Process and product

Claim 1

A continuous process for the production of elastomeric copolymers of ethylene and a higher C 3 to C 10 alpha-olefin, which may additionally have polymerized therewith an acyclic or alicyclic nonconjugated diolefin which comprises connecting two stirred reactors in series, 1. adding to the first reactor: ethylene, a higher C 3 to C 10 alpha-olefin, or additionally said acyclic or alicyclic nonconjugated diolefin, a Ziegler-Natta type catalyst consisting of at least one transition metal component and an organoaluminum cocatalyst consisting of a dialkyl aluminum halide having the formula R 2 AlX, where R is a monovalent hydrocarbon radical, selected from the group consisting of C 1 to C 13 alkyl, alkylaryl, and cycloalkyl radicals, X is a halogen having an atomic number equal to or greater than 17; 2. polymerizing a portion of the monomers in the first reactor at a temperature in the range of 0° to 100° C., at a pressure of from 0 to 1000 psig, to form a polymer cement; 3. passing said polymer cement from the first reactor to a second reactor, connected in series with said first reactor; 4. adding to said second reactor: ethylene, said higher C 3 to C 10 alpha-olefin, additional acyclic or alicyclic nonconjugated diolefin and an organoaluminum cocatalyst consisting of an alkyl aluminum sesquihalide having the formula R m AlX n , where R is a monovalent hydrocarbon radical selected from the group consisting of C 1 to C 12 alkyl, alkylaryl, and cycloalkyl radicals, m and n are each equal to 1.5, X is a halogen having an atomic number equal to or greater than 17; 5. further polymerizing the monomers at essentially the same conditions as in the first reactor; 6. discharging the contents from the second reactor and terminating the polymerization reaction of said discharged contents; and 7. collecting and finishing the copolymer.