Preparation of stabilized magnesium alkyls

Claim 1

IN A PROCESS FOR PREPARING STABILIZED MAGNNESIUM ALKYL COMPOUNDS IN THE ABSENCE OF ETHER WHICH COMPRISES REACTING A LIQUID HYDROCARBON CARRIER AND IN THE PRESENCE OF A CATALYST AT A TEMPERATURE OF FROM ABOUT 50*C. UP TO REFLUX A MIXTURE OF COMMINUTED MAGNESIUM AND AN ORGANIC HALIDE SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF ALKYL, CYCLOALKYL ALKARYL AND ARYL HALIDES, THE MOLE EQUIVALENT RATIO OF SAID MAGNESIUM TO SAID ORGANIC HALIDE IN SAID MIXTURE RANGING FROM ABOUT 0.8 TO ABOUT 1, THE AMOUNT OF CATALYST EMPLOYED BEING FROM ABOUT 0.1 TO ABOUT 3 MOLE PERCENT OF THE TOTAL MOLES OF SAID MAGNESIUM AND SAID ORGANIC HALIDE REACTANT PRESENT IN SAID MIXTURE AND THE VOLUME OF SAID LIQUID HYDROCARBON BASED CARRIER RANGING FROM ABOUT 1 TO ABOUT 5 TIMES THE VOLUME OF SAID ORGANIC HALIDE REACTANT THE IMPROVEMENT WHICH COMPRISES EMPLOYING SAID CATALYST A MIXTURE OF A FRIEDELCRAFTS LEWIS ACID METAL HALIDE CATALYST AND A METAL HYDRIDE SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTIG OF ALKALI METAL AND ALKALINE EARTH METAL HYDRIDES WHEREIN THE MOLE RATIO OF THE METAL HALIDE: MERTAL HYDRIDE RANGES FROM ABOUT 1.1 TO 1.5.