Manufacture of sulfenamides

Claim 1

A process for the manufacture of 2-benzothiazole-sulfenamides consisting essentially of: adding 10 to 30 percent by weight of a member selected from the group consisting of water, 20 to 60 percent by weight of ethylene glycol monoalkyl ether solvent, and a mixture thereof to one mole of 2-mercaptobenzathiazole and cooling the mixture to 8°-12° C.; adding dropwise 1.5 to 4 moles of a primary or secondary amine selected from the group consisting of morpholine, tert-butylamine, isopropylamine, diisopropylamine and cyclohexylamine to the mercaptobenzothiazole-water mixture while maintaining a temperature below 20° C.; adding 1.5 to 2 moles of an oxidizing agent selected from the group consisting of chlorine, alkali metal hypochlorites, and hydrogen peroxide slowly to the mercaptobenzothiazoleamine-water mixture while maintaining the temperature of the solution in the range of 25° to 60° C. until the oxidation is completed; cooling the oxidized reaction mixture to about 5° to 15° C. whereby the sulfenamide product precipitates; and recovering the sulfenamide product in substantially pure form.