Process for preparing a mixture of methyl- or ethyl-substituted primary anilines

Claim 1

A process for preparing an isomeric mixture of an alkyl-substituted aniline having the formula ##STR5## wherein R is a methyl or ethyl group, n is 1 or 2 when R is methyl, and n is 1 when R is ethyl, the process consisting essentially of contacting at least one compound of formula I with a zeolite catalyst at a temperature of from about 250° to 500° C. and at a pressure of from about 10 kPa to 10 MPa, said zeolite catalyst .[.having pores with dimensions of from about 0.5 nm to less than about 0.7 nm and having cages with dimensions no greater than about 0.7 nm.]. .Iadd.selected from the group consisting of HZSM-4, HZSM-5, HZSM-8, HZSM-11, HZSM-34, HZSM-35, HZSM-47, H-β, H-L, NaZSM-5, NaZSM-12, H-mordenite and H-offretite and a mixture thereof when n=1 and selected from the group consisting of HZSM-5, HZSM-8, HZSM-11, and HZSM-34 and a mixture thereof when n=2.Iaddend., with the proviso that when R is methyl and n=2 the formula I anilines can only be 2,4-, 2,5- and 3,4-dimethylanilines.