Wacker-Chemie Gmbh

Herbert Jung

Gerhard Kunstle

A process for stabilizing aqueous solutions of acetoacetamides which simultaneously results in the reduction of .beta.-aminocrotonic acid amide content. According to the process, to aqueous acetoacetamide solutions which have been prepared in a known manner by the reaction of diketene with ammonia or water-soluble primary or secondary aliphatic amines under basic conditions, sufficient amounts of diketene are added immediately after their preparation thereto at room temperature with vigorous stirring, to maintain a pH value of 6-7. The so obtained aqueous solutions of the acetoacetamides are not only substantially stable, but also especially pure since these solutions are neither contaminated by salt-like by-products nor by derivatives of .beta.-aminocrotonic acid amides.

Process for stabilizing aqueous solutions of acetoacetamides with

According to the invention, .alpha.-chloracetoacetamides, which is to be understood as including both .alpha.-chloro-N-monoalkylacetoacetamides and .alpha.-chloro-N,N-dialkylacetoacetamides, the alkyl radicals of which contain 1 to 3 carbon atoms, are produced by reacting the corresponding acetoacetamides with chlorine in aqueous solution at temperatures in the range of from -1.degree. C. to -25.degree. C. At a conversion of at least 95%, a selectivity of at least 97% and a yield of at least 95% of the theoretical yield, calculated on reacted acetoacetamide, are obtained.

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Burghausen, Germany

Herbert Jung