-Caprolactam is produced by contacting cyclohexanone oxime
with a solid acid catalyst in the gaseous phase to effect a rearrangement reaction
of the cyclohexanone oxime. The solid acid catalyst is produced by calcining a
dried catalyst precursor that can be a zeolite, a crystalline clay mineral and
at least one substance selected from an inorganic oxide and a compound which forms
the inorganic oxide by calcination. The inorganic oxide includes at least one element
selected Groups 4, 13 and 14 of the Periodic Table, and the inorganic oxide excludes
oxides contained in a crystalline form in the zeolite and the crystalline clay
mineral. Alternately, the rearrangement reaction occurs in the presence of a polyhydric
alcohol compound R1OR2OH (where R1
represents C1-C5 alkyl or phenyl, and R2 represents
C2-C5 alkylene).
