Acyllactam reaction with primary amines

Due to the high rate of both disproportionation and aminolytic reactions at elevated temperatures (above 200°C for caprolactam), the equilibrium (90) is attained during the first minutes of polymerization [186, 187]. Hence, the initiation with lactam hydrochloride is practically equivalent to the initiation with an equimolar mixture of an acyllactam with a primary amine hydrochloride (provided that the amine is similar to the growing end group with respect to steric effects and basicity). 

Amine(s), primary, reaction with acyllactams, 139f... 

The new primary amine anion (HI), unlike the lactam anion (II), is not stabilized by conjugation with a carbonyl group. It is therefore highly reactive and, once it is formed, it undergoes a rapid proton-abstraction reaction with a caprolactam monomer producing the dimer compound A -caproylcaprolactam (TV), which is a //-acyllactam, and regenerating the lactam anion (II) ... 

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