Metal oxide promoter for alkali metal alkyl-transition metal halide catalyst

Claim 1

A PROCESS OF POLYMERIZING $-OLEFINS WHICH COMPRISES CONTACTING AN $-OLEFIN CONTAINING 2 TO 8 CARBON ATOMS UNDER SUBSTANTIALLY ANHYDROUS CONDITIONS WITH A CATALYST COMPRISING AN ALKALI METAL ALKYL, A HALIDE OF A METAL SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF TITANIUM, ZIRCONUIM, VANADIUM, CHROMIUM AND MOLYBDENUM, AND A PROMOTER SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF SODIUM OXIDE, CADMIUM OXIDE, POTASSIUM OXIDE, RUBIDIUM OXIDE, MERCURIC OXIDE, AND CESIUM OXIDE, SAID PROMOTER BEING PRESENT IN THE POLYMERIZATION MIXTURE AS A SOLUTION IN A SATURATED HYDROCARBON, THE QUANTITY OF THE PROMOTER BEING ABOUT 1 PART PER BILLION TO ABOUT 1 PART PER MILLION BY WEIGHT WITH RESPECT TO SAID METAL HALIDE PRESENT IN THE POLYMERIZATION MIXTURE.