Alkali metal alkylamides, for example potassium methylamide or mixtures of lithium methylamide and potassium methylamide, which contain impurities, are purified by first reacting the contaminated alkali metal alkylamides, which are in the solution of an alkylamine, with ammonia to give the corresponding alkali metal amides, which precipitate while the impurities remain in the solution. This solution is distilled, and the distillate, which contains alkylamine and a small amount of ammonia, is brought into contact with the precipitated alkali metal amides, the alkali metal amides reacting with the alkylamine to give pure alkali metal alkyl amides. The resulting solution of pure alkali metal alkylamides in methylamine can be used as catalyst for the enrichment of deuterium.
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