Composition of matter and method of preparing same, catalyst, method of producing the catalyst and polymerization process employing the catalyst

Claim 3

A method according to claim 1 wherein the transition metal compound is selected from the group consisting of titanium tetrahydrocarbyl oxides, titanium tetraimides, titanium tetraamides, titanium tetramercaptides, and wherein the metal dihalide compound is selected from the group consisting of beryllium dichloride, beryllium dibromide, magnesium dichloride, magnesium difluoride, calcium dichloride, calcium dibromide, zinc dichloride, and zinc difluoride, and wherein said second catalyst component is selected from the group consisting of organometallic compounds of Groups I, II, and III selected from the group consisting of lithium alkyls, Grignard reagents dialkyl magnesium compounds, dialkyl zinc compounds, and hydrocarbyl aluminum halides.

Claim 4

A method according to claim 2 wherein the transition metal compound is a titanium compound represented by the general formula Ti(OR).sub.4 wherein each R is individually selected from an alkyl, cycloalkyl, aryl, alkaryl, aralkyl hydrocarbon radicals containing from 1 to about 20 carbon atoms per radical and each R can be the same or different.

Claim 5

A method according to claim 3 wherein each R is individually selected from alkyl radicals containing 1 to 10 carbon atoms per radical.

Claim 6

A method according to claim 4 wherein said metal halide is selected from magnesium dichloride, magnesium dibromide, and zinc dichloride.

Claim 7

A method according to claim 5 wherein said titanium tetrahalide is titanium tetrachloride.

Claim 8

A method according to claim 6 wherein said metal halide is magnesium dichloride.

Claim 9

A method according to claim 7 wherein said second catalyst component is selected from the group consisting of hydrocarbylaluminum halides represented by the formulas R'AlX.sub.2, R'.sub.2 AlX, and R'.sub.3 Al.sub.2 X.sub.3 wherein each R' is individually selected from linear and branched chain hydrocarbyl radicals containing 1 to 20 carbon atoms per radical and each R' can be the same or different, and X is a halogen atom.

Claim 10

A method according to claim 8 wherein said second catalyst component comprises ethylaluminum sesquichloride.

Claim 11

A method according to claim 9 wherein said transition metal compound of said first catalyst component is titanium tetraethoxide.

Claim 12

A method according to claim 10 wherein the reaction between (A) and (B) to form said first catalyst component is conducted in a hydrocarbon solvent, the first and second catalyst components are contacted together at a temperature within the range of about -100° C. to about 0° C., and the solid product resulting from the combination of said first and second catalyst components is contacted with titanium tetrachloride at a temperature in the range of about 80° C. to about 180° C.

Claim 13

A method according to claim 11 wherein said first and second catalyst components are contacted together at a temperature in the range of about -15° C. to about -40° C.

Claim 14

A method according to claim 12 wherein said hydrocarbon solvent is aromatic and the treatment with titanium tetrachloride is conducted at a temperature in the range of about 100° C. to about 130° C.

Claim 15

A method according to claim 13 wherein the solvent for said first catalyst component consists essentially of an aromatic hydrocarbon.

Claim 16

A method according to claim 14 wherein said solvent is xylene.

Claim 17

A method according to claim 15 wherein the molar ratio of the transition metal of the transition metal compound of the first catalyst component to the metal of the metal halide compound of the first catalyst component is from about 10:1 to about 1:10 and the molar ratio of the transition metal of the transition metal compound of the first catalyst component to the second catalyst component is from about 10:1 to 1:10.

Claim 18

A method according to claim 11 wherein the molar ratio of the transition metal of the transition metal compound of the first catalyst component to the metal of the metal halide compound of the first catalyst component is from about 10:1 to about 1:10 and the molar ratio of the transition metal of the transition metal compound of the first catalyst component to the second catalyst component is from about 10:1 to 1:10.

Claim 19

A method according to claim 17 wherein the molar ratio of the transition metal of the transition metal compound of the first catalyst component to the metal of the metal halide compound of the first catalyst component is from about 2:1 to 1:2 and the molar ratio of the transition metal of the transition metal compound of the first catalyst component to the second catalyst component is from about 2:1 to 1:3.

Claim 20

A method according to claim 7 wherein said transition metal compound of said first catalyst component is titanium tetra-n-butoxide.

Claim 21

A method according to claim 19 wherein said second catalyst component is selected from the group consisting of hydrocarbylaluminum halides represented by the formulas R'AlX.sub.2, R'.sub.2 AlX, and R'.sub.3 Al.sub.2 X.sub.3 wherein each R' is individually selected from the linear and branched chain hydrocarbyl radicals containing 1 to 20 carbon atoms per radical and each R' can be the same or different, and X is a halogen atom.

Claim 22

A method according to claim 8 wherein said transition metal compound of said first catalyst component is an orthopara cresyl titanate, wherein the molar ratio of butyl radicals to cresyl radicals is about 2:1.

Claim 23

A method according to claim 8 wherein said transition metal compound is titanium tetra-n-butoxide.

Claim 24

A method according to claim 7 wherein said precipitating agent is a dialkyl magnesium compound.

Claim 25

A method according to claim 17 wherein the molar ratio of the transition metal of the transition metal compound of the first catalyst component to the metal of the metal halide compound of the first catalyst component is from about 2:1 to 1:2 and the molar ratio of the transition metal of the transition metal compound of the first catalyst component to the second catalyst component is from about 2:1 to 1:3.

Claim 26

A catalyst comprising a product of any one of claims 1, 2 and 14 through 24.

Claim 27

A catalyst according to claim 25 further comprising a cocatalyst comprising at least one organoaluminum compound represented by the general formulas R".sub.3 Al R"AlX.sub.2 R".sub.2 AlX R".sub.3 Al.sub.2 X.sub.3 wherein each R" is individually selected from linear and branched chain hydrocarbyl radicals containing 1 to about 20 carbon atoms and each R" can be the same or different and X is a halogen atom.

Claim 28

A catalyst according to claim 26 wherein said cocatalyst is triethylaluminum and wherein the weight ratio of said cocatalyst to said titanium-containing catalyst is in the range of about 4:1 to about 40:1.

Claim 29

A catalyst according to claim 25 wherein the product of the reaction of (A) and (B) if isolated in a substantially crystalline form has a powder X-ray diffraction pattern, taken under conditions to exclude the presence of air and water, with interplanar spacings and relative intensities as follows: ______________________________________ interplanar spacing relative intensity of (meter × 10.sup.-10) spectrum ______________________________________ 10.77 weak 10.47 very strong 9.28 very weak 8.73 weak 8.23 very strong 8.10 moderate 7.91 very strong 7.43 strong 7.27 strong 6.52 weak 6.41 weak 6.10 weak 4.90 very weak 4.42 very weak 4.40 very weak 4.09 very weak 3.86 very weak ______________________________________

Claim 30

A catalyst produced according to a process of claim 7 wherein said second catalyst component is vanadium oxytrichloride.

Claim 31

A catalyst produced according to a process of claim 7 wherein said second catalyst component is dibutylmagnesium.

Claim 32

A catalyst produced according to a process of claim 7 wherein said second catalyst component is silicon tetrachloride.