Hampshire Chemical Corp.

W. R. Grace Co.-conn.

Albert H Levesque

Gerald J O'Neill

Robert J Bulka

Process for the production of TMEDA in high yield by reducing 2,3-dimethyl-2,3-dinitrobutane with hydrogen in the presence of a chromium promoted Raney cobalt catalyst. A solution of 2,3-dimethyl-2,3-dinitrobutane in a suitable solvent is fed to a reactor while avoiding the accumulation of 2,3-dimethyl-2,3-dinitrobutane in the reaction medium, such as by feeding it at a rate no greater than its rate of reaction with hydrogen. In a preferred embodiment, the resulting TMEDA is recovered by converting it to an amine salt by sparging carbon dioxide through the solution.

Preparation of tetramethylethylenediamine

A method of stabilizing nitriles, and in particular iminodiacetonitrile (IDAN), ethylendiamine-triacetonitrile (EDTN), and especially nitrilotriacetonitrile (NTAN). The present invention also encompasses the resulting stabilized nitrile. The method of the present invention comprises contacting the nitrile with a mixture of silica and alumina, zeolites or glass.

Method of stabilizing nitriles

Polyamines are prepared via the batchwise hydrogenation of polynitriles by the gradual addition of the polynitrile into a fed-batch reactor which contains chromium promoted Raney.RTM. cobalt catalyst. The hydrogenation optionally is conducted in the presence of anhydrous ammonia. The polyamine product having amino groups which corresponds to the nitrile of the polynitrile is economically obtained in high selectivity and yield as the dominant product.

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Nashua, NH, United States of America

Albert H Levesque