Ammonia → Methyl 6-aminohexanoate

Thereafter, 198.5 g/hour of a 10.0% strength methanolic methyl 5-formylvalerate solution and 46.4 g/hour of liquid ammonia were pumped through the reactor from below, while simultaneously passing through hydrogen, at 80° C. and under 100 bar. The reaction mixture passed from the top of the reactor via a condenser into a separator, from which 243 g/hour of product mixture and 22.6 l/hour of waste gas were removed. According to quantitative gas chromatographic analysis, the reacted mixture contained 7.22% of methyl 6-aminocaproate and 0.15% of caprolactam, corresponding to yields of 87.8% of methyl 6-aminocaproate and 2.4% of caprolactam, percentages being based on the completely converted methyl 5-formylvalerate.