Patent ID: 8586793

Claim:
A method for reductively aminating 1,3-cyclohexanedicarboxaldehyde, 1,4-cyclohexanedicarboxaldehyde, or a mixture thereof to form 1,3-bis(aminomethyl)cyclohexane, 1,4-bis(aminomethyl)cyclohexane or a mixture thereof, comprising a) mixing 1,3-bis(aminomethyl)cyclohexane, 1,4-bis(aminomethyl)cyclohexane or a mixture thereof and 1,3-cyclohexanedicarboxaldehyde, 1,4-cyclohexanedicarboxaldehyde, or a mixture thereof at a molar ratio of at least about 1:1 but not greater than a 50% molar excess of the product amine to form a liquid mixture, and maintaining said liquid mixture at a temperature of about 0 to about 50° C. for a period of at least 5 minutes to form an intermediate mixture containing reaction intermediates wherein at at least 50% by weight of the reaction intermediates formed are macrocyclic polyimines having molecular weights of about 450 to about 1500; b) thereafter subjecting the intermediate mixture to reductive amination conditions in the presence of ammonia and hydrogen to form 1,3-bis(aminomethyl)cyclohexane, 1,4-bis(aminomethyl)cyclohexane or a mixture thereof.