Process for polymerizing olefins in the presence of a catalyst prepared from an organomagnesium component which does not reduce TiCl4

Claim 1

A process for the polymerization of an α-olefin or mixtures thereof under conditions characteristic of Ziegler polymerization wherein the polymerization is conducted in the presence of (A) a supported catalyst which is the solid, hydrocarbon insoluble reaction product formed by reacting in an inert diluent (1) the reaction product of (a) a magnesium component or mixture of such components represented by the formula MgR 2 .xMeR' x' wherein each R is independently a hydrocarbyl group having from 1 to about 20 carbon atoms, each R' is independently a hydrocarbyl or a hydrocarbyloxy group having from 1 to about 20 carbon atoms, Me is aluminum, zinc or boron, x has a value of from zero to about 10, and x' has a value equal to the valence of Me; with (b) a sufficient amount of at least one of water, carbon dioxide or an organic, oxygen-containing compound, free of halogen and nitrogen atoms, so as to to react with the hydrocarbyl groups present in component (1-a) to produce a product which will not substantially reduce TiCl 4 at a temperature of about 25° C.; with (2) a halide-containing transition metal compound or mixture of such compounds represented by the formula TmY n X z-n wherein Tm is a metal selected from groups IV-B, V-B and VI-B of the Periodic Table of Elements, Y is oxygen or OR", each X is a halogen, each R" is independently a hydrocarbyl group having from 1 to about 20 carbon atoms, z has a value equal to the valence of said transition metal, n has a value of from zero to 6 with the value of z-n being from at least 1 up to a value equal to the valence of the transition metal; said halide-containing transition metal compound being present in a quantity so as to convert substantially all of the substituent groups attached to a magnesium atom in component (1) to a halide group. (B) an activating agent for said supported catalyst which activating agent is represented by the formulas AlR 3 3-m X m , MgR 3 2 , MgR 3 X, ZnR 3 X or ZnR 3 2 wherein each R 3 is a hydrocarbyl group having from 1 to about 20 carbon atoms, X is a halogen, or a hydrocarbyloxy group having from 1 to about 20 carbon atoms, m has a value from zero to 2; said activating agent being present in a quantity sufficient to provide an Al, Mg and/or Zn:Tm atomic ratio of from about 1:1 to about 5000:1.