Patent ID: 8188326

Claim:
A method for producing adamantane (tricyclo[3.3.1.1 3,7 ]decane) by performing an isomerization reaction in two stages using endo-tetrahydrodicyclopentadiene (tricyclo[5.2.1.0 2,6 ]decane) or a mixture of endo-tetrahydrodicyclopentadiene (tricyclo[5.2.1.0 2,6 ]decane) and exo-tetrahydrodicyclopentadiene (tricyclo[5.2.1.0 2,6 ]decane) as a starting material; comprising the steps of: producing exo-tetrahydrodicyclopentadiene (tricyclo[5.2.1.0 2,6 ]decane) from endo-tetrahydrodicyclopentadiene (tricyclo[5.2.1.0 2,6 ]decane) using an HF catalyst alone or two catalysts of an HF catalyst and a BF 3 catalyst in the absence of a solvent in a first-stage reactor for a first-stage isomerization reaction; and producing adamantine (tricyclo[3.3.1.1 3,7 ]decane) from the exo-tetrahydrodicyclopentadiene (tricyclo[5.2.1.0 2,6 ]decane) using an HF catalyst and a BF 3 catalyst in the absence of a solvent in a second-stage reactor for a second-stage isomerization reaction wherein the temperature is controlled such that a reaction temperature (T1, unit: ° C.) in the first-stage isomerization reaction and a reaction temperature (T2, unit: ° C.) in the second-stage isomerization reaction fulfill the following expressions (1) and (2) 0≦T1≦50 (1) T 1≦ T 2≦ T 1+30 (2).