4-Piperidone hydrochloride hydrate (7.68 kg) with potassium carbonate (20.7 kg), 0 C., added to water (50 liters), stirred well, then added to dichloromethane (40 liters), and then added dropwise to a solution of benzoyloxycarbonylsuccinimide (12.4 kg) of dichloromethane (80 liters), and the reaction was carried out at room temperature for two hours. The reaction solution was partitioned and the aqueous layer was extracted with dichloromethane (2 x 15 liters), the organic phases were combined, dried over anhydrous sodium sulfate, and concentrated to give 11.5 kg of 1-benzoyl-4-piperidone in the form of a colorless oil.