Process for preparing high cis-1, 4-polybutadiene

Claim 1

IN A PROCESS FOR PREPARING HIGH CIS-1,4-POLYBUTADIENE HAVING AT LEAST 88% CIS-1,4-ADDITION WHICH COMPRISES POLYMERIZING 1,3-BUTADIENE IN AN ORGANIC SOLVENT THEREFOR IN THE PRESENCE OF A CATALYTIC AMOUNT OF A COBALTCONTAINING CATALYST WHICH NORMALLY PRODUCES A SUBSTANTIAL AMOUNT OF DELETERIOUS GEL, THE CATALYST BEING PREPARED FROM AT LEAST ONE SOLUBLE ORGANOALUMINUM DIHALIDE IN WHICH THE ORGANIC SUBSTITUENT IS SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF ALKYL, CYCLOALKYL, ARYL AND ARALKYL RADICALS CONTAINING 1-20 CARBON ATOMS AND AT LEAST ONE SOLUBLE COBALT COMPOUND SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF THE BETA-DIKETONE COMPLEXES AND CARBOXYLIC ACID SALTS OF COBALT, THE IMPROVEMENT OF PREPARING SAID HIGH CIS-1,4-POLYBUTADIENE SUBSTANTIALLY FREE OF DELETERIOUS GEL BY POLYMERIZING THE 1,3-BUTADIENE IN THE PRESENCE OF A COBALT AND CHROMIUM-CONTAINING CATALYST PREPARED FROM CATALYST FORMING SUBSTANCES CONSISTING ESSENTIALLY OF THE SAID ORGANOALUMINUM DIHALIDE, THE SAID COBALT COMPOUND, AND AT LEAST ONE SOLUBLE CHROMIUM COMPOUND SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF THE BETA-DIKETONE COMPLEXES AND CARBOXYLIC ACID SALT OF CHROMIUM, THE SAID ORGANOALUMINUM DIHALIDE, CHROMIUM COMPOUND AND COBALT COMPOUND BEING PRESENT IN QUANTITIES TO PROVIDE A GRAM ATOMIC WEIGHT RATIO OF ALUMINUM TO COBALT BETWEEN ABOUT 40:1 AND 500:1 AND A GRAM ATOMIC WEIGHT RATIO OF CHROMIUM TO COBALT BETWEEN ABOUT 1:1 AND 50:1.