Process of polymerizing higher lactams

Claim 1

A PROCESS FOR EFFECTING THE POLYMERIZATION OF A LACTAM CONTAINING AT LEAST 5 CARBON ATOMS IN THE RING, IN ADDITION TO THE AMIDE GROUP, COMPRISING HEATING THE LACTAM UNDER SUBSTANTIALLY ANHYDROUS CONDITIONS AT A TEMPERATURE OF FROM ABOUT THE MELTING POINT THEREOF UP TO ABOUT 250*C. IN ADMIXTURE WITH A CATALYTIC AMOUNT OF FROM ABOUT 0.05 TO ABOUT 5 MOL PERCENT, BASED ON THE LACTAM, OF AN ORGANOMAGNESIUM COMPOUND SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF A GRIGNARD REAGENT, THE REACTION PRODUCT OF A GRIGNARD REAGENT WITH AN AMIDE, THE REACTION PRODUCT OF A GRIGNARD REAGENT WITH A HYDROCARBYL PRIMARY AMINE, DIHYDROCARBYLAMINEMAGNESIUM, DIHYDROCARBYLMAGNESIUM COMPOUNDS, AND MAGNESIUM ALCOHOLATES, SAID ORGANOMAGNESIUM COMPOUNDS BEING CHARACTERIZED BY A MOLECULAR WEIGHT UP TO ABOUT 600, AND FROM ABOUT 0.05 TO ABOUT 5 MOL PERCENT, BASED ON THE LACTAM, OF A NITROGEN-CONTAINING PROMOTER COMPOUND IN WHICH THE NITROGEN ATOMS ARE TRIVALENT AND IN WHICH AT LEAST ONE NITROGEN ATOM IS DIRECTLY ATTACHED TO AT LEAST TWO RADICALS SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF CARBONYL, THIOCARBONYL, SULFONYL, AND NITROSO RADICALS AND NO PROMOTER COMPOUND HAS MORE THAN ONE NITROSO RADICAL DIRECTLY ATTACHED TO SAID NITROGEN ATOM, THE REMAINING BONDS OF SAID NITROGEN ATOM BEING ATTACHED TO A MEMBER FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF SAID RADICALS AND CARBON, THE REMAINDER OF SAID PROMOTER COMPOUND BEING COMPOSED OF ORGANIC RADICALS SUFFICIENT TO SATISFY THE REMAINING AVAILABLE VALENCES AND NO NITROGEN ATOM IN SAID ORGANIC RADICALS HAS MORE THAN ONE HYDROGEN ATOM ATTACHED DIRECTLY THERETO, AND SAID PROMOTER COMPOUND IS CHARACTERIZED BY A MOLECULAR WEIGHT OF UP TO ABOUT 1000.