Process for the polymerization of ethylene in the presence of silyl ethers as initiators

Claim 2

A process for the production of homopolymers or copolymers of ethylene by radical polymerisation at a temperature of at least 100° C. and under a pressure of from 200 to 3500 atms, optionally in the presence of a solvent, wherein as the initiators a silyl ether corresponding to the general formula I is used: ##STR7## R 1 represents methyl, ethyl, phenyl, benzyl or chloromethyl; R 2 represents chlorine, hydroxyl, methoxy, ethoxy or R 1 ; R 4 and R 5 the same or different represent aryl radicals optionally substituted by C 1 -C 4 -alkyl, methoxy, chlorine, or fluorine; R 6 and R 7 the same or different either have the same meaning as R 4 and R 5 or represent C 1 -C 6 -alkyl radicals optionally substituted by C 1 -C 4 -alkyl, methoxy, chlorine or fluorine, cycloalkyl radicals containing from 5 to 7 carbon atoms or hydrogen; R 8 represents hydrogen or a silyl radical corresponding to the general formula II: ##STR8## wherein R 2 has the meaning given above; and n is an integer of from 1 to 20, m is an integer from 1 to 10, is 0 or 1; R 9 represents R 1 or X R 10 represents R 2 or X and R 11 represents chlorine, hydroxyl or X.

Claim 3

A process as claimed in claim 1, wherein the silyl ether has a molecular weight M n of from 2000 to 8000.

Claim 4

A process as claimed in claim 1, wherein R 4 and R 5 represent phenyl, tolyl, p-tert.-butyl phenyl, o and p-chlorophenyl, 2,4-dichlorophenyl, naphthyl, biphenylyl, or m-methoxy phenyl; and R 6 and R 7 represent R 4 or R 5 as claimed herein or methyl, ethyl, isopropyl or cyclohexyl.

Claim 5

A process as claimed in claim 1, wherein the silyl ether is the reaction product of the following compounds (B) and (C) in the presence of a metal (A): ______________________________________ (A) (B) (C) ______________________________________ 1) magnesium benzaldehyde trichloromethyl silane 2) magnesium benzaldehyde trichlorophenyl silane 3) magnesium benzaldehyde dichlorodimethyl silane 4) magnesium acetophenone trichloromethyl silane 5) sodium acetophenone diphenyl dichlorosilane 6) magnesium propiophenone trichloromethyl silane 7) lithium isopropyl phenyl trichloromethyl silane ketone 8) magnesium cyclohexyl phenyl trichloromethyl silane ketone 9) magnesium benzophenone trichloromethyl silane 10) magnesium benzophenone dichlorodimethyl silane 11) sodium benzophenone trichlorophenyl silane 12) lithium 4,4-dimethyl trichloromethyl silane benzophenone 13) potassium benzophenone dichlorodiphenyl silane 14) calcium 4-t-butyl benzo trichloromethyl silane phenone 15) magnesium 4-chlorobenzo- trichloromethyl silane phenone 16) sodium 2-methyl benzo- dichlorodimethyl silane phenone 17) magnesium 2-chlorobenzo- trichloromethyl silane phenone 18) magnesium 2,4-dichlorobenzo- trichloroethyl silane phenone 19) magnesium 3-methoxy benzo- dichloroethoxy methyl phenone silane 20) magnesium naphthylphenyl trichloromethyl silane ketone 21) magnesium 4-phenyl benzo- trichloromethyl silane phenone 22) magnesium 4-benzoyl benzo- trichloromethyl silane phenone 23) magnesium benzaldehyde tetrachlorosilane ______________________________________