One of the first amitraz-manufacturing plants used this reaction scheme (figure 1).[1] Therefore, the reactions has been carried out in an enclosed area, to recycle unused reagents.[5] The first step of this route is the reaction of an aniline with triethyl orthoformate. In the named manufacturing plant 2,4-Xylidine has been used as the aniline.[2] The reaction yields an intermediate formimidate ester.[5][7] In the next step methylamine is added, which combines with the formimidate ester to yield the desired formamidine.[5][7] As the formamidines forms, ethanol is set free from the chemical reaction and is recycled.[5] This is probably the most suitable method for the synthesis of amitraz, because this second step yields N′-2,4-dimethyl-N-methylformamidine. The free -NH groups of these molecules react with each other to finally yield amitraz.[5] The last steps of the manufacturing process include cristalisation out from isopropyl alcohol, filtering and drying.