Abstract: Croconic acid or a salt thereof is easily produced at low cost by a reaction of a hydrocarbon compound consisting of a five-membered ring or a hydrocarbon compound consisting of a five-membered ring having an oxo group and/or a monovalent group linked via an oxygen atom with a halogenating agent.

Abstract: The present invention relates to additives for preparing straight-chain or acrylonitrile dimer from acrylonitrile and to a process for preparing straight-chain acrylonitrile dimer from acrylonitrile in the presence of the additives according to the invention.

Abstract: Straight-chain acrylonitrile dimers including 1,4-dicyanobutene, 1,4-dicyanobutadiene and adiponitrile are produced at a high selectivity by dimerizing acrylonitrile in the presence of a ruthenium catalyst, and in the presence of a straight-chain dimer selectivity-enhancing agent comprising at least one member selected from(A) substituted benzoic acids, except for monoalkylbenzoic acids, having at least one substituent and preferably exhibiting a pKa of 1.50 to 6.0 determined in water at an ionic strength of 0 to 0.1 mole/liter at 25.degree. C.;(B) hetero atom-containing acyclic carboxylic acids having at least one substituent having a sulfur or nitrogen atom attached to a carbon atom located in an .alpha.- on .beta.

Abstract: Polyoxyalkylene polyamine or aromatic diamines or xylylenediamines are modified by them to the Michael reaction with an ethylenically unsaturated monomer having an electron-withdrawing group to convert the primary amino groups at least in part to a secondary amino group of the formula:--NH--CH.sub.2 --CH(R)--Ywherein R is a hydrogen atom or methyl, and Y is an electron-withdrawing group. The modified amines find use in the manufacture of plastics such as polyurea elastomers or polyurea RIM.

Abstract: Straight-chain acrylonitrile dimers including 1,4-dicyanobutene, 1,4-dicyanobutadiene and adiponitrile are produced at a high selectivity rate and yield by dimerizing acrylonitrile in the presence of a catalyst comprising at least one ruthenium compound, for example dichloro-tetrakis (dimethylsulfoxide) ruthenium, and in the presence of at least one organic acid, for example, propionic acid, and optionally in the further presence of a basic compound, a reducing compound and/or a sulfoxide compound.

Abstract: A first row transition metal catalyzed procedure for the production of adiponitrile from acrylonitrile comprising mixing a first row transition metal salt, acrylonitrile, metallic reducing agent and solvent, heating the solution, and adding a quench solution to the mixture comprising a proton donor material having a 0<pk.sub.a <12 and an organic amide solvent for the proton donor material. Preferably, an organic ligand is added to the solution prior to heating and adding the quench solution.