Process for the preparation of aromatic polyamines

Abstract From the Canadian patent

The instant invention is directed to a novel process for the production of aromatic polyamines. In one embodiment, the process comprises, (A) condensing an aromatic amine with formaldehyde in the presence of a hydrophobic solvent and in the absence of an acid catalyst to produce a precondensate mixture containing the corresponding N,N'-disubstituted aminals (B) removing substantially all the water from said precondensate mixture to produce a first organic phase (C) mixing said first organic phase with an aqueous solution containing an acid catalyst thereby producing a first two-phase mixture, (D) subjecting said first two-phase mixture to a first rearrangement reaction wherein a …