Novel product and process of isocyanurate production

Disclosed is a novel class of amidinium salts having the formula wherein R1, R2, R3, and R4 when taken individually are independently selected from lower-alkyl, aralkyl and cycloalkyl, and, when taken together with the respective nitrogen atoms to which they are attached, R1 together with R2, and R3 together with R4 independently represent heterocyclic groups having 5 to 7 ring atoms, R5, R6, R7, and R8 are independently selected from hydrogen, lower-alkyl, aryl, aralkyl, and cycloalkyl. The amidinium salts are very active catalysts for converting organic isocyanates to products containing isocyanurate and carbodiimide linkages.