CATALYTIC AMINATION OF OCTANOL GAS - IMPACT OF THE URANYL-ION ON CATALYTIC ACTIVITY OF FAUJASITE Y

Y-faujasite previously impregnated with aqueous wastes containing mainly UO22+ cations (ca 1000 ppm) showed interesting catalytic activities in n-octanol-1 amination. The reaction was run in gas phase and the catalytic performances were investigated at the following operating conditions: temperature range, 250-500-degrees-C; normal pressure; ROH:NH3 mole ratio, 0.4-6; WHSV, 1.3-7.4 h-1; carrier gas, 0.25 ml s-1 of helium and 5 g of fixed bed catalyst. TDA patterns and IR spectra of NaUO2Y catalysts were compared with those of similar catalysts containing H+, Sr2+, Co2+, Tl+, Pb2+, La3+ or Ce3+ cations. It results that UO22+ cation presents the same features than those of any other cation, i.e. it is a precursor of Bronsted acidic sites. It was also postulated that uranyl ion does not decompose into uranium dioxide UO2. The activity and selectivity were correlated as being strongly dependent on percent Na substitution and consequently proportional to surface acidity. The main products are mono(MOA), di(DOA) and tri-octylamine(TOA) but the primary amine was predominant. The effects of the reaction temperature and of ROH:NH3 mole ratio are also discussed.