Process for the selective production of N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone (NMP)

A process for selective production of N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone (NMP) comprising:

• a) reacting feedstock monomethyl amine (MMA) and gamma-butyrolactone (GBL) in a single step in a continuously stirred tank reactor (CSTR) at a molar ratio of MMA to GBL in the range of 1 to 2, in the presence of catalyst wherein the catalyst comprises 5-15% of Al and consists of a bronsted acidic support which is a class of zeolitic material with SiO2 to Al2O3 molar ratio of 70 to 100 having specific surface area of 400 to 500 m2/g and modified by oxide of one or more metals selected from Zr and W to the percentage of metal loading of 1 to 30 parts by weight of the support with catalyst content between 1 to 10% of total feedstock, at operating condition of temperature 130 to 250° C. and pressure 5 to 70 at 500 to 1000 agitator speed, for a period of 30 to 180 minutes to obtain a reaction mixture;
• b) cooling the reaction mixture to a temperature in the range of 20 to 25° C.;
• c) separating the catalyst from the reaction mixture of step b) by known methods;
• d) separating the product from reaction mixture of step c) by evaporation or distillation to obtain NMP at selectivity to ≥99% at a conversion of GBL to ≥98%;
• and
• e) recycling the catalyst to reactor after repeating the steps a) to d) several times.