Low pressure preparation of ethylene copolymers in fluid bed reactor

Claim 1

A catalytic process for producing ethylene copolymer with a Ti containing catalyst at a productivity of > 50,000 pounds of polymer per pound of Ti under a pressure of <1000 psi in the gas phase said polymer being produced in granular form and having a density of > 0.91 to < 0.96 and a melt flow ratio of ≥ 22 to < 32, which comprises copolymerizing ethylene with one or more C 3 to C 8 α-olefin monomers at a temperature of about 30 to 115°C by contacting the monomer charge with, in the presence of about O to 2.0 mol of hydrogen per mol of ethylene in a gas phase reaction zone, particles of a catalyst system, comprising an activated precursor composition wherein said precursor composition has the formula wherein m is > 0.5 to < 56 n is 0 or 1 p is ≥ 6 to≤116 q is > 2 to < 85 R is a C 1 to C 14 aliphatic or aromatic hydrocarbon radical, or COR' wherein R' is a C 1 to C 14 aliphatic or aromatic hydrocarbon radical, X is selected from the group consisting of Cl, Br, I, or mixtures thereof, ED is a liquid organic electron donor compound in which said precursor composition and the Ti and Mg components thereof are soluble and which is selected from the group consisting of alkyl esters of aliphatic and aromatic carboxylic acids, aliphatic ethers, cyclic ethers and aliphatic ketones, said precursor composition being diluted with at least one solid inert carrier material and being either completely activated, prior to the feeding of the activated precursor composition to said reaction zone with ≥ 10 to < 400 mols of carrier absorbed activator compound per mol of titanium compound in said precursor composition so as to thereby prepare a solid dry catalyst composition without having to heat said catalyst composition above 50°C, or partially activated with >0 to <10 mols of activator compound per mol of titanium compound in said precursor composition prior to feeding of the activated precursor composition to said reaction zone and then being completely activated in said reaction zone with > 10 to < 400 mols of activator compound per mol of titanium compound in said precursor composition, and said activator compound having the formula wherein X' is Cl or OR"', R" and R"' are the same or different and are C 1 to C 14 saturated hydrocarbon radicals, d is 0 to 1.5, e is 0 or 1, and c + d + e = 3.