Low pressure process for production of olefin polymers with a peroxide containing catalyst

Claim 1

A METHOD FOR PRODUCING A SOLID POLYMER OF AN ALIPHATIC 1-OLEFIN HAVING UP TO AND INCLUDING EIGHT CARBON ATOMS PER MOLECULE WHICH COMPRISES CONTACTING SAID OLEFIN WITH A CATALYST CONSISTING ESSENTIALLY OF (1) A METAL HALIDE SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF HALIDES OF TITANIUM, ZIRCONIUM, AND HAFNIUM, (2) A PEROXIDE CORRESPONDING TO THE FORMULA R''OOR'' WHEREIN R'' IS A MEMBER SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF HYDROGEN, ALKYL, ARALKYL, ALKARYL, CYCLOAKYL, ACYL ALKYNE AND ARYL RADICALS, (3) AN ORGANOMETAL HALIDE CORRESPONDING TO THE CARBON RADICAL A SATURATED CYCLIC HYDROCARBON RADICAL AN AROMATIC HYDROCARBON RADICAL AND THE COMBINATION OF THESE RADICALS, M IS A METAL SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF ALUMINUM, GALLIUM, INDIUM, AND THALLIUM, AND X IS A HALOGEN, AND WHEREIN X AND Y ARE INTEGERS, THE SUM OF X AND Y BEING EQUAL TO THE VALENCE OF THE METAL M, SAID CATALYST CONTAINING FROM 0.05 TO 50 MOLS OF SAID PEROXIDE PER MOL OF SAID METAL HALIDE AND FROM 0.05 TO 50 MOLS OF SAID ORGANOMENTAL HALIDE PER MOL OF SAID METAL HALIDE, AND SAID CONTACTING OCCURING AT A TEMPERATURE IN THE RANGE OF -250*F. TO 500*F., IN THE PRESENCE OF A HYDROCARBON DILUENT, INERT AND LIQUID UNDER THE CONDITIONS OF THE METHOD, AT A PRESSURE SUFFICIENT TO MAINTAIN SAID DILUENT IN LIQUID OHASE; AND RECOVERING THE SOLID POLYMER SO PRODUCED.

Claim 2

A METHOD FOR PRODUCING A SOLID POLYMER OF AN ALIPHATIC 1-OLEFIN HAVING UP TO AND INCLUDING EIGHT CARBON ATOMS PER MOLECULE WHICH COMPRISES CONTACTING SAID OLEFIN WITH A CATALYST CONSISTING ESSENTIALLY OF (1) A METAL HALIDE SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF HALIDES OF TITANIUM, ZIRCONIUM, AND HAFNIUM, (2) A PEROXIDE CORRESPONDING TO THE FORMULA R''OOR'' WHEREIN R'' IS A MEMBER SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF HYDROGEN, ALKYL, ARALKYL, ALKARYL, CYCLOAKYL, ACYL ALKYNE AND ARYL RADICALS, (3) AN ORGANOMETAL HALIDE CORRESPONDING TO THE CARBON RADICAL A SATURATED CYCLIC HYDROCARBON RADICAL AN AROMATIC HYDROCARBON RADICAL AND THE COMBINATION OF THESE RADICALS, M IS A METAL SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF ALUMINUM, GALLIUM, INDIUM, AND THALLIUM, AND X IS A HALOGEN, AND WHEREIN X AND Y ARE INTEGERS, THE SUM OF X AND Y BEING EQUAL TO THE VALENCE OF THE METAL M, SAID CATALYST CONTAINING FROM 0.05 TO 50 MOLS OF SAID PEROXIDE PER MOL OF SAID METAL HALIDE AND FROM 0.05 TO 50 MOLS OF SAID ORGANOMENTAL HALIDE PER MOL OF SAID METAL HALIDE, AND SAID CONTACTING OCCURING AT A TEMPERATURE IN THE RANGE OF -250*F. TO 500*F., IN THE PRESENCE OF A HYDROCARBON DILUENT, INERT AND LIQUID UNDER THE CONDITIONS OF THE METHOD, AT A PRESSURE SUFFICIENT TO MAINTAIN SAID DILUENT IN LIQUID OHASE; AND RECOVERING THE SOLID POLYMER SO PRODUCED.