Patent ID: 8227641

Claim:
A process for the preparation of polyfunctional amines of the formulae by hydrogenation of the associated nitriles of the formulae with hydrogen, where A is an aromatic or aliphatic compound selected from the group consisting of unsubstituted or substituted phenylene or naphthylene, methylene, unsubstituted or substituted ethylene, propylene, unsubstituted or substituted straight-chain or branched butylene, pentylene, hexylene, heptylene, octylene, nonylene, and decylene and B is a straight-chain or branched aliphatic carbon chain having 1 to 10 carbon atoms, and X can be missing or is a straight-chain or branched aliphatic carbon chain having 1 to 10 carbon atoms, characterized in that a melt, solution or suspension of the nitrile of the formula (III) or (IV) is added over the course of the reaction time to a suspension or solution of a catalyst in a solvent selected from the group of alcohol, water or mixtures of alcohol and water which comprises ammonia and is stirred at a temperature in the range from 60 to 150° C. under hydrogen pressure.