Production of amides by contacting a saturated hydrocarbon and/or unsaturated hydrocarbon with a nitrile and hydrogen fluoride with or without a reaction diluent such as sulfur dioxide, sulfolane and ammonium fluoride followed by hydrolysis to form the amides. The amides have utility as agricultural chemicals, for example, insecticides, herbicides, or fungicides.
RELATED INVENTIONS
This application is a divisional application of copending application having Ser. No. 827,024, filed May 22, 1969, which in turn is a divisional application of copending application having Ser. No. 560,859, filed June 27, 1966, now abandoned.
An improved process for the preparation of N-alkyl-substituted carboxylic acid amides by reaction of a component which forms a carbonium ion with a nitrile, the improvement residing in carrying out the process in the presence of an acid which is inert under distillation conditions and separating the reaction mixture by distillation.
