Polymerization catalyst and polymerization process

Claim 1

A PROCESS FOR THE PRODUCTION OF A NORMALLY SOLID POLYMER, WHICH PROCESS COMPRISES: CONTRACTING UNDER POLYMERIZING CONDITIONS, AN OLEFIN SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF ETHYLENE, PROPYLENE, MIXTURES OF ETHYLENE AND PROPYLENE, BUTADIENE, ISOPRENE, AND MIXTURES OF A MAJOR AMOUNT OF ETHYLENE WITH A MINOR AMOUNT OF UP TO 25 MOL PERCENT OF THE MIXTURE OF AT LEAST ONE OTHER 1-OLEFIN HAVING FROM 4 TO 8 CARBON ATOMS PER MOLECULE, WITH A CATALYST CONSISTING ESSENTIALLY OF VANADIUM OXIDE ON A PARTICULATE SUPPORT PREPARED BY DEPOSITING A VANADIUM COMPOUND CAPABLE OF BEING AT LEAST PARTIALLY CONVERTIBLE TO AN OXIDE UPON HEATING ON A PARTICULATE SUPPORT TO FORM A CATALYST COMPOSITE; AND TREATING SAID COMPOSITE WITH CARBON MONOXIDE AS THE SOLE ACTIVATING AGENT AT A TEMPERATURE WITHIN THE RANGE OF FROM ABOUT 550 TO ABOUT 1300*F. FOR A PERIOD OF TIME SUFFICIENT TO IMPART TO THE RESULTING CATALYST INCREASED CATALYTIC ACTIVITY FOR PROMOTING THE FORMATION OF A NORMALLY SOLID POLYMER OF SAID OLEFIN; AND RECOVERING THE NORMALLY SOLIT POLYMER SO PRODUCED.