydrogen. Amines are of considerable industrial importance and find a huge application in almost every field of modem technology, agriculture and medicine, as intermediates and end products. Their commercial value is higher than that of sugar. A number of general mechanisms for the amination of alcohols over metal catalysts have been proposed, but the mechanism is still under discussion with some steps and/or intermediates not being conclusively proven. Most proposed mechanisms in literature assume the consecutive formation of the higher substituted amines.

Grantor dc:publisher.institution

Department of Chemical Engineering

Year dc:date.issued

2001

Author dc:creator

• Biquiza, Lucrécio Duarte

Advisor dc:contributor.advisor

• Van Steen, Eric

Language dc:language.iso

eng

Handle dc:identifier.uri

http://hdl.handle.net/11427/5352

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:open.uct.ac.za:11427/5352