Process for preparing methyl- and ethyl-substituted primary anilines

Claim 1

A process for preparing 2,6-dimethylaniline and p-toluidine or 2,4-dimethylaniline and o-toluidine, by transalkylation of 2,4,6-trimethylaniline and aniline, comprising contacting 2,4,6-trimethylaniline and aniline in the presence of a nonbasic metal oxide catalyst at a temperature from about 250° to 525° C. and a pressure from about 10 kPa to 10 MPA, characterized in that, when the catalyst is a silica-alumina, the process is selective for 2,6-dimethylaniline and p-toluidine and, when the catalyst is supported titania, zirconia, iron oxide, zinc oxide and Group V and Group VI metal oxides, the process is selective for 2,4-dimethylaniline and o-toluidine, with the proviso that where the catalyst is a zeolite it has pore dimensions of at least about 0.52 nm and cages with dimensions greater than 0.75 nm.