EP0062542B1
EP0062542B1
EP0062542B1
Jà E u r o pEuropean
â i s c h e Patent
s Office © Publication number: 0 062 5 4 2
® E U R O P E A N PATENT S P E C I F I C A T I O N
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o Note: Within nine months from the publication of the mention of the grant of the European patent, any person may
give notice to the European Patent Office of opposition to the European patent granted. Notice of opposition shah
CL be filed in a written reasoned statement. It shall not be deemed to have been filed until the opposition fee has been
paid. (Art. 99(1 ) European patent convention).
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Courier Press, Leamington Spa, England.
This invention relates to an improved process for the preparation of aniline or substituted anilines by
the reaction of phenol or substituted phenols with ammonia or a suitable amine.
The present invention provides a process for converting phenol or substituted phenols into aniline or
substituted anilines which comprises reacting the phenol or substituted phenol with ammonia or a suitable
amine at a temperature of 204 to 649°C (400 to 1200°F), a pressure of 101 to 25331 kPa (1 to 250
atmospheres) and an LHSV of 0.5 to 50 in the presence of a crystalline aluminosilicate zeolite having a
constraint index from 1 to 12 and a silica to alumina ratio of at least 12.
Aniline is an important organic chemical from which many highly useful products can be produced.
Aniline is the simplest of the primary aromatic amines. Aniline and other aromatic amines can be prepared
by several prior art methods, for example, the reduction of nitro compounds obtained by direct nitration of
the benzene ring. Important derivatives of aniline include toluidines, xylidenes and n-alkyl, n-aryl and
n-acyl derivatives thereof.
Aniline was first produced in 1826 by dry distillation of indigo. Traditionally, it has been prepared by
nitrating benzene, then reducing the nitrobenzene with iron and hydrochloric acid such as in the reduction
of nitrobenzene with iron filings or borings and 30 percent hydrochloric acid; catalytic reaction of
chlorobenzene with aqueous ammonia in the vapor phase and the reduction of nitrobenzene with
hydrogen. Also a catalytic process using alumina is known wherein the organic amines are obtained by
ammoniation of phenolic-type compounds, see U.S. Patent No. 3,860,650. Additionally, phenol can also be
subjected to gas phase ammonolysis with the Halcon-Scientific Design process which employs high
temperatures and high pressures and is catalyzed by catalysts such as alumina-silica and mixtures of
manganese-boron oxides and alumina-titania or which are combined with additional co-catalysts such as
cerium, vanadium or tungsten. Although selectivity in such processes is as high as 90 percent, highly
undesirable by-products such as diphenylamine and carbazole are produced. U.S. Patent No. 3,272,865 is
drawn to a method of obtaining high yields of aromatic amines from hydroxybenzenes by catalytic
exchange of the hydroxyl group for the amino group in the presence of ammonia. It is also of interest in
that it uses silica-alumina, titanium-alumina, zirconia-alumina catalysts plus phosphoric acid and tungsten
oxide apparently as co-catalysts.
In accordance with the present invention, phenol or substituted phenols may be converted to aniline or
substituted anilines by passing ammonia or suitable amines over ZSM-5 type zeolite catalysts. The process
is highlighted by good selectivity to aniline with only minor amounts of undesirable by-products.
The phenols in accordance with the present invention may be aminated with ammonia or other
suitable amino-type compounds. In this process, by-products such as diphenylamine and carbazole are
suppressed or eliminated through use of ZSM-5-type zeolites, by virtue of their shape selectivity. Phenol or
any other suitable substituted phenol may be used in accordance with the present invention to produce
aniline or substituted anilines such as 2,4,6-tribromoaniline, iodoaniline, n-methylaniline or p-toluidine.
Ammonia or other suitable amine may be used to convert the phenol to aniline and N-substituted anilines.
Suitable amines include primary alkyl amines such as methylamine and ethylamine and also such alkyl
amines as tertiary-butyl amine.
Process conditions include a temperature of from 204°C to 649°C (400° to 1200°F), a pressure of from
101 to 25331 kPa (1 to 250 atmospheres) and space velocity of from 0.5 to 50 LHSV. The phenol or
substituted phenol and ammonia or a suitable amine may be reacted directly over the ZSM-5 type catalyst,
or a suitable solvent such as benzene may be used. By ZSM-5 type catalysts is meant crystalline
aluminasilicate zeolites having a constraint index from 1 to 12 and a silica to alumina ratio of at least 12.
The zeolite catalysts utilized herein are members of a class of zeolites exhibiting.some unusual
properties. The zeolites induce profound transformations of aliphatic hydrocarbons to aromatic
hydrocarbons in commercially desirable yields and are generally highly effective in conversion reactions
involving aromatic hydrocarbons. Although they have unusually low alumina contents, i.e. high silica to
alumina ratios, they are very active even when the silica to alumina ratio exceeds 30. The activity is
surprising since catalytic activity is generally attributed to framework aluminum atoms and cations
associated with these aluminum atoms. These zeolites retain their crystallinity for long periods in spite of
the presence of steam at high temperatures which induces irreversible collapse of the framework for other
zeolites, e.g., of the X and A type. Furthermore, carbonaceous deposits, when formed, may be removed by
burning at higher than usual temperatures to restore activity. In many environments the zeolites of this
class exhibit very low coke forming capability, conducive to very long times on stream between burning
r e g e n e r a t i o n s .
An important characteristic of the crystal structure of this class of zeolites is that it provides constrained
access to, and egress from the intracrystalline free space by virtue of having a pore dimension greater than
about 5 Angstroms and pore windows of about a size such as would be provided by 10-menibered rings of
oxygen atoms. It is to be understood, of course, that these rings are those formed by the regular
dispositions of the tetra-hedra making up the anionic framework of the crystalline aluminosilicate, the
oxygen atoms themselves being bonded to the silicon or aluminum atoms at the centers of the tetrahedra.
Briefly, the preferred type zeolites useful in this invention possess, in combination: a silica to alumina mole
ratio of at least about 12; and a structure providing constrained access to the crystalline free space.
The silica to alumina ratio referred to may be determined by conventional analysis. This ratio is meant
to represent, as closely as possible, the ratio in the rigid anionic framework of the zeolite crystal and to
exclude aluminum in the binder or in cationic or other form within the channels. Although zeolites with a
silica to alumina ratio of at least 12 are useful, it is preferred to use zeolites having higher ratios of at least
about 30. Such zeolites, after activation, acquire an intracrystalline sorption capacity for normal hexane
which is greater than that for water, i.e. they exhibit "hydrophobic" properties. It is believed that this
hydrophobic character is advantageous in the present invention.
The type zeolites useful in this invention freely sorb normal hexane and have a pore dimension greater
than about 5 Angstroms. In addition, the structure must provide constrained access to larger molecules. It
is sometimes possible to judge from a known crystal structure whether such constrained access exists. For
example, if the only pore windows in a crystal are formed by 8-membered rings of oxygen atoms, then
access by molecules of larger cross-section than normal hexane is excluded and the zeolite is not of the
desired type. Windows of 10-membered rings are preferred, although, in some instances, excessive
puckering or pore blockage may render the zeolites ineffective.
Rather than attempt to judge from crystal structure whether or not a zeolite possesses the necessary
constrained access, a simple determination of the "constraint index" may be made by passing
continuously a mixture of an equal weight of normal hexane and 3-methylpentane over a small sample,
approximately 1 gram or less, of catalyst at atmospheric pressure according to the following procedure. A
sample of the zeolite, in the form of pellets or extrudate, is crushed to a particle size about that of coarse
sand and mounted in a glass tube. Prior to testing, the zeolite is treated with a stream of air at 538°C
(1000°F) for at least 15 minutes. The zeolite is then flushed with helium and the temperature adjusted
between 288°C and 510°C (550°F and 950°F) to give an overall conversion between 10 percent and 60
percent. The mixture of hydrocarbons is passed at 1 liquid hourly space velocity (i.e., 1 volume of liquid
hydrocarbon per volume of zeolite per hour) overthe zeolite with a helium dilution to give a helium to total
hydrocarbon mole ratio of 4: 1. After 20 minutes on stream, a sample of the effluent is taken and analyzed,
most conveniently by gas chromatography, to determine the fraction remaining unchanged for each of the
two hydrocarbons.
The "constraint index" is calculated as follows:
The constraint index approximates the ratio of the cracking rate constants for the two hydrocarbons.
Zeolites suitable for the present invention are those having a constraint index in the approximate range of 1
to 12. Constraint Index (CI) values for some typical zeolites are:
It is to be realized that the above constraint index values typically characterize the specified zeolites but
that such are the cumulative result of several variables used in determination and calculation thereof. Thus,
for a given zeolite depending on the temperature employed within the aforenoted range of 288°C to 510°C
(550°F to 950°F), with accompanying conversion between 10 percent and 60 percent, the constraint index
may vary within the indicated approximate range of 1 to 12. Likewise, other variables such as the crystal
size of the zeolite, the presence of possible occluded contaminants and binders intimately combined with
the zeolite may affect the constraint index. It will accordingly be understood by those skilled in the art that
the constraint index, as utilized herein, while affording a highly useful means for characterizing the zeolites
of interest is approximate, taking into consideration the manner of its determination, with probability, in
some instances, of compounding variable extremes. However, in all instances, at a temperature within the
above-specified range of 288°C to 510°C (550°F to 950°F), the constraint index will have a value for any given
zeolite of interest herein within the approximate range of 1 to 12.
The class of zeolites defined herein is exemplified by ZSM-5, ZSM-11, ZSM-12, ZSM-35, ZSM-38 and
other similar materials. U.S. Patent No. 3,702,886 describes ZSM-5, ZSM-11 is described in U.S. Patent No.
3,709,979, ZSM-12 in U.S. Patent No. 3,832,449, ZSM-35 in U.S. Patent No. 4,016,245 and ZSM-38 in U.S.
Patent No. 4,046,859. This zeolite is, in one aspect, identified in the patent in terms of mole ratios of oxides
and in the anhydrous state, as follows:
Example 2
A charge stock comprising 75 percent phenol in benzene was fed (4 cc/hr.) along with liquid NH3 (7.5
cc/hr.) over 6 cc of the zeolite H-mordenite at 510°C (950°F) and 2859 kPa (400 psig). The conversion of
phenol was 96 percent in the first half hour, but dropped to 75 percent after 1-1/2 hours. Product
selectivities are compared with results from HZSM-5 under similar reaction conditions in the following
table:
It is clear from the data of this example that HZSM-5 is much more stable toward aging than
H-mordenite, and that at high conversions HZSM-5 shows superior selectivity.
Example 3
P-cresol and ammonia were reacted over HZSM-5 at 482°C (900°F) and a pressure of 2859 kPa (400 psig)
using a p-cresol WHSV of1.16 and an ammonia WHSV of 1.66. The conversion of p-cresol was 99.34 weight
percent. Product selectivities, in weight 'percent, are as follows:
Phenol was reacted with monomethylamine over HZSM-5 at 510°C (950°F) and a pressure of 2859 kPa
(400 psig), using a monomethylamine WHSV of 0.36 and a phenol WHSV of 0.56. The conversion of phenol
was 85.1 weight percent. Product selectivities, in weight percent, are as follows:
1. A process for converting phenol or a substituted phenol into aniline or a substituted aniline which
comprises reacting the phenol or substituted phenol with ammonia or a suitable amine at a temperature of
204 to 649°C (400 to 1200°F), a pressure of 101 to 25331 kPa (1 to 250 atmospheres) and an LHSV of from 0.5
to 50 in the presence of a crystalline aluminosilicate zeolite having a constraint index from 1 to 12 and a
silica to alumina ratio of at least 1.2.
2. A process according to claim 1, wherein the crystalline aluminosilicate zeolite is ZSM-5, ZSM-11,
ZSM-12, ZSM-35 or ZSM-38 and may be base exchanged, contain metal cations or be acidic in nature.
1. Verfahren zur Umwandlung von Phenol oder eines substituierten Phenols in Anilin oder ein
substituiertes Anilin, das das Umsetzen des Phenols oder des substituierten Phenols mit Ammoniak oder
einem geeigneten Amin bei einer Temperatur von 204 bis 649°C (400 bis 1200°F), einem Druck von 101 bis
25 331 kPa (1 bis 250 Atmosphären) und einer stündlichen Flüssigkeit-Raumgeschwindigkeit von 0,5 bis 50
in Gegenwart eines kristallinen Alumosilikat-Zeolithen mit einem Grenzwertindex (constraint index) von 1
bis 12 und einem Siliciumoxid/Aluminiumoxid-Verhältnis von wenigstens 12 umfaßt.
2. Verfahren nach Anspruch 1, bei dem der kristalline Alumosilikat-Zeolith ZSM-5, ZSM-11, ZSM-12,
ZSM-35 oder ZSM-38.ist und basenausgetauscht sein kann, Metallkationen enthalten kann oder von saurer
Natur sein kann.
1. Procédé pour transformer du phénol· ou un phénol substitué en aniline ou en une aniline substituée,
qui comprend la réaction du phénol ou du phénol substitué avec de l'ammoniac ou une amine convenable
à une température de 204 à 649°C (400-à 1200°F), une pression de 101 à 25 331 kPa (1 à 250 atmosphères) et
une vitesse spatiale horaire de liquide (VVH) comprise entre 0,5 et 50 en présence d'un aluminosilicate
zéolitiquè cristallin ayant un indice de limitation compris entre 1 et 12 et un rapport de la silice à l'alumine
au moins égal à 12.
2 . Procédé selon la. revendication 1, dans lequel l'aluminosilicate zéolitique cristallin est ZSM-5,
ZSM-11, ZSM-12, ZSM-35 ou ZSM-38, et peut avoir subi un échange de base, contenir des cations de
métaux ou être dé nature a c i d e .