Abstract: A process for prereforming natural gas containing higher hydrocarbons and methane, includes providing a reactor having a nickel catalyst; providing steam, hydrogen, and natural gas containing higher hydrocarbons and methane to the reactor; adding an oxidant to the feedstock, wherein the oxidant provides oxygen in an amount less than the amount required to partially oxidize all higher hydrocarbons to a mixture of carbon monoxide and hydrogen; reacting the oxidant with higher hydrocarbons; and forming a gaseous mixture containing methane, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, steam and hydrogen substantially free of higher hydrocarbons and oxygen. The gaseous mixture can be reformed. An apparatus for performing the process includes a reactor; a feedstock source containing steam, hydrogen, and natural gas comprising higher hydrocarbons and methane; an oxidant source; valves and pipes connecting the natural gas source, the oxidant source and the reactor; and a nickel-containing catalyst within the reactor.

Abstract: This invention pertains to an improvement in a process for the formation of secondary or tertiary amines by the catalytic reductive amination of a nitrile with a primary amine. The catalyst employed in the improved reductive amination process is one that has been promoted with an acidic promoter preferably a solid phase acidic promoter.

Abstract: An improved process for producing an atmosphere suitable for carburizing steel components by adding a small amount of oxygen to a mixture of natural gas and carbon dioxide, pre-heating the mixture to the desired reaction temperature in the presence of an inert material or a non-nickel-based catalyst that promotes the reaction between oxygen and natural gas without forming coke to avoid catalyst deactivation by coke formation, and reacting natural gas with carbon dioxide at high temperature in the presence of a catalyst.

Abstract: This invention pertains to an improvement in a process for the formation of secondary or tertiary amines by the catalytic reductive amination of a nitrile with a primary or secondary amine and, particularly to the reductive amination of C8-20 nitrites with a secondary amine. The catalyst employed in the improved reductive amination process is one which has been promoted with a lithium salt or base, e.g., lithium chloride or lithium hydroxide.

Abstract: This invention relates to an improvement in a process for the catalytic hydrogenation of aromatic amines and to the resultant catalyst. The basic process for hydrogenating both mononuclear and polynuclear aromatic amines comprises contacting an aromatic amine with hydrogen in the presence of a rhodium catalyst under conditions for effecting ring hydrogenation. The improvement in the ring hydrogenation process resides in the use of a rhodium catalyst carried on a lithium aluminate support. Often ruthenium is included.

Abstract: New compounds, represented by the formulae I and II, ##STR1## wherein R.sub.1, R.sub.2, and R.sub.3, are independently C.sub.3 or C.sub.4, substituted or unsubstituted alkylene groups, are useful for catalyzing the reaction between an organic polyisocyanate and a compound containing a reactive hydrogen to form polyurethanes.

Abstract: This invention relates to an improved hydrogenation and isomerization process wherein aromatic amines are hydrogenated to their ring hydrogenated counterparts and substantially isomerized to their thermodynamic form. These aromatic amines are presented by the formulas: ##STR1## wherein R is hydrogen or C.sub.1-6 alkyl, R1 and R2 are hydrogen or C.sub.1-6 aliphatic, A is C.sub.1-4 or NH; n is 0-2, x is 1-3 and y is 0 to 2 except the sum of the y groups must be at least 1.

Abstract: This invention relates to an isomerization process wherein hydrogenated aromatic amines are substantially isomerized to their thermodynamic form. These hydrogenated aromatic amines are presented by the formulas: ##STR1## wherein R is hydrogen or C.sub.1-6 aliphatic, R1 and R2 are hydrogen or C.sub.1-6 aliphatic, A is C.sub.1-4 or NH; n is 0-2, x is 1-3 and y is 1 to 2 except the sum of the y groups in Formula I may be 1.The improvement in the process comprises using a catalytic system comprising cobalt preferably in combination with another Group VIII metal selected from rhodium, ruthenium, platinum, and palladium and the metal, copper. Preferably the catalyst comprises cobalt in combination with rhodium or ruthenium wherein the weight ratio of cobalt to rhodium or ruthenium, calculated on metal content, is from about 0.2 to 100 weight parts cobalt per weight part rhodium or ruthenium and the isomerization is carried out in the presence of hydrogen.

Abstract: A process for preparing triethylenediamine and piperazine by passing an ethanolamine, ethyleneamine, piperazine or morpholine over a pentasil-type zeolite at elevated temperature characterized by employing a ZSM-5 zeolite in the hydrogen or ammonium form which has been treated with a passivating agent which is a silicon-containing compound capable of deactivating the acidic sites on the zeolite surface.

Abstract: A process for the production of aliphatic amines by reacting aliphatic alcohols with an amino compound in the presence of a catalyst containing at least two inter-dispersed metals, in a multi-metallic structure, in which at least one of the metals is nickel or cobalt, and at least one other metal is palladium, platinum, rhodium, ruthenium, or copper.

Abstract: A process for the production of predominantly primary and secondary amines and little or no tertiary amines by the reductive amination of aliphatic alcohols using a metal exchanged crystalline aluminosilicate catalyst. The catalyst has a silica/alumina ratio ranging from about 10:1 to 40:1, contains about 1 to 10% by weight of cobalt or nickel and about 0.05 to 5% by weight of at least one other metal. High conversion rates are achieved at moderate temperatures and pressures.

Abstract: Acetonitrile is produced directly from alkanes or alkenes by ammoxidation over a catalyst which is a silica-alumina exchanged with a metal of Period 4, Groups VIIA and VIII of the Periodic Table. The silica-alumina can be amorphous but is preferably crystalline zeolite. Preferred zeolite include ZSM-5, beta, NU-87 and USY. Cobalt is the favored metal for exchange. Particularly good results are obtained when the zeolite has been modified with a surface coating of silicon oxides prior to the metal exchange or modified with a boron or phosphorous containing compound followed by calcination. Ammoxidation of alkanes produce alkenes as a byproduct which can be recycled to the reaction to increase acetonitrile yield.

Abstract: A process for preparing triethylenediamine by passing an amine compound over a catalyst at elevated temperature to afford a reaction product containing triethylenediamine and piperazine, the amine compound having, in the molecule, a moiety represented by the following general formula ##STR1## where R.sup.1, R.sup.2, R.sup.3 and R.sup.4 are independently a hydrogen atom or an alkyl group having 1 to 4 carbon atoms and X is oxygen or nitrogen characterized by adding an ethylating compound containing at least one nitrogen and/or oxygen atom to the reaction product and contacting the reaction product, under conditions sufficient to produce triethylenediamine from the ethylating compound and piperazine, with a condensation/cyclization shape-selective zeolite catalyst demonstrating a triethylenediamine/piperazine weight ratio uptake value of at least 6:1.

Abstract: A process for preparing triethylenediamine by passing an ethanolamine, ethyleneamine, piperazine or morpholine over a pentasil-type zeolite at elevated temperature characterized by employing a ZSM-5 zeolite in the hydrogen or ammonium form which has been pretreated with an aqueous solution of a chelating agent capable of forming a chelate-aluminum complex.

Abstract: A process for preparing triethylenediamine by passing an ethanolamine, ethyleneamine, piperaziHe or morpholine over a pentasil-type zeolite at elevated temperature characterized by employing a ZSM-5 zeolite in the hydrogen or ammonium form which has been pretreated with an aqueous caustic solution.

Abstract: Improved selectivity to tertiary amine production is obtained by the addition of an aliphatic or aromatic halide to the feed during the catalytic hydrogenation of saturated or unsaturated aliphatic or cycloaliphatic nitriles.