摘要 |
A process for recovering lactam from a mixture of lactam and sulphuric acid is disclosed, wherein the mixture of lactam and sulphuric acid, such as that produced in a Beckmann rearrangement is partially neutralized and diluted by the addition of ammonia water. The amount of ammonia added is such that the molar ratio (NH4)2SO4/(NH4)2SO4 + H2SO4 is about 0.30:1 to 0.65:1. The amount of water added is from 3 to about 10 moles of water per mole of sulphur trioxide originally present. The lactam is separated from the partially neutralized sulphuric acid by counter-current extraction with a water immiscible organic lactam solvent.
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