to the 2 4 lower alkylphenyl propionic acid or if desired it can be separated from the solvent washed and then used as an intermediate in the preparation of 2 4 lower alkylphenyl propionic acid i the 2 4 lower alkylphenyl propionic acid i is obtained from the corresponding oxime v by hydrolysis and deammoniation as defined by the following reaction sequence str6 wherein r is as defined above in conducting this step it is not necessary to purify the oxime v before subjecting it to the hydrolysis reaction and the reaction mixture may be used as such in any case the hydrolysis deammoniation step is carried out in an aqueous medium in the presence of either a strong alkali or a strong acid by adding the oxime or the oxime reaction product to an aqueous solution of the alkali or acid and heating at a temperature between about 100 u00b0 c and about 200 u00b0 c in a nitrogen atmosphere and maintaining the temperature until the formation of ammonia has ceased any strong alkali may be used though the preferred alkalies are koh and naoh the preferred acids are the mineral acids such as hcl and h 2 so 4 the reaction.