BigPatents India

The present invention relates to a catalyst suitable for preparing aliphatic alpha, omega-aminonitriles by partial hydrogenation of aliphatic dinitriles, comprising (a) metallic cobalt, a cobalt compound or a mixture thereof, the proportion of metallic cobalt based on (a) being from 20 to 100 % by weight, (b) from 10 to 70 % by weight, based on ( a), of metallic iron, iron oxide, a further iron compound or a mixture thereof, the proportion of iron oxide based on (b) being from 20 to 100 % by weight, (c) from 0 to 1 % by weight, based on the sum of ( a) and (b), of a compound based on an alkali metal, an alkaline earth metal or zinc and a method of preparing aliphatic alpha, omega aminonitriles using the catalyst.