Process for preparing cyclohexane-diamines predominantly in the cis form

Claim 1

IN A PROCESS FOR THE PREPARATION OF CYCLOHEXANEDIAMINES PREDOMINANTLY IN THE CIS FORM, THE IMPROVEMENT WHICH COMPRISES REACTING, AS THE SOLE REACTANTS, IN CONTACT WITH A HYDROGENATION CATALYST CONTAINING RUTHENIUM AS THE ESSENTIAL CATALYTIC COMPONENT, HYDROGEN AT A TEMPERATURE OF 60 TO 125* C. UNDER A PRESSURE OF 30 TO 200 ATMOSPHERES AND AN ARYLENE COMPOUND OF 6 TO 7 CARBON ATOMS AND HAVING DIRECTLY CONNECTED TO THE ARYLENE RING A NITROGEN WHICH IS ATTACHED TO FROM ONE TO TWO ALKYL GROUPS EACH CONTAINING FROM ONE TO TWO FIVE CARBON ATOMS WITH ANY REMAINING VALENCE OF SAID NITROGEN BEING SATISFIED BY HYDROGEN, AND ALSO HAVING DIRECTLY CONNECTED TO SAID ARYLENE RING A MEMBER OF THE CLASS CONSISTING OF PRIMARY AMINO, NITRO AND NITROSO GROUPS, SAID RUTHENIUM HYDROGENATION CATALYST BEING PRESENT IN AMOUNT OF AT LEAST 0.5% OF THE WEIGHT OF THE AMINO COMPOUND HYDROGENATED.