| abstract |
Aliphatic dinitriles are hydrogenated to aliphatic diamines, for example adiponitrile or 1,4-dicyano-butene are converted to hexamethylene diamine, by heating with hydrogen in the presence of a reduced cobalt borate catalyst. The catalyst is obtained by heating precipitated cobalt borate in the presence of hydrogen, and is made more active by treating, prior to reduction, with an aqueous solution of an alklai, especially an alkali metal carbonate. |