Patent ID: 7635747

Claim:
A process for preparing a thermoplastic polyamide comprising contacting at least one cyclic amide with a mixture or an adduct of components (a) and (b), wherein (a) and (b) are as described below: (a) any one or more of the N-heterocyclic carbene-containing catalysts described by any of the Formulae I, II and/or III: wherein: R 1 , R 5 , R 9 and R 11 are each independently an adamantyl, alkaryl, or alkyl group; R 2 , R 3 , R 6 , R 7 and R 10 are each independently hydrogen or a C 1-12 alkyl group; n=1 or 2; R 4 is the same as R 1 when n=1, and is an alkylene group when n=2; R 8 is the same as R 5 when n=1, and is an alkylene group when n=2; and R 10 is hydrogen or a C 1-12 alkyl group; and (b) any one or more of the compounds described by any of the Formulae IV, V, VI, VII and/or VIII: R 12 , R 13 , R 14 and R 15 are each independently a C 1-12 aliphatic hydrocarbyl or substituted aliphatic hydrocarbyl group; and R 16 , R 17 , R 18 , R 19 , R 20 and R 21 are each independently a C 1-12 alkyl group; and wherein the ratio of component (a) to component (b) is in the range of from about 1:4 to about 10:1.