Process for the manufacture of gammaketocarboxylic acid nitriles

Claim 1

PROCESS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF Y-KETO CARBOXYLIC ACID NITRILES COMPRISING THE STEP OF CONTACTING A MIXTURE OF AN A-B-UNSATURATED KETONE SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF ISOPHORONE, MESITY OXIDE, 2-METHYL-CYCLOPENTENYL-METHYL-KETONE, 2 - ETHYL-CYCLO-HEXENYL-BENEZYLKETONE AND 2-BUTYL-CYCLO-HEXENYL-PHENYL-KETONE, AND HYD DROCYANIC ACID, WITH AN ALKALINE CATALYST SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF ALKALI METAL HYDROXIDES, ALKALINE EARTH METAL HYDROXIDES, ALKALI METAL CYANIDES, ALKALINE EARTH METAL CYANIDES ALKALI METAL OXIDES, ALKALINE EARTH METAL OXIDES, ALKALI METAL ALCOHOLATES DRIVED FROM ALKANOLS HAVING FROM 1-4 CARBON ATOMS, ALKALINE EARTH METAL ALCOHOLATES DRIVED FROM ALKANOLS HAVING FROM 1-4 CARCARBON ATOMS, ALKALI METAL PEROXIDES, ALKALINE EARTH METAL PEROXIDES, AND ALKALI METAL CARBONATES SUPPORTED ON A SOLID CARRIER SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF CLAY BODIES-V-ALUMIMUM OXIDE AND SILICA, SAID MIXTURE HAVING A HYDROCYANIC ACID CONTENT OF FROM APPROXIMATELY 5 WT. PERCENT AND NOT EXCEEDING APPROXIMATELY 10 WT. PERCENT OF THE TOTAL MIXTURE AT A TEMPERATURE OF BETWEEN 50 AND 350* C.