Abstract: Improved process for working up diacetone acrylamide solutions, obtained by reaction of acetone or diacetone alcohol with acrylonitrile and sulfuric acid and subsequent dilution and neutralization, in which a) the organic phase obtained subsequent to the neutralization, which comprises the crude diacetone acrylamide, is hydrolyzed by addition of an aqueous alkaline solution in order to remove acrylamide, then b) after phase separation has been carried out, the organic phase, which comprises the crude diacetone acrylamide, is neutralized by addition of an acid, and c) in succession, low-boiling-point byproducts are removed by distillation in the presence of one or more polymerization inhibitors, then t-butylacrylamide is removed by distillation and, finally, the diacetone acrylamide is isolated by product distillation, and d) the diacetone acrylamide thus obtained is converted into its final form.

Abstract: Improved process for working up diacetone acrylamide solutions, obtained by reaction of acetone or diacetone alcohol with acrylonitrile and sulfuric acid and subsequent dilution and neutralization, in which a) the organic phase obtained subsequent to the neutralization, which comprises the crude diacetone acrylamide, is hydrolyzed by addition of an aqueous alkaline solution in order to remove acrylamide, then b) after phase separation has been carried out, the organic phase, which comprises the crude diacetone acrylamide, is neutralized by addition of an acid, and c) in succession, low-boiling-point byproducts are removed by distillation in the presence of one or more polymerization inhibitors, then t-butylacrylamide is removed by distillation and, finally, the diacetone acrylamide is isolated by product distillation, and d) the diacetone acrylamide thus obtained is converted into its final form

Abstract: The invention relates to an improved method for producing 2,2-dichloro or dibromo-phenyl alkyl acetates of formula (1), in which X represents Cl or Br, n represents a whole number from 1 to 5, R represents hydrogen, C1-C8 alkyl, aryl, heteroaryl, C1-C8 alkoxy, aryloxy or halogen and R1 represents C1-C8 alkyl. According to said method, a 2,2-dichloro- or dibromo-phenylacetonitrile of formula (II) is reacted in 0.8 to 2 mol water per mol nitrile of formula (II), 1 to 8 mol alcohol of formula R1OH (III) per mol nitrile of formula (II) and in the presence of 1 to 3 mol HCl or HBr per mol nitrile of formula (II), optionally in the presence of a solvent that is inert in the reaction conditions, to form the corresponding 2,2-dichloro- or dibromo-phenyl alkyl acetates of formula (I), whereby the reaction temperature in the first phase lies between 30 and 60° C. and in the second phase between 60 and 100° C. Once the reaction has taken place, the reaction mixture is cooled to between 20 and 40° C.