Process for producing hexamethylenediamine from 1-6-hexanediol

Claim 1

A CONTINUOUS PROCESS FOR PRODUCING HEXAMETHYLENEDIAMINE WHICH COMPRISES CONTINUOUSLY INTRODUCING 1,6-HEXANEDIOL, AMMONIA AND HYDROGEN INTO A REACTION ZONE CONTAINING A CATALYST SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF RANEY NICKEL, RANEY COBALT AND NICKEL ON KIESELGUHR IN THE FOLLOWING RATIOS: MOLE RATIO OF AMMONIA TO HYDROGEN OF ABOUT 4 TO 1 TO 30 TO 1 AND RATIO OF AMMONIA MOLECULES TO CARBON ATOMS OF ABOUT 1/3 OF 1 TO 5 TO 1; MAINTAINING SAID REACTION ZONE TO ABOUT 180 TO 220*C. AT ABOUT 1500 TO 4000 P.S.I.G.; PRODUCING BY REACTION OF THE CONTENTS OF SAID REACTION ZONE UNDER THE CONDITIONS EXPRESSED ABOVE AT LEAST HEXAMETHYLENEDIAMINE; REMOVING AND RECYCLING HEXAMETHYLENIMINE FROM SAID HEXAMETHYLENEDIAMINE PRODUCT; RECOVERING HEXAMETHYLENEDIAMINE AS AN OVER HEAT STREAM; AND RECYCLING THE BASE STREAM PRODUCT TO THE AMMONOLYSIS REACTOR.