Process for preparing secondary aminoether alcohols

Claim 1

A process for selectively producing a severely sterically hindered secondary aminoether alcohol comprising reacting: (a) a primary amino compound having the general formula R.sub.1 --NH.sub.2 where R 1 is selected from the group consisting of secondary or tertiary alkyl radicals having 3 to 8 carbon atoms and cycloalkyl radicals having 3 to 8 carbon atoms, with (b) a polyalkenyl ether glycol having the general formula: ##STR3## where R 2 , R 3 , R 4 and R 5 are each independently selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, C 1 to C 4 alkyl radicals, and C 3 -C 8 cycloalkyl radicals, with the proviso that if the carbon atom of R 1 directly attached to the nitrogen atom is secondary, at least one of R 2 and R 3 directly bonded to the carbon which is bonded to the hydroxyl group is an alkyl or cycloalkyl radical, x and y are each positive integers independently ranging from 2 to 4, and z is a positive integer ranging from 1 to 4, said process being carried out in the presence of a catalytically effective amont of a Group VIII metal containing supported hydrogenation catalyst at elevated temperatures and pressures, and wherein the mole ratio of amino compound to polyalkenyl ether glycol is less than 2:1 when z is greater than 1.