To produce N.sub.2 O, ammonium nitrate is decomposed in an aqueous, chloride-containing solution in nitric acid while an ammonia atmosphere is maintained above the reaction mixture. The preferred temperature range of the solution is 110.degree.-125.degree. C. The atmosphere of ammonia is maintained by introducing at least part of the required ammonia into the gas volume of the reaction vessel. The decomposition of the ammonium nitrate and the formation of N.sub.2 O is enhanced by the presence of catalytically active ions of manganese, copper, cerium, lead, bismuth, cobalt and nickel; manganese, especially in its bivalent form, being preferred.
Nitrous oxide (laughing gas) is produced by continuous decomposition of ammonium and nitrate ions fed into an aqueous, strongly acid reaction liquor containing chloride ion as catalyst. N.sub.2 O and water are continuously removed. Preferred parameters are Hydrogen ion 3 - 7 M, preferably, 4 - 6M, say 5-5.7M; chloride ion 0.05 - 0.45 M, preferably 0.05-0.3M, say 0.1-0.2M; nitrate ion 4-16M, preferably 8.5 - 15M, say 12-14.5M; ammonium ion 1M or more, preferably 4.5 - 9M, say 7 - 9M. temperature: above 80.degree. C, preferably 105.degree.-120.degree. C. The temperature is so maintained that the reaction liquor boils at the reaction temperature, the excess water being continuously removed by fractional distillation. The N.sub.2 O which is withdrawn overhead, is scrubbed with caustic alkali to remove chlorine contamination in the form of hypochlorite byproduct. The process offers a high degree of safety, flexibility and ease of control and can be carried out with inexpensive technical grades of ammonium nitrate.
A process for preparing a ketone, in particular cyclododecanone, by reacting cyclododecatriene with dinitrogen monoxide to obtain cyclododecadienone and hydrogenating the resulting cyclododecadienone, in particular to give cyclododecanone.
