Patent ID: 8637687

Claim:
A process for making an amide of a carboxylic acid, the process comprising: reacting an amine of the formula (I) H—NR 1 R 2 (I) wherein R 1 and R 2 are the same or different, R1 comprising a C 1 -C 4 -alkyl, and R 2 comprising hydrogen or a C 1 -C 4 -alkyl, R 1 and R 2 being combined in a way such that the amine according to formula (I) has a lower boiling point than water, with a carboxylic acid with at least 3 carbon atoms per molecule, the carboxylic acid optionally comprising at least one alcoholic hydroxyl group per molecule, selecting a molar ratio of amine according to formula (I) to carboxylic acid in the range of from 1.5:1 to 1:1, the reaction step further comprising the following measures: (a) reacting the amine according to formula (I) with the carboxylic acid at temperature and pressure conditions at which water and the amine according to formula (I) are gaseous, wherein the reaction is performed in a single reactor, (b) distilling off the water formed together with unreacted amine according to formula (I), (c) separating the unreacted amine according to formula (I) from the water and (d) re-introducing the unreacted amine according to formula (I) into the reaction mixture in measure (a).