Production of cis-1, 4 polybutadiene with an organic complex compound of nickel-boron trifluoride etherate-aluminum trialkyl catalyst

Claim 1

A PROCESS FOR THE POLYMERIZATION OF BUTADIENE, WHICH COMPRISES POLYMERIZING BUTADIENE IN LIQUID PHASE AT A TEMPERATURE BETWEEN ABOUT -30*C. AND ABOUT 150*C., UNDER A PRESSURE SUFFICIENT TO MAINTAIN THE REACTION SYSTEM IN LIQUID PHASE AND UNDER AN INERT ATMOSPHERE TO A SOLID POLYMER HAVING A HIGH CONTENT OF CIS-1,4 CONFIGURATION AND SUBSTANTIALLY NO GEL FORMATION BY CONTACTING BUTADIENE WITH A CATALYST OBTAINED BY MIXING AT A CONTROLLED TEMPERATURE THE THREE COMPONENTS CONSISTING OF (A) A NICKEL COMPLEX SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF TETRACARBONYL NICKEL, HYDROXY ESTER NICKEL COMPLEX, HYDROXY KETONE NICKEL COMPLEX, AND HYDROXY ALDEHYDE NICKEL COMPLEX, (B) BORON TRIFLUORIDE ETHERATE, AND (C) TRIALKYL ALUMINUM, THE MOL RATIO OF SAID (A) COMPONENT TO SAID (C) COMPONENT BEING WITHIN THE RANGE OF ABOUT 0.1 TO ABOUT 4.0, AND THE MOL RATIO OF SAID (C) COMPONENT TO SAID (B) COMPONENT BEING WITHIN THE RANGE OF ABOUT 0.1 TO ABOUT 5.0.