CATALYTIC AMINATION OF METHYL TERTIARY-BUTYL ETHER TO TERTIARY-BUTYLAMINE OVER PENTASIL MOLECULAR-SIEVES

Pentasil molecular sieves catalyze the addition of ammonia to methyl t ertiary-butyl ether to give tertiary-butylamine, By-products include m ethylamines, isobutene (IBE), methanol, and trace amounts of other org anic products. All analyzed products were confirmed through gas chroma tography-mass spectrometry identification. The ether amination reactio n proceeds under supercritical conditions (> 300 degrees C and > 19.3 MPa) in a batch autoclave reactor. A description of the supercritical state reaction thermodynamics is given and compared to that for ammoni a and IBE, two other low-cost raw materials for a new catalytic commer cial route to TBA. Details of the reactor and analytical system are re ported. The molecular sieve catalysts are characterized through elemen tal analyses, powder X-ray diffraction, and variable-temperature Fouri er transform infrared spectroscopy with adsorbed ammonia. A plausible catalytic cycle is presented for amination of a C-4 substrate to give TBA mediated by a molecular sieve surface.