GB560100A - Improvements in or relating to the manufacture of n-substituted amides - Google Patents

Abstract

Compounds containing an N-substituted amide group are prepared by bringing a vaporised mixture of water, a nitrile group-containing compound and an amino-hydrogen-containing amine into contact, for a time insufficient for substantial polymer formation, with a dehydration-type catalyst at an elevated temperature sufficient to maintain the reactants in the vapour phase but below that at which substantial cracking occurs. An aminonitrile may be used in place of the nitrile and amine to produce lactams. Open chain compounds are preferred, but aromatic, cyloaliphatic and heterocyclic amines and nitriles may be used. Catalysts include alumina, thoria, ceria, zirconia, chromium sesquioxide, blue tungsten oxide, titanium oxide, beryllium oxide, uranous oxide, vanadium oxide, silica, boron oxide, metal sulphates, phosphates, and silicates, phosphoric, silicotungstic, phosphomolybdic and borophosphoric acid, which may be used on carriers. In examples epsilon-caprolactam is produced from epsilon-aminocapronitrile, a cyclic 8 - membered lactam from 7 - aminoheptanonitrile, an 11-membered cyclic lactam from 10-aminocaprinitrile, and N-n-butyl-propionamide from N-butylamine and propionitrile. Dinitriles and diamides may be used to produce diamides and cyanoamides. A list of nitriles including butyl - (beta - cyanoethyl) - sulphide dinitriles, aminonitriles, and amines which may be used is given. Hydrogen sulphide and hydrogen selenide may replace a part of the water.