Oxidative degradation of amines using a closed batch system

• Oxidative degradation of amines and amino acids in a new closed batch setup.
• Significant degradation was not seen for most of the amines/amino acids.
• Initial air in the system could not explain all of the degradation compounds.
• Degradation compounds formed follow the same pattern as described in literature.
• For MMEA methylamine and ammonia were found in the same order of magnitude.

Oxidative degradation experiments on five amines and two amino acids were performed in a new closed setup at atmospheric pressure. For most of the amines/amino acids significant degradation was not present under these conditions, except for MEA and MMEA. The degradation compounds found seem to follow the same patterns as described in literature. Volatile compounds as ammonia and alkylamine play an important role in understanding the initial degradation mechanisms. For MMEA, methylamine and ammonia were found in the same order of magnitude. Oxygen stochiometry of the degradation compounds could not be explained by initial air in the system. Oxygen in some of the degradation compounds could come from oxygen diffusing into the system as seen from proposed model and/or water reacting with iminium giving aldehyde and amine/ammonia. Temperature and dissolved metal seemed to influence oxygen and degradation rate for the MEA experiments.