Imperial Chemical Industries Limited

Michael J Lalkham

James R Jennings

Ross J Cozens

A process for the dimerization of acrylonitrile to predominantly straight-chain C.sub.6 dimers, in which the acrylonitrile is dissolved in an organic solvent capable of donating protons, the acrylonitrile and solvent being substantially dry, and the solution contacted with a catalyst comprising a phosphorus (III) compound of general formula: ##STR1## where Ar is an aromatic nucleus and where groups X, which may be the same or different, are electron-donating substituents of the aromatic nucleus which give rise to a negative Hammett .sigma. constant, and R represents a hydrocarbyl group, the acrylonitrile and solvent being contacted with a low-cost scavenging reagent for a predetermined period of time before being contacted with the aforementioned catalyst.

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Runcorn, United Kingdom

Michael J Lalkham