Catalytic dehydrogenation of mononitriles

Claim 1

A PROCESS WHICH COMPRISES CONTACTING IN THE VAPOR PHASE A MIXTURE CONSISTING ESSENTIALLY OF NITROGEN AND AN ALPHA-MONOCYANOALKANE CONTANING 3 TO 8 CARBON ATOMS WHEREIN THE ALPHA AND BETA CARBON ATOMS EACH HAVE AT LEAST ONE HYDROGEN ATOM ATTACHED THERETO, AT A TEMPERATURE OF FROM ABOUT 500* C. TO ABOUT 700* C. FOR 0.1 SECOND TO 20 SECONDS WITH A CATALYST WHICH IS ACTIVATED CARBON IMPREGNATED WITH A PROMOTER OF POROUS ALUMINA HAVING AT LEAST 50 SQUARE METERS SURFACE AREA PER GRAM IMPREGNATED WITH A PROMOTER, WHEREIN SAID PROMOTER IS FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF THE ALKALI METALS SODIUM, LITHIUM, POTASSIUM OR CESIUM OR THE CYANIDES, HYDROXIDES, NITRATES OR OXIDES OFF SAID ALKALI METALS, THE AMOUNT OF PROMOTER PRESENT IN THE CATALYST BEING EQUIVALENT IN METAL CONTENT TO AN AMOUNT OF THE OXIDE OF THE METAL OF FROM 0.1 PERCENT TO PERCENT OF THE WEIGHT OF THE ACTIVATED CARBON OR POROUS ALUMINA, AND RECOVERING THE CORRESPONDING ALPHA, BETA UNSATURATED MONO-NITRILE FORMED.