Fabrication of atactic waxes of polyolefin

Claim 1

A process for the manufacture of atactic waxes which are substantially completely soluble in boiling n-heptane by polymerizing propylene alone or with the addition of not more than 30% by weight monoolefins having the general formula CH 2 = CHR in which R is hydrogen or an alkyl radical containing 2 to 8 carbon atoms in which the polymerization is carried out at low pressure and in a hydrocarbon solvent in the presence of a catalytic system formed of (a) a catalyst prepared in a one step reaction between magnesium, an alkyl halide and a titanium compound having the general formula TiX 4 -m (OR') m in which Ti represents titanium, X represents a halogen atom, R' represents an alkyl radical having from 2 to 8 carbon atoms and m is a number within the range of 1 to 4, in which the titanium compound is present in an amount to provide 0.5 to 2 milligram-atoms of titanium per liter of solvent, and (b) a co-catalyst in the form of an organo aluminum compound having the formula AlR" n X 3 -n , in which R" represents an alkyl radical having from 1 to 12 carbon atoms, some of which may be replaced by hydrogen atoms, X is a halogen atom and n is a number within the range of 1 to 3, the organo aluminum compound being present in an amount such that the atomic ratio of aluminum to titanium in the catalyst is within the range of 2 to 10.