Catalyst component

Claim 1

A catalyst component which is the product of reacting a particulate support material which has a reactive surface comprising a plurality of sites on the surface of the support which are capable of abstracting a magnesium hydrocarbyl from a solution thereof with (a) at least one organomagnesium compound in which magnesium is directly bonded through a carbon atom to a first hydrocarbyl group and is bonded to a halogen, or oxyhydrocarbyl or a second hydrocarbyl group, the hydrocarbyl group or groups being alkyl, aryl, cycloalkyl, aralkyl, alkadienyl or alkenyl, (b) at least one aluminum compound of the general formula: R n AlY 3-n wherein R, each of which may be the same or different, represents a hydrocarbyl group which is an alkyl, aryl, cycloalkyl, aralkyl, alkenyl or alkadienyl group, n is 0, 1, 2, 3 or a fraction less than 3, and Y is a singly charged ligand which is hydride, fluoride, chloride, bromide, iodide or oxyhydrocarbyl, (c) at least one organometallic compound of the general formula: R m 1 MX p wherein M is a metal of Groups IA, IIA, IIB, IIIB, IVA, VA or VIA of the Periodic Table, R 1 is a hydrocarbyl or a substituted hydrocarbyl group, X is a halogen, m is an integer up to the highest valency of the metal M and p is 0 or an integer up to 2 less than the valency of the metal M, except that when M is a metal from Group VIA, p is always 0, and when M is a metal from Groups IVA, VA or VIA m has a value from 2 to the highest valency of the metal and p has a value from 0 to a value of 2 less than the valency of the metal M, and (d) at least one transition metal compound of Groups IVA, VA or VIA of the Periodic Table which is known to be useful in forming Ziegler-Natta catalysts, in which catalyst component the molar ratio of the aluminum compound to the organomagnesium compound is between 0.5 and 100, the molar ratio of the aluminum compound to the organometallic compound is between 1.0 and 100 and the molar ratio of the aluminum compound to the transition metal compound is between 1.0 and 2000, which reaction may be effected in any order or combination with the provisos that (i) the at least one organomagnesium compound or the at least one aluminum compound R n AlY 3-n or the at least one organometallic compound R m 1 MX p or the at least one transition metal compound of Groups IVA, VA or VIA contains a halide group, (ii) where the organomagnesium compound or the at least one aluminum compound R n AlY 3-n or the at least one organometallic compound R m 1 MX p is a Ziegler-Natta activator and the support is treated therewith after treatment with the at least one transition metal compound of Groups IVA, VA or VIA the support is treated with a pacifying agent which is capable of breaking metal-carbon or metal-hydrogen bonds in the catalyst component but does not have a deleterious effect on the catalyst component and which is used in sufficient quantity to break substantially all the metal-hydrocarbyl or metal-hydride bonds in the catalyst component, after treatment with the said activator and (iii) where the metal M in organometallic compound R m 1 MX p is magnesium, the organometallic compound R m 1 MX p and the organo-magnesium compound must not be added consecutively or together as a mixture, and that when the metal M in organometallic compound R m 1 MX p is aluminum, the organometallic compound R m 1 MX p and the aluminum compound R n AlY 3-n must not be added consecutively or together as a mixture or complex.