Process for the production of aliphatic nitriles from olefins using solid acid reacting boron phosphate or titanium phosphate catalysts

Claim 1

IN A PROCESS FOR THE PRODUCTION OF AN ALIPHATIC NITRILE SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF ACRYLONITRILE AND METHACRYLONITRILE BY THE REACTION OF AN OLEFIN OF THE GROUP CONSISTING OF PROPYLENE AND ISOBUTYLENE, RESPECTIVELY, WITH AMMONIA AND MOLECULAR OXYGEN IN THE GASEOUS PHASE AT A TEMPERATURE BETWEEN 300 AND 700*C. IN THE PRESENCE OF A CATALYST, THE IMPROVEMENT WHEREIN SAID CATALYST CONSISTS OF 90-99% BY WEIGHT OF GRANULES OF AN ACID REACTING SOLID PHOSPHORIC ACID CATALYST SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF BORON PHOSPHATE AND TITANIUM PHOSPHATE HAVING A PHOSPHORIC ACID CONTENT, CALCULATED AND P2O5, OF BETWEEN 30-75% BY WEIGHT AND FROM 10-1% BY WEIGHT OF AT LEAST ONE ACTIVATOR WHOSE CATION IS SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF IRON, COBALT, COPPER, BISMUTH, ALUMINUM, MOLYBDENUM AND TUNGSTEN AND WHOSE ANION IS SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF PHOSPHATE, PHOSPHOMOLYBDATE AND PHOSPHONTUNGSTENATE.