Process for the preparation of saturated primary fatty amines by hydrogenation of unsaturated fatty acid nitriles

A process for the preparation of saturated primary fatty amines by hydrogenation of unsaturated fatty acid nitriles in the liquid phase in the presence of nickel catalysts or cobalt catalysts, which comprises a first reaction step in which the nitrile group of the fatty acid nitrile is hydrogenated to the primary amino group by reaction of the fatty acid nitrile with hydrogen in the presence of 0.1 to 10% by weight of the catalyst, relative to the fatty acid nitrile, and in the presence of 0.3 to 3 mol of ammonia per mole of fatty acid nitrile, at a temperature of 80.degree. to 160.degree. C. and a pressure of 10 to 50 bar, after which the ammonia content in the hydrogenation reaction mixture is reduced to a value of 0.1 to 0 mol per mole of fatty acid nitrile used, and a second reaction step in which the double bonds in the fatty acid nitrile are hydrogenated to saturated bonds by reaction of said reaction mixture having an ammonia content of at most 0.1 mol per mole of fatty acid nitrile used, with hydrogen at a temperature of 80.degree. to 160.degree. C. and a pressure of 1 to 40 bar.