JPH0261448B

Formamide is prepared continuously from methyl formate and ammonia, pure methanol being recovered, by a process wherein (a) the reaction of methyl formate and ammonia is carried out predominantly in the liquid phase in the upper region of a reaction column R having a total of from 15 to 30 theoretical plates, (b) the methanol formed in this reaction is removed, together with small amounts of formamide, from the column or the evaporator in vaporus form at the level of plates 1-5 (counted from the bottom), (c) the formamide is removed from this methanol/formamide mixture, together with small amounts of methanol, in a distillation column D1 and recycled to R, and (d) the small amounts of methanol contained in the bottom product from R, which substantially consists of formamide and in this column should be at from 110 DEG to 130 DEG C., are separated off in a distillation column D2.