Polyalkylene polyamines via vapor phase reaction

Claim 1

In a process for preparing a noncyclic polyalkylene polyamine which comprises contacting: (a) ammonia, (b) an alkyleneamine compound having two primary amino groups of the general formula: ##STR6## wherein R is hydrogen or a lower alkyl (C 1 -C 4 ) radical, x is a number from 2 to about 6, and y is a number from 1 to about 4, and (C) an alkanolamine compound having primary or secondary hydroxyl groups of the general formula: ##STR7## wherein R is hydrogen or a lower alkyl (C 1 -C 4 ) radical, x is a number from 2 to about 6, and y is a number from 0 to about 3; in the presence of an effective amount of an acidic catalyst and at a reaction temperature and reaction pressure sufficient to effect reaction between the ammonia, alkanolamine compound, and the alkyleneamine compound, the improvement for effecting said reaction under vapor phase conditions while maintaining high selectivity which comprises: establishing a reaction zone containing a catalytic bed comprising a solid phase acidic catalyst; contacting said bed with reactant ammonia, alkanolamine compound and alkyleneamine, and maintaining sufficient ammonia in the reaction zone such that the dew point temperature of the reactor contents is below the reaction temperature at reaction pressure.