Polymerization of alpha-monoolefins in the presence of titanium trichloride, organometallic reducing agent comprising zinc dihydrocarbyl, and an organic amine

Claim 1

IN THE PROCESS FOR POLYMERIZING AN ALPHA MONOOLEFIN OF FROM 3 TO 12 CARBONATOMS PER MOLECULE TO A SOLID POLYMER BY CONTACT WITH CATALYST COMPRISING TITANIUM TRICHLORIDE AND AN ORGANOMETALLIC REDUCING AGENT, THE IMPROVEMENT WHICH COMPRISES CONTACTING SAID OLEFIN WITH A CATALYST COMPOSITION COMPRISING (A) TITANIUM TRICHLORIDE. (B) AN ALUMINUM ALKYL SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF ALUMINUM TRIALKYLS AND ALUMINUM DIALKYL CHLORIDES, (C) A ZINC DIALKYL HAVING FROM 1 TO 10 CARBON ATOMS IN EACH ALKYL GROUP, AND (D) AN ORGANIC AMINE SELECTED FROM THE GROUPS CONSISTING OF (1) ALIPHATIC TERTIARY AMINES HAVING AT LEAST 5 CARBON ATOMS PER MOLECULE, (2) ALIPHATIC SECONDARY AMINES HAVING AT LEAST 5 CARBON ATOMS PER MOLECULE, (3) ALIPHATIC PRIMARY AMINES HAVING AT LEAST 4 CARBON ATOMS PER MOLECULE, AND (4) HETEROCYCLIC NITROGEN COMPOUNDS HAVING FIVE- TO SIXMEMBERED RINGS AND HAVING AN ALKYL RADICAL SUBSTITUENT OF UP TO 6 CARBON ATOMS ON AT LEAST ONE CARBON ALPHA TO A NITROGEN ATOM IN THE RING, WHEREIN THE MOLAR RATIO OF COMBINED METAL ALKYLS TO TITANIUM TRICHLORIDE IS IN THE RANGE OF 1:1 TO 10:1, THE MOLAR RATIO OF ZINC DIETHYL TO ALUMINUM DIETHYL CHLORIDE IS IN THE RANGE FROM 0.001:1 TO 5:1, AND THE MOLAR RATIO OF AMINE TO ZINC DIETHYL IS IN THE RANGE FROM 0.001:1 TO 2.0:1.