Continuous process for polymerizing polyethylene

Claim 1

A PROCESS FOR POLYMERIZING ETHYLENE WHICH INCLUDES THE STEPS OF FROMING A REACTION MIXTURE BY CONTINUOUSLY ADDING ETHYLENE MONOMER, A HYDROCARBON SOLUBLE ALUMINUM TRIHALIDE, AND A TRACE AMOUNT OF A VANADIUM COMPOUND TO A REACTION MEDIUM MAINTAINED AT A TEMPERATURE OF FROM ABOUT 20*C. TO ABOUT 100*C. AND COMPRISING A SOLUTION OF AN INERT ORGANIC SOLVENT HAVING DISSOLVED THEREIN AN ORGANO-METTALLIC COMPOUND OF A METAL SELECTED FROM GROUP II-B, IV-A AND V-A OF THE PERIODIC SYSEM OF THE ELEMENTS IN AN AMOUNT OF ABOUT 0.25 TO ABOUT 17.5 MILLIMOLES PER LITER, THE ADDITION RATE OF SAID ALUMINUM TRIHALIDE BEING FROM ABOUT 0.0075 MILLIMOLE TO ABOUT 90.0 MILLIMOLES PER HOUR PER LITER OF SAID REACTION MEDIUM, AND THE RATE OF ADDITION OF SAID ETHYLENE BEING FROM ABOUT 1 TO ABOUT 4 LITERS PER MINUTE PER LITER OF SAID REACTION MEDIUM: CONTINUOUSLY REMOVING A PORTION OF SAID REACTION MIXTURE; MECHANICALLY SEPARATING THE SOLIDS FROM SAID REMOVED PORTION IN AN INERT ATMOSPHERE; AND RECYCLING THE LIQUID PHASE OF SAID REMOVED PORTION, WITHOUT PURIFICATION THEREOF, TO THE REACTION MIXTURE THROUGH A MASS OF SAID ORGANO-METALLIC COMPOUND IN THE SOLID STATE WHEREBY THE CONCENTRATION OF DISSOLVED ORGANO-METALLLIC COMPOUND IN THE REACTION MIXTURE IS MAINTAINED SUBSTANTIALLY CONSTANT.