A catalytic process used for the production of hydrogen cyanide by the reaction of ammonia, methane, and air at a temperature of around 1,000°C using a platinum catalyst:
The ammonia in the product gases is removed by gas absorption with sulphuric acid and the hydrogen cyanide is absorbed in water. The hydrogen cyanide is used as the preliminary product for the synthesis of polyamide 66 or nylon, and for polymethyl methacrylate. It is also called Andrussov oxidation after the inventor who patented the process in 1930s.