NOVEL PROCESS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF METHYL LIMONITRILE

摘要

The present invention is directed to a process for the manufacture of methyl limonitrile comprising a mixture of 3 7 dimethyl 2 6 nonadiene nitrile 3 7 dimethyl 3 6 nonadiene nitrile and 7 methyl 3 methylene 6 nonene nitrile comprising the following steps: a) reacting 6 methyl 5 octen 2 one with cyano acetic acid and removing carbon dioxide and water wherein the reaction and the removal of carbon dioxide and water are performed in the presence of a base and a co base in an organic solvent wherein the base is pyridine wherein the co base is 1 4 diamino butane and wherein the organic solvent is a solvent which forms a heteroazeotrop with water; b) removing the solvent and pyridine of the reaction mixture obtained after having performed step a) or step c) by distillation to obtain a reaction mixture; c) isomerizing the reaction mixture obtained after having performed step a) or step b) to obtain an isomerized reaction mixture; whereby step b) can be performed before or after step c).