Preparation of polyethylene in the presence of a 2-butene chain transfer agent

Claim 1

IN THE POLYMERIZATION OF ETHYLENE AT TEMPERATURES OF 250-300*C. AND PRESSURES OF 20,000-50,000 P.S.I.G. IN THE PRESENCE OF A CATALYTIC AMOUNT OF AN OXYGEN INITIATOR, THE IMPROVEMENT COMPRISING CONTOLLING THE MOLECULAR WEIGHT OF THE POLYETHYLENE PRODUCT, AS REFLECTED BY THE MELT INDEX THEREOF, BY POLYMERIZING ETHYLENE IN THE PRESENCE OF 0.05-15 PERCENT BY VOLUME BUTENE-2, BASED ON THE ETHYLENE, THE MELT INDEX INCREASING WITHIN THE RANGE OF 0.15-40 AS THE AMOUNT OF BUTENE-2 PRESENT IS INCREASED, AND PROVIDING SUFFICIENT OXYGEN INITATOR DURING THE POLYMERIZATION TO COMPENSATE FOR THE PRESENCE OF THE BUTENE-2 AND TO MAINTAIN A PREDETERMINED TEMPERATURE WITHIN THE RANGE OF 250-300*C. AT A PREDETERMINED PRESSURE OF 20,000-50,000 P.S.I.G. IN THE PRESENCE OF A PREDETERMINED AMOUNT OF BUTENE-2 WITHIN THE ABOVE INDICATED RANGE, THEREBY PROVIDING A PRODUCT OF THE DESIRED MOLECULAR WEIGHT CHARACTERIZED BY IMPOVED OPTICAL PROPERTIES AND PHYSICAL STRENGTH AND A DENISTY OF AT LEAST 0.919 G./CC.