PROCESS FOR PRODUCING CYANOVALERIC ESTERS AND CAPROLACTAM

摘要

Caprolactam can be produced with an economical advantage without formation of by-products in a high yield by subjecting adpic acid and adiponitrile to interchange reaction at an elevated temperature, adding an alcohol directly to the interchange reaction mixture without isolating the resulting cyanovaleric acid to esterify the cyanovaleric acid with said alcohol into a cyanovaleric ester, reducing the cyanovaleric ester with a catalyst into an aminocaproic ester, heating the aminocaproic ester in a polyhydric alcohol having a higher boiling point than that of caprolactam to convert the ester into caprolactam, isolating the caprolactam by distillation and recycling the liquid distillation residue to the system for heating said polyhydric alcohol and said aminocaproic ester.