PROCESS FOR THE PREPARATION OF SATURATED PRIMARY FATTY AMINES BY HYDROGENATION OF UNSATURATED FATTY ACID NITRILES

Process for the preparation of saturated primary fatty amines by hydrogenation of unsaturated fatty acid nitriles According to the new process, the hydrogenation of unsaturated fatty acid nitriles or mixtures of unsatu- rated and saturated fatty acid nitriles is carried out in the liquid phase in the presence of nickel catalysts or cobalt catalysts. In a first reaction step the fatty acid nitrile, in the presence of ammonia, is treated with hydrogenation hydrogen until all the nitrile groups are hydrogenated to predominantly primary amino groups. After the ammonia content in the reaction mixture obtained from the first step has been adjusted to a value of at most 0.1 mol of ammonia per mole of fatty acid nitrile used, a second reaction step is used to hydrogenate the double bonds present to saturated bonds. The desired primary and saturated fatty amine is obtained in a very high yield and has an iodine number of at most 5. HOE 90/F 916 Process for the preparation of saturated primary fatty amines by hydrogenation of unsaturated fatty acid nitriles According to the new process, the hydrogenation of unsaturated fatty acid nitriles or mixtures of unsaturated and saturated fatty acid nitriles is carried out in the liquid phase in the presence of nickel catalysts or cobalt catalysts. In a first reaction step the fatty acid nitrile, in the presence of ammonia, is treated with hydrogenation hydrogen until all the nitrile groups are hydrogenated to predominantly primary amino groups. After the ammonia content in the reaction mixture obtained from the first step has been adjusted to a value of at most 0.1 mol of ammonia per mole of fatty acid nitrile used, a second reaction step is used to hydrogenate the double bonds present to saturated bonds. The desired primary and saturated fatty amine is obtained in a very high yield and has an iodine number of at most 5.