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Abstract

A method of making caprolactam from aminohexanoic acid or aminohexanoate ester comprising the steps of: (a) obtaining a reactor containing at least one catalyst, the catalyst being a metal oxide having acid-base-paired active sites; (b) charging a reaction feed into the reactor, the reaction feed containing a reactant, which is either amniohexanoic acid or C.sub.1 to C.sub.12 alkyl aminohexanoate ester, and a solvent; (c) reacting the reaction feed at a reaction temperature between 140.degree. and 300.degree. C. and a reaction pressure between 10 and 100 atm, to form a product stream; and (d) separating caprolactam from the product stream. The metal oxide catalyst is prepared from a process comprising the steps of: (a) dissolving at least a metal salt, which is not a metal oxide, in a solvent to form a metal salt solution, wherein: (i) the metal salt contains a metal element selected from the group consisting of silicon, titanium, tin, barium, calcium, magnesium, aluminum, and zinc; (ii) the solvent is selected from the group consisting of water, alcohol, ether, and mixtures thereof, and (iii) the metal salt is a salt which is soluble in the solvent; (b) adjusting the pH of the metal salt solution to be between 8 and 11, to thereby cause a precipitation of metal hydroxide; and (c) calcining the metal hydroxide at 300.degree. to 1,000.degree. C. to form a metal oxide.

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First Claim