Catalytic process for preparing high molecular weight linear macromolecular amino acid-polycondensates from lactams

Claim 1

A PROCESS FOR THE CATALYTIC CONVERSION OF MONOMERIC LACTAMS HAVING AT LEAST SIX CARBON ATOMS TO HIGH MOLECULAR WEIGHT LINEAR MACROMOLECULAR POLYCONDENSATION PRODUCTS WHICH COMPRISES HEATING MONOMERIC LACTAMS HAVING AT LEAST SIX CARBON ATOMS UNDER SUBSTANTIALLY ATMOSPHERIC PRESSURE BUT WITH THE SUBSTANTIAL EXCLUSION OF OXYGEN AND IN THE PRESENCE OF ABOUT 0.005% TO ABOUT 0.3%, BASED ON THE WEIGHT OF THE MONOMERIC LACTAM, OF AN UNDRIED CATALYST PREPARED IN AQUEOUS MEDIUM, SELECTED FROM THE CLASS CONSISTING OF CATALYTICALLY ACTIVE, SUBSTANTIALLY NON-DELUSTERING HYDROXIDES AND HYDRATED OXIDES HAVING THE FORMULAE ME(OH)X AND MEO(OH)Y, RESPECTIVELY, WHERE ME REPRESENTS AN ELEMENT SELECTED FROM THE CLASS CONSISTING OF TITANIUM, ZIRCONIUM, CERIUM, HAFNIUM AND THORIUM AND X AND Y ARE SMALL WHOLE NUMBERS SATISFYING THE VALENCY REQUIREMENTS OF THE SAID ELEMENT.