Process for polymerizing alpha-olefins and catalyst for use therein

Claim 1

A PROCESS FOR POLYMERIZING ALPHA-OLEFINS OF THE FORMULA CH2=CHR WHEREIN R IS A HYDROCARBON RADICAL, TO HIGH MOLECULAR WEIGHT LINEAR POLYMERS, WHICH PROCESS COMPRISES POLYMERIZING THE MONOMER IN A HYDROCARBON SOLVENT AND IN CONTACT WITH A CATALYST CONTAINING ORGANOMETALLIC BONDS AND CONSISTING OF THE COMBINATION OF (1) A TRANSITION METAL COMPOUND SOLUBLE IN THE HYDROCARBON SOLVENT AND SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF ALKOXIDES, MONOHALO-ALKOXIDES, HALO-ACETYLACETONATES, ACETYLACETONATES, HALO-ACYL COMPOUNDS, ALKOXY-ACYL COMPOUNDS AND DICYCLOPENTADIENYLS OF TITANIUM, VANADIUM, ZIRCONIUM AND CHROMIUM, (2) AN ALKYL COMPOUND OF A METAL OF GROUPS II AND III OF THE MENEDELEEFF PERIODIC TABLE IN WHICH THE ALKYL GROUPS CONTAIN FROM 2 TO 16 CARBON ATOMS, SAID TRANSITION METAL COMPOUND OF (1) BEING FURTHER CHARACTERIZED IN THAT BY REACTION WITH THE SAID METAL ALKYL COMPOUND OF (2), IT YIELDS PRODUCTS SOLUBLE IN THE HYDROCARBON SOLVENT, AND (3) A SOLID, CRYSTALLINE LOW VALENCY HALIDE SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF HALIDES OF TITANIUM, ZIRCONIUM, VANADIUM, CHROMIUM AND COBALT IN WHICH HALIDE THE METAL HAS A VALENCE NOT HIGHER THAN 3, SAID HALIDE BEING FURTHER CHARACTERIZED IN THAT WHEN MIXED WITH THE SAID METAL ALKYL COMPOUND OF (2), IT YIELDS PRODUCTS WHICH ARE AT LEAST PARTIALLY INSOLUBLE IN THE HYDROCARBON SOLVENT.