Process for the conversion of ethanolamine

Claim 1

CONTINUOUS PROCESS FOR THE CONVERSION OF ETHANOLAMINE INTO MULTIPLE-NITROGEN-CONTAINING PRODUCTS THAT ARE SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF ETHYLENE DIAMINE, POLYETHYLENE POLYAMINES AND PIPERAZINE WHICH COMPRISES CONTINUOUSLY PASSING A STREAM OF ETHANOLAMINE AND AMMONIA, WHEREIN NOT MORE THAN 4 UNIT WEIGHT PARTS PER HOUR OF ETHANOLAMINE ARE CONTAINED AND THE MOLAR RATIO OF AMMONIA TO ETHANOLAMINE IS AT LEAST ABOUT 3:1, RESPECTIVELY, UNDER PRESSURE OF BETWEEN ABOUT 1,000 AND 2,500 POUNDS PER SQUARE INCH OVER A FIXED BED CONTAINING ABOUT ONE PART BY UNIT WEIGHT OF A METAL HYDROGENATION CATALYST SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF NICKEL, COBALT, COPPER CHROMITE, PLATINUM AND PALLADIUM HYDROGENERATION CATALYST WHILE SAID STREAM IS BEING MAINTAINED AT AN ELEVATED TEMPERATURE OF BETWEEN ABOUT 150 AND 225*C. AND THE RESIDENCE TIME OF THE ETHANOLAMINE BEING CONVERTED WITH THE FIXED BED OF CATALYST DOES NOT EXCEED ABOUT AN HOUR TO CONVERT THE ETHANOLAMINE INTO SAID PRODUCTS; CONTINUOUSLY WITHDRAWING A STREAM COMPRISED OF THE CONVERTED ETHANOLAMINE FROM THE FIXED BED OF CATALYST; AND THEREAFTER SEPARATING THE NITROGEN-CONTAINING PRODUCTS FROM THE STREAM OF THE CONVERTED ETHANOLAMINE.