Production of amines

Claim 1

IN A CONTIUOUS PROCES FOR THE PRODUCTION OF AN ALKALATED AROMATIC DAIMINE SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF PHENYLENEDIAMINE AND AMINO-DIPHENYLAMINE BY THE REDUCTIVE ALKYLATION OF AN AROMATIC COMPOUND HAVING TWO NITROGEN-CONTAINING GROUPS SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF AMINO-, NITRO- AND NITROSO-RADICALES WHICH IS SELECTED FROM BENZENE CONTAINING TWO SUCH GROUPS AND DIPHENYLAMINE CONTAINING ONE SUCH GROUP ADDITIONAL TO THE AMINO GROUP, SAID NITROGEN CONTAINING GROUPS BEING THE SOLE SUBSITUENTS OF SAID AROMATIC COMPOUND AT SUPERATMOSPHERIC PRESSURE AND TEMPERATURE WITH METHYL EHTYL KETONE, THE IMPROVEMENT COMPRISING RECYCLING FROM THE PRODUCT AN AQUEOUS DISTILLATION CUT COMPRISING THE WATER/ KETONE AXEOTROPE, DISSOLVING IN AID AQUEOUS DISTILLATION CUT THE NITROGEN CONTAINING ORGANIC COMPOUND EMPLOYED AS STARTING MATERIAL THEREBY OBTAINING A SOLUTION SUBSTANTIALLY FREE FROM WATER AND RETURNING SAID SOLUTION TO THE MAIN REACTION ZONE.