Amines are prepared by reacting aldehydes or ketones at elevated temperature under elevated pressure with nitrogen compounds selected from the group of ammonia, primary and secondary amines, and with hydrogen in the presence of a catalyst containing copper, wherein the catalytically active mass of the catalyst contains, before the reduction with hydrogen, 20 to 85% by weight of oxygen-containing compounds of zirconium, calculated as ZrO.sub.2, 1 to 30% by weight of oxygen-containing compounds of copper, calculated as CuO, 14 to 70% by weight of oxygen-containing compounds of nickel, calculated as NiO, 0 to 5% by weight of oxygen-containing compounds of molybdenum, calculated as MoO.sub.3, and 0 to 10% by weight of oxygen-containing compounds of aluminum, calculated as Al.sub.2 O.sub.3.
Disclosed are catalysts, the catalytically active mass of which contains 22 to 40 percent by weight of oxygen-containing compounds of zirconium, calculated as ZrO.sub.2, 1 to 30 percent by weight of oxygen-containing compounds of copper, calculated as CuO, 15 to 50 percent by weight of oxygen-containing compounds of nickel, calculated as NiO, the molar ratio between nickel and copper being greater than 1, 15 to 50 percent by weight of oxygen-containing compounds of cobalt, calculated as CoO, and less than 1 percent by weight of an alkali metal, calculated as alkali metal oxide, prior to being treated with hydrogen. Also disclosed is a method for the production of amines by reacting primary and secondary alcohols, aldehydes, or ketones with hydrogen and nitrogen compounds selected from the group ammonia, primary and secondary amines, in the presence of said catalysts at an elevated temperature and an elevated pressure.
Monoisopropylamine is prepared by reacting acetone with ammonia and with hydrogen at elevated temperature and elevated pressure in the presence of a catalyst, wherein the catalytically active mass of the catalyst comprises, after its preparation and before the treatment with hydrogen, from 20 to 90% by weight of aluminum oxide (Al.sub.2 O.sub.3), zirconium dioxide (ZrO.sub.2), titanium dioxide (TiO.sub.2) and/or silicon dioxide (SiO.sub.2), from 1 to 70% by weight of oxygen-containing compounds of copper, calculated as CuO, from 1 to 70% by weight of oxygen-containing compounds of nickel, calculated as NiO, and from 1 to 70% by weight of oxygen-containing compounds of cobalt, calculated as CoO.
Process for preparing an amine by reacting a primary or secondary alcohol, aldehyde or ketone with hydrogen and a nitrogen compound selected from the group consisting of ammonia and primary and secondary amines in the presence of a catalyst whose preparation has involved precipitation of catalytically active components onto monoclinic, tetragonal or cubic zirconium dioxide.
