the process of the invention may be carried out by passing a gaseous mixture of 1 , 6 - hexamethylene diamine , water and hydrogen through a reactor filled with loosely packed palladium metal catalyst . a suitable laboratory reactor is a metal tube having an internal diameter of 0 . 5 to 1 inch . the tube may be mounted vertically , or horizontally . if it is mounted vertically it is preferred to pass the gaseous mixture downwardly through the reactor . the palladium metal catalyst comprises an inert substrate having dispersed palladium metal on its surface . the inert substrate can be aluminum oxide , glass , silica , etc . aluminum oxide in the form of spheres having a diameter of about 1 / 20 to 1 / 8 inch is a preferred substrate . the palladium metal content of the catalyst should be in the range of 0 . 1 to 10 % by weight of the catalyst , preferably 0 . 5 to 2 % by weight . the palladium need not completely coat the substrate ; finely dispersed particles of palladium metal on the substrate are satisfactory . after the gaseous mixture passes through the reactor , the mixture is cooled to condense a hexamethylene imine containing liquid , the hydrogen removed and recycled to the feed , and the liquid separated into its components by conventional techniques . a five foot long thin walled stainless steel tube having an external diameter of 0 . 5 inch and an internal diameter of 0 . 42 inch was loaded with 110 grams of palladium metal on al 2 o 3 spheres having a diameter of 1 / 16 inch . the palladium content was 0 . 5 % by weight . the palladium was in the form of a thin coating on the surface of the al 2 o 3 spheres . the reactor was heated to 220 ° c . by oil in an external jacket , and a vapor of 70 % 1 , 6 - hexamethylene diamine and 30 % water was fed to the top of the reactor along with hydrogen , and in some runs ammonia , and in some runs methane . the reaction is isothermal . the conditions and results are shown in the table below . ______________________________________flowrates 70 % h . sub . 2 pres . hmd cc / nh . sub . 3 % hmd % hmirun psig ml / hr min cc / min conv . yield______________________________________ 1 20 61 2000 0 99 . 8 92 . 6 2 20 61 2000 0 99 . 8 92 . 3 3 20 50 2000 0 99 . 9 91 . 9 4 60 50 2000 0 83 . 0 96 . 0 5 80 50 2000 0 69 . 9 95 . 2 6 60 50 1700 295 97 . 6 93 . 9 7 60 50 1500 490 99 . 1 94 . 6 8 60 50 1250 735 99 . 7 88 . 5 9 60 50 500 1470 99 . 7 76 . 710 80 50 1700 295 78 . 2 94 . 711 80 50 1500 490 87 . 4 94 . 312 80 50 1250 735 97 . 3 94 . 513 60 75 500 1470 99 . 6 83 . 314 80 50 2000 0000 63 . 5 83 . 315 80 50 2000 0000 51 . 6 90 . 616 80 50 1700 300 56 . 4 92 . 617 80 50 1500 500 67 9118 80 50 1250 750 85 . 3 91 . 619 80 50 1000 1000 95 . 8 91 . 820 80 50 1000 1000 97 . 8 91 . 6______________________________________