US 7,485,748 B2
	Process for the production of 2-hydroxy-4-methythiobutyric acid ammonium salt
Horst Weigel, Rodenbach (Germany); Christoph Weckbecker, Gründau-Lieblos (Germany); and Klaus Huthmacher, Gelnhausen (Germany)
Assigned to Degussa AG, Dusseldorf (Germany)
Appl. No. 10/547,280 PCT Filed Mar. 26, 2004, PCT No. PCT/EP2004/003208 § 371(c)(1), (2), (4) Date Aug. 30, 2005, PCT Pub. No. WO2004/089863, PCT Pub. Date Oct. 21, 2004.
Claims priority of application No. 103 16 110 (DE), filed on Apr. 09, 2003.
Prior Publication US 2006/0178529 A1, Aug. 10, 2006
Int. Cl. C07C 315/00 (2006.01)

U.S. Cl. 562—581

14 Claims

1. A process for the production of 2-hydroxy-4-(methylthio)butyric acid ammonium salt comprising reacting of 3-(methylthio)propionaldehyde with hydrogen cyanide to form 2-hydroxy-4-methylthiobutyronitrile and subsequently hydrolyzing said nitrile by catalytic hydrolysis to the ammonium salt of the 2-hydroxy-4-(methylthio)butyric acid in a single process step, with one catalyst employed in the whole hydrolysis reaction, wherein the catalyst is a solid titanium compound.