Polymerization catalyst

Claim 2

An olefin polymerization and copolymerization catalyst active in the presence of an alkyl aluminum cocatalyst prepared by mixing, in the presence of a solvent, reactive materials comprising dry particles of an inorganic oxide having active surface hydroxyl or oxide groups chosen from the group consisting of silica, alumina and silica-alumina, said particles having been preactivated by heating at between about 200° C. and 900° C., and a complex of the general formula (MgR 2 ) m (AlR 3 ') n where R and R' are alkyl groups and m/n is between about 0.5 and 10, inclusive, to form a reaction mixture of said solvent and a hydrocarbon insoluble first reaction product, and mixing said reaction mixture with a halide, oxyhalide or alkoxyhalide of a metal chosen from the group consisting of titanium, vanadium and zirconium to form a second reaction product, and evaporating said solvent from said second reaction product.

Claim 3

An olefin polymerization and copolymerization catalyst active in the presence of an alkyl aluminum cocatalyst, prepared by the consecutive steps of: (a) preactivating and drying particles of an inorganic oxide having active surface hydroxyl or oxide groups chosen from the group consisting of silica, alumina and silica-alumina by heating said particles at between about 200° C. and 900° C.; (b) reacting said dry particles in the presence of a hydrocarbon solvent with a complex of the general formula (MgR 2 ) m (AlR 3 ') n wherein R and R' are alkyl groups and m/n is between about 0.5 and 10, inclusive, to form a reaction mixture of said solvent and a first reaction product insoluble in said solvent; (c) reacting said first reaction product in said reaction mixture with a halogen-containing transition metal compound to form a second reaction product, said transition metal compound being selected from the group consisting of Tr(OR") a X 4-a and TrOX 3 , wherein Tr is a transition metal selected from the group consisting of titanium, vanadium, and zirconium, R" is an alkyl group of less than about 20 carbon atoms, X is a halogen atom, and a is zero or an integer less than 4; and

Claim 4

An olefin polymerization and copolymerization catalyst active in the presence of an alkyl aluminum cocatalyst, prepared by the consecutive steps of: (a) preactivating and drying particles of an inorganic oxide having active surface hydroxyl or oxide groups chosen from the group consisting of silica, alumina and silica-alumina by heating said particles at between about 200° C. and 900° C.; (b) reacting said dry particles in the presence of a hydrocarbon solvent with a complex of the general formula (MgR 2 ) m (AlR 3 ') n wherein R and R' are alkyl groups and m/n is between about 0.5 and 10, inclusive, to form a reaction mixture of said solvent and a first reaction product insoluble in said solvent; (c) reacting said first reaction product in said reaction mixture with a halogen-containing transition metal compound to form a second reaction product, said transition metal compound being selected from the group consisting of Tr(OR") a X 4-a and TrOX 3 , wherein Tr is a transition metal selected from the group consisting of titanium, vanadium, and zirconium, R" is an alkyl group of less than about 20 carbon atoms, X is a halogen atom, and a is zero or an integer less than 4; and

Claim 5

(d) evaporating said solvent from said second reaction product.

Claim 6

(d) evaporating said solvent from said second reaction product.

Claim 7

The catalyst of claim 2 wherein between about 0.6 and 2.5 mmoles of said transition metal compound is present per gram of said inorganic oxide.

Claim 8

The catalyst of claim 3 wherein between about 0.25 and 1.0 mmoles of said transition metal compound is present per mmole of said active hydroxyl and oxide groups on said inorganic oxide.

Claim 9

The catalyst of claim 3 wherein said transition metal compound is added in equimolar ratio to the total magnesium and aluminum present in said first reaction product.

Claim 10

The catalyst of claim 2 wherein m/n is between about 2 and 10.

Claim 11

The catalyst of claim 2 wherein said inorganic oxide particles are preactivated by heating at about 600° C.

Claim 12

The catalyst of claim 2 wherein said transition metal compound is chosen from the group consisting of TiCl 4 , Ti(OR")Cl 3 , Ti(OR") 2 Cl 2 , Ti(OR") 3 Cl, VOCl 3 , VCl 4 and ZrCl 4 .

Claim 13

The catalyst of claim 2 wherein R has between 2 and 12 carbon atoms.

Claim 14

The catalyst of claim 9 wherein R is butyl, R' is ethyl, and m/n is about 6.5.

Claim 15

The catalyst of claim 10 wherein said transition metal compound is TiCl 4 .

Claim 18

(c) reacting said first reaction product in said reaction mixture with a halogen-containing transition metal compound to form a second reaction product, said transition metal compound being selected from the group consisting of Tr(OR") a X 4-a and TrOX 3 , wherein Tr is a transition metal selected from the group consisting of titanium, vanadium and zirconium, R" is an alkyl group of less than about 20 carbon atoms, X is a halogen atoms, and a is zero or an integer less than 4; and

Claim 19

(c) reacting said first reaction product in said reaction mixture with a halogen-containing transition metal compound to form a second reaction product, said transition metal compound being selected from the group consisting of Tr(OR") a X 4-a and TrOX 3 , wherein Tr is a transition metal selected from the group consisting of titanium, vanadium and zirconium, R" is an alkyl group of less than about 20 carbon atoms, X is a halogen atoms, and a is zero or an integer less than 4; and

Claim 20

(d) evaporating said solvent from said second reaction product.

Claim 21

(d) evaporating said solvent from said second reaction product.

Claim 22

The method of claim 12 wherein between about 0.6 and 2.5 mmoles of said transition metal compound is present per gram of said inorganic oxide.

Claim 23

The method of claim 13 wherein between about 0.25 and 1.0 mmoles of said transition metal compound is present per mmole of said active hydroxyl and oxide groups on said inorganic oxide.

Claim 24

The method of claim 13 wherein said transition metal compound is added in equimolar ratio to the total magnesium and aluminum present in said first reaction product.

Claim 25

The method of claim 12 wherein m/n is between about 2 and 10.

Claim 26

The method of claim 12 wherein said inorganic oxide particles are preactivated by heating at about 600° C.

Claim 27

The method of claim 12 wherein said transition metal compound is chosen from the group consisting of TiCl 4 , Ti(OR")Cl 3 , Ti(OR") 2 Cl 2 , Ti(OR") 3 Cl, VOCl 3 , VCl 4 and ZrCl 4 .

Claim 28

The method of claim 12 wherein R has between 2 and 12 carbon atoms.

Claim 29

The method of claim 19 wherein R is butyl, R' is ethyl, and m/n is about 6.5.

Claim 30

The method of claim 20 wherein said transition metal compound is TiCl 4 .