Process for preparing crystalline high polymers of unsaturated hydrocarbons

Claim 1

IN A PROCESS FOR PRODUCING, FROM UNSATURATED HYDROCARBONS OF THE FORMULA CH2=CHR IN WHICH R IS SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF ALKYL RADICALS CONTAINING 1 TO 4 CARBON ATOMS, AND THE PHENYL RADICAL, SUBSTANTIALLY LINEAR, REGULAR HEAD-TO-TAIL POLYMERIZATES CONSISTING PREVAILINGLY OF ISOTACTIC MACROMOLECULES, BY POLYMERIZING THE UNSATURATED HYDROCARBON, IN THE SUBSTANTIAL ABSENCE OF OXYGEN, IN CONTACT WITH A SUBSTANTIALLY SOLID, HYDROCARBON SOLVENT-INSOLUBLE STEREOSPECIFIC CATALYST PREPARED BY (A) STARTING WITH A SOLID, CRYSTALLINE HALIDE OF A TRANSITION METAL BELONGING TO GROUPS IV TO VI INCLUSIVE OF THE MENDELEEFF PERIODIC TABLE IN WHICH THE METAL HAS A VALENCY LOWER THAN THE MAXIMUM VALENCY CORRESPONDING TO ITS POSITION IN THE PERIODIC TABLE, AND (B) MIXING SAID HALIDE WITH A COMPOUND OF AN ELEMENT BELONGING TO GROUPS I TO III INCLUSIVE OF THE PERIODIC TABLE IN WHICH AT LEAST ALL BUT ONE OF THE VALENCIES OF THE ELEMENT ARE SATISFIED BY ALKYL RADICALS CONTAINING FROM 2 TO 4 CARBON ATOMS AND THE REMAINING VALENCY, IF ANY, IS SATISFIED BY A MEMBER SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF THE ALKYL RADICALS AND HALOGEN, THE MIXING OF THE SOLID CRYSTALLINE TRANSITION METAL COMPOUND AND THE ALKYL COMPOUND OF THE ELEMENT BEING CARRIED OUT IN A LIQUID DILUENT INERT TO THE ALKYL COMPOUND OF THE ELEMENT, THE IMPROVEMENT WHICH CONSISTS IN POLYMERIZING THE UNSATURATED HYDROCARBON IN CONTACT WITH THE CATALYST WHILE THE HYDROCARBON IS IN THE GASEOUS PHASE, AND IN THE ABSENCE OF SOLVENTS.