by any of the previously described methods the recovered enantiomers may be obtained in an anhydrous state or in a mixture with water corresponding to the moipa water azeotropic composition of about 15 20 wt water the racemization process of this invention can be used to convert the azeotropic mixture of water and r or s moipa to the racemic mixture the racemic mixture can then be recovered by distillation alternatively the azeotropic mixture can be dried using known methods and the dry moipa then racemized moipa can be produced by amination of methoxyisopropanol under the process conditions of this invention racemization of a single moipa enantiomer and amination of methoxyisopropanol can proceed simultaneously therefore the process of this invention can be used to produce a racemic mixture of moipa from a feed containing the moipa azeotrope and methoxyisopropanol reactant the invention will be further clarified by a consideration of the following examples which are intended to be purely exemplary of the invention a 1 2 inch stainless steel tubular reactor was charged with 10 cc 8 2 g 12 18 mesh of 42 nickel alumina catalyst hsc 102b catalyst supplied by houdry the catalyst was reduced in hydrogen at 370 u00b0 c for 3 hours after the reduction was completed the reactor pressure was increased to 250 psig hydrogen flow was set to the desired rate and the reactor temperature was reduced to 190 u00b0 c ammonia was pumped over the catalyst at 10 cc hour for 2 hours before starting the.