Abstract: The new process for the preparation of polycondensates from polyamidoamines, epichlorohydrin and if appropriate polyamines, unreacted epichlorohydrin being removed by passing an inert gas through the reaction mixture, produces salt-free reaction products which have very low organic chlorine contents and at the same time very low values for dichloropropanol, chloropropanediol and epichlorohydrin, and are excellently suitable as auxiliaries for paper and textiles.

Abstract: Hardeners for polyepoxides containing more than one, 1,2-epoxide group per molecule comprising a cyanoethylated polyamide amine containing free secondary or primary or secondary and primary amino groups, said cyanoethylated poly-amide amine is a reaction product of polyadded units of(A) 1 mole of a polyamine corresponding to the formula: ##STR1## in which p=0, n=2 or 3, m=0 to 6 and X=NH.sub.2, or p=1, n=2 or 3, m=0 and X=H,(B) from 0.5 to 2.3 moles of a saturated lactam, and(C) from 0.4 to 2.8 moles of acrylonitrile, methacrylonitrile or mixtures thereof.The hardener may be additionally modified with from 0.01 to 1.8 moles of a 1,2-alkylene oxide containing from 2 to 4 carbon atoms or with from 0.001 to 0.3 moles of a carboxylic acid or with the 1,2-alkylene oxide and the carboxylic acid in the quantities indicated, based in each case on 1 mole of the polyamine.