Process for producing reduced transition metal halides

Claim 1

IN A CATALYTIC PROCESS FOR THE POLYMERIZATION OF AN A-OLEFINIC HYDROCARBON TO FORM SOLID CRYSTALINE POLYMER WHEREIN A REDUCED TRANSITION METAL HALIDE IS EMPLOYED AS A COMPONENT OF A CATALYST THAT CONTAINS ANOTHER COMPONENT SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF (A) A METAL FROM GROUPS 1A AND 111A OF THE PERIODIC TABLE ALKYL AND HYDRIDE DERIVIATIVES OF THE METALS IN GROUPS 1A, 11 AND 111A OF THE PERIODIC TABLE AND COMPLEX METAL HYDRIDES OF ALUMINUM AND ALKALI METAL; (B) ORGANOALUMINUM HALIDES HAVING THE FORMULA RMAIXN AND R3A2X3 WHEREIN R IS A HYDROCARBON RADICAL SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF LOWER ALKYL, CYCLOALKYL, PHENYL AND TOLY, X IS A HALOGEN SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF CHLORINE AND BROMINE AND M AND N ARE INTEGERS WHOSE SUM IS EQUIVALENT TO THE VALENCE OF ALUMINUM AND (C) A POLYMERIC REACTION PRODUCT OF ALUMINUM AND A METHYLENE HALIDE, THE IMPROVEMENT WHICH COMPRISES EMPLOYING A CATALYST CONTAINING A REDUCED TRANSITION METAL HALIDE PREPARED BY REACTING A HALIDE OF A TRANSITION METAL SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF TITANIUM, VANADIUM, ZIRCONIUM, CHROMIUM AND MOLYBDENUM AT ITS MAXIMUM VALENCE WITH A REDUCING METAL FROM GROUP 11 AND 111A OF THE PERIODIC TABLE AND A CO-REDUCING COMPOUND OF A METAL IN GROUPS 1A, 11 AND 111A OF THE PERIODIC TABLE TO FORM A HALIDE OF SAID REDUCING METAL IN THE PRESENCE OF A COMPLEXING AGENT THAT FORMS A COMPLEX WITH SAID HALIDE OF SAID REDUCING METAL FROM GROUPS 11 AND 111A OF THE PERIODIC TABLE, SAID COMPLEX BEING SUBSTANTIALLY SOLUBLE IN SAID COMPLEXING AGENT AND SAID REDUCED TRANSITION METAL HALIDE BEING SUBSTANTIALLY INSOLUBLE IN SAID COMPLEXING AGENT, THE VALENCE OF TRANSITION METAL IN SAID REDUCED TRANSITION METAL HALIDE BEING ONE LESS THAN THE MAXIMUM VALENCE OF SAID TRANSITION METAL.