Process for production of olefin polymers

Claim 1

IN A METHOD FOR POLYMERIZING ETHYLENE IN THE PRESENCE OF A CATALYST COMPRISING TETRABUTYL TITANATE AND AN ORGANOMETAL COMPOUND SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF ETHYLALUMINUM DICHLORIDE, DIETHYLALUMINUM CHLORIDE, AND A MIXTURE OF ETHYLALMINUM DICHLORIDE AND DIETHYLALUMINUM CHLORIDE, THE IMPROVEMENT WHICH COMPRISES INITIALLY CONTACTING SAID TWO COMPONENTS AT A TEMPERATURE IN THE RANGE OF 100 TO 150*F. FOR A PERIOD OF TIME IN THE RANGE OF 15 TO 60 MINUTES, SAID CONTACTING OCCURING UNDER AT ATMOSPHERE OF A FLUID WHICH PREVENTS CATALYST DEACTIVATING MATERIALS FROM COMING INTO CONTACT WITH SAID CATALYST COMPONENTS, THEREAFTER CONTACTING SAID COMPONENTS WITH SAID ETHYLENE AT A TEMPERATURE IN THE RANGE OF 140 TO 250* F. AND A PRESSURE IN THE RANGE OF 100 TO 1000 P.S.I.G., SAID INITIAL CONTACTING TEMPERATURE BEING AT LEAST 30*F. BELOW THAT AT WHICH SAID COMPONENETS ARE CONTACTED WITH ETHYLENE AND RECOVERING THE POLYMER SO PRODUCED.