Process of preparing aromatic polyamines by catalytic hydrogenation of aromatic polynitro compounds

Claim 1

IN THE CONTINUOUS PROCESS FOR THE CATALYTIC HYDROGENATION OF AN AROMAIC POLYNITRO COMPOUND IN THE LIQUID PHASE IN THE PRESENCE OF A NICKEL CATALYST TO YIELD THE CORRESPONDING AROMATIC POLYAMINE, WHEREING SAID AROMATIC POLYNITRO COMPOUND AND HYDROGEN ARE CONTINUOUSLY FED TO A REACTION ZONE CONTAINING AN AGITATED SLURRY OF NICKEL CATALYST, THE IMPROVEMENT WHICH COMPRISES SIMULTANEOUSLY AND CONTINUOUSLY (A) MAINTAINING THE REACTION ZONE SATURATED WITH HYDROGEN, (B) FEEDING SAID AROMATIC POLYNITRO COMPOUND TOTHE LIQUID PHASE AT A RATE EQUIVALENT TO A CATALYST LOADING OF NO MORE THAN ABOUT 0.15 POUND-EQUIVALENTS OF NITRO GROUPS PER HOUR PER POUND OF CATALYST IN THE REACTION ZONE, (C) MAINTAING THE CONCENTRATION OF SAID AROMATIC POLYNITRO COMPOUND IN THE REACTION ZONE BELOW ABOUT 0.1 PERCENT BY WEIGHT, (D) AND CONTINUOUSLY WITHDRAWING FROM THE REACTION ZONE THE LIQUID PHASE OF SAID SLURRY WHILE RETAINING SAID CATALYST IN THE REACTION ZONE.