Direct oximation of ketones

Ammonia, oxygen e.g., as air, and a ketone react in contact with a catalyst such as porous, amorphous silica or alumina which may or may not have a coating to form an oxime, at temperatures such as 50 DEG -500 DEG C. The oximes have known utilities, including uses as oxidation inhibitors and as intermediates for production of amides. In particular, when the ketone is cyclohexanone, the cyclohexanone oxime in the reaction product can further be converted to the cyclic amide, caprolactam, e.g. by contacting the product with an aluminosilicate catalyst having average pore diameter of at least 7 angstroms, especially a molecular sieve, suitably downstream in the same reaction vessel. Caprolactam is the monomer starting material for nylon 6.