Procedure for obtaining a ethylamine.

Procedure for obtaining an ethylamine by reacting ethanol with ammonia, a primary amine or a secondary amine in the presence of hydrogen and a heterogeneous catalyst hydrogenation / dehydrogenation, wherein an ethanol is used (bio-ethanol ) prepared biochemically or by biological means, containing the catalyst in the catalytically active composition, prior to the hydrogen activation step, 20 to 65% by weight of zirconium dioxide (ZrO2) and / or oxide aluminum (Al2O3) as support material, from 1 to 30% by weight of oxygen compounds of copper, calculated as CuO, and between 21 and 70% by weight of oxygen compounds of nickel, calculated as NiO, and presents after activation with hydrogen, absorptivity of CO> 110 umol CO / g catalyst, carrying out activation of the catalyst with hydrogen at a temperature in the range from 100 and 500 ° C for a period of at least 25 minutes.