Disclosed are polyfunctional nitrile imines having the formula selected from R-C identical N -N -R'')x and R-N -N identical CR'''')x where R is an alkylene, cycloalkylene, arylene, alkylarylene, arylene-dialkylene, alkylene-diarylene or cycloalkylenedialkylene radical; R'' is a hydrogen, alkyl, cycloalkyl, aryl, alkaryl, or aralkyl radical; R'''' is an alkyl, cycloalkyl, aryl, alkaryl or aralkyl radical and x is greater than 1; and their hydrogen chloride salts having the formula selected from

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