Ammonia → 6-Aminohexanoic Acid

Participants

Reaction Steps

Such a process is described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,730,040. This patent publication describes a process in which first methyl 5-formylvalerate is hydrolysed in an aqueous medium to methanol and 5-formylvaleric acid. In a second step, the aqueous mixture obtained in the first step is contacted with ammonia and hydrogen in the presence of a hydrogenation catalyst. In this step 6-aminocaproic acid and a small amount of ε-caprolactam is obtained. The resulting aqueous mixture, which mixture will contain the methanol formed in the first step, is heated to a temperature between 150 and 370° C. at which temperature 6-aminocaproic acid reacts by cyclization to ε-caprolactam.

Provenance & Evidence