Ketazines are also important intermediates in the industrial production of hydrazine hydrate by the peroxide process. In the presence of an oxidant, ammonia and ketones react to give hydrazine via ketazine:
:2 Me(Et)C=O + 2 NH + HO → Me(Et)C=NN=C(Et)Me + 2 HO
The ketazine can be hydrolyzed to the hydrazine and regenerate the ketone:
:Me(Et)C=NN=C(Et)Me + 2 HO → 2 Me(Et)C=O + NH
Ketazines have been also used as sources of hydrazine produced in situ, for example in the production of herbicide precursor 1,2,4-triazole.