Process of polymerizing α-olefins in the liquid phase

Claim 1

In a process for suspension polymerizing at least one α-olefin in the liquid phase at a temperature of about 20° to 100° C. in the presence of a catalytic amount of a Ziegler-type catalyst, the improvement comprising using a catalyst prepared by reacting (1) a solution of an ether-free inert hydrocarbon solvent in which is dissolved at least one organomagnesium compound of the formula MgR'.sub.2 wherein each R' is independently a hydrocarbyl group of 1 - 30 carbon atoms selected from the group consisting of alkyl, aryl, cycloalkyl, aralkyl, alkaryl and alkenyl, wherein said MgR' 2 is solubilized in said ether-free inert hydrocarbon solvent by treating said MgR' 2 with an amount of R" m AlX' n which is effective to cause the dissolution of said MgR' 2 , m being an integer of 1 to 3 and n being an integer of 0 - 2, wherein R" is alkyl, cycloalkyl, aralkyl, aryl or alkaryl of 1 - 25 carbon atoms and X' is halogen or alkoxy of 1 - 25 carbon atoms; with (2) at least one aluminum halogen compound of the formula R.sub.m AlX.sub.3-m wherein each R independently represents a hydrocarbyl group of 1 - 30 carbon atoms selected from the group consisting of alkyl, aryl, cycloalkyl, aralkyl, alkaryl, alkenyl and alkadienyl, each X independently represents halogen, and m is a value of less than 3, wherein the molar ratio of X:magnesium is at least 0.01, to form a reaction product in the form of a precipitate, and thereafter mixing the resulting reaction product with at least one transition metal compound of a metal of Groups IV-B, V-B and VI-B of the Periodic Table, which transition metal is substantially in the state of maximum valency, the said transition metal compound selected from the group consisting of halides, alkoxides of 1 - 20 carbon atoms, and mixtures thereof, to reduce said transition metal compound, and thereafter activating the resulting reduced catalyst system with an activating amount of at least one organo-aluminum compound, said organo-aluminum compound selected from the group consisting of aluminum trialkyls, alkyl aluminum halides, alkyl aluminum hydrides and corresponding compounds wherein one or more alkyl radicals are replaced by alkenyl radicals or alkadienyl radicals, and mixtures thereof, said alkyl radicals and said alkenyl or alkadienyl radicals having 1 - 20 carbon atoms.