Hydroxyalkylaminoalkylamides and preparation and uses thereof

A process of reacting about 1 mole of an unsaturated nitrile of the formula ##STR23## wherein R' and R" are hydrogen or alkyl, aryl, cycloalkyl, alkaryl, and aralkyl, with about 3 moles of an alkanolamine which comprises mixing said nitrile and alkanolamine and then heating said mixture at a temperature and for a time so that one mole of the alkanolamine reacts with the unsaturated group to form an N-alkanol group and the other 2 moles of the alkanolamine react with the nitrile group to form an hydroxyalkylaminoalkylamide group.