| abstract |
Process for preparing a cyclic tertiary methylamine of the formula I n n n n n n n n n n n n where n A is a C 4 -alkylene group, a C 5 -alkylene group or a —(CH 2 ) 2 —B—(CH 2 ) 2 — group, where B is oxygen (O) or an N—R 1 radical and R 1 is C 1 -C 5 -alkyl, aryl or C 5 -C 7 -cycloalkyl, n wherein n an amino alcohol II from the group consisting of 1,4-aminobutanol, 1,5-aminopentanol, aminodiglycol (ADG) or aminoethylethanolamine of the formula IIa n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n where R 1 is as defined above or is hydrogen (H), in which case R 1 ═CH 3 in the amine I, is reacted with methanol in a reactor at a temperature in the range from 150 to 270° C. in the liquid phase in the presence of a copper-comprising heterogeneous catalyst. |