Nickel-copper-chromia catalyst and the preparation thereof

A physically-stable performed catalytic composition resistant to softening by water, ammonia or mixtures thereof, comprises, on an oxidefree basis, 60-85 mole per cent of nickel, 14-37 mole per cent of copper and 1-5 mole per cent of chromium. The composition contains at least 30% by weight of reduced nickel. The catalyst is produced by compressing or extruding into pellets a finely-divided mixture of the metal oxides, prepared according to known methods, in the required proportions with or without a dye lubricant, and passing hydrogen over or through the mixture at 250 DEG -400 DEG C. preferably 300 DEG -320 DEG C., until the weight per cent of metallic nickel therein is at least 30, preferably at least 35%. The catalyst is used to prepare heterocyclic nitrogen compounds, e.g. piperazine, morpholine and C- alkyl derivatives thereof. In the continuous preparation of such compounds, ammonia, with or without water or hydrogen, is passed over the catalyst at, e.g. 150 DEG -400 DEG C. and super-atmosphere pressure, together with compounds of formula where X is -OH or NH2, each R is hydrogen or a lower alkyl radical, and Y is X, ALSO:Heterocyclic nitrogen compounds, e.g. piperazine, morpholine and C-alkyl derivatives thereof are made by passing ammonia with or without water or hydrogen over a hydrogenation catalyst at raised temperature and superatmospheric pressure, together with compounds of formula where X is -OH or -NH2, R is -H or an alkyl radical containing 1-4 carbon atoms, and Y is X, , or In the preferred process, the temperature is 150-400 DEG C., hydrogen is used, and the proportion of ammonia is in excess of said compound in a mole ratio of up to 5:1. The catalyst (Group III) comprises, on an oxide-free basis, 60-85 mole per cent of nickel, 14-37 mole per cent of copper, 1-5 mole per cent of chromium, and contains at least 30% by weight of metallic nickel. Specified reactants which may be employed with ammonia are ethylene glycol, propylene glycol, diethylene glycol, dipropylene glycol, ethanolamine, diethanolamine, ethylenediamine, propylenediamine, isopropanolamine, 2-amino-propan-1-ol, 2,3-butylene glycol and 2-amino-3-hydroxy-butane.