San Fu Chemical Company, Ltd.

Yin-Zu Chen

I-Hui Chen

Zhang-Feng Yang

The present invention is related to a method for preparation of cyclohexylamine by hydrogenating aniline at a temperature of 150.degree. to 250.degree. C. under a hydrogen pressure of 1 to 20 atm in the presence of a catalyst selected from a chromium- or thorium- modified cobalt boride, wherein the amount of said modified cobalt boride is at least 0.6 wt % based on the weight of aniline. Compared with the prior art which used a conventional hydrogenation catalyst such as ruthenium, palladium, Raney cobalt or Raney nickel, the method adopted by the present invention has the advantages in that it can be performed under a relatively lower hydrogen pressure without necessity of adding any coupling inhibitors and a much higher aniline conversion and a higher or comparable selectivity to cyclohexylamine can be obtained, thus resulting in greatly increased yield of cyclohexylamine.

Growing community of inventors

Chung-Li, Taiwan

Yin-Zu Chen