Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 11
Claim 1
Independent Claim
290 words
A process for producing a block polymer which comprises contacting, under polymerizing conditions, propylene with a catalyst comprising a dispersion of solid particles of a metal subhalide wherein said metal is selected from the group consisting of the metals of Groups IVa, Va and VIa of the Periodic Table according to Mendeleeff and an activator therefor selected from the group consisting of metal alkyls, metal hydrides, metal borohydrides, aryl metal halides, and alkyl metal halides wherein said metal is selected from the group consisting of aluminum, zinc, beryllium, chromium, magnesium, lithium, sodium, potassium, and lead, in an inert hydrocarbon liquid reaction medium, whereby said propylene is polymerized to form a polymeric block, then contacting a second monomeric composition selected from the group consisting of ethylene and mixtures thereof with propylene, with said catalyst system under polymerizing conditions whereby said second monomeric composition polymerizes in the presence of the previously formed polymeric block as a linear extension thereto, the polymerization of propylene being performed in the presence of sufficient hydrogen to give a melt index suitable for melt processing of the resulting block polymer and the polymerization of said second monomeric composition being performed in the substantial absence of added hydrogen, terminating the polymerization reaction and separating from the reaction mixture a solid, substantially crystalline block polymer which is predominantly insoluble in said reaction mixture at polymerization temperature and comprises molecules consisting essentially of a single homopolymer block linearly connected to a single polymer block selected from the group consisting of an interpolymer block and a homopolymer block derived from a monomer different from that of the first-mentioned homopolymer block, said block polymer consisting essentially of 99.8 to 40 weight percent of propylene and 0.2 to 60 weight percent of ethylene.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
290 words
A process for producing a block polymer which comprises contacting, under polymerizing conditions, propylene with a catalyst comprising a dispersion of solid particles of a metal subhalide wherein said metal is selected from the group consisting of the metals of Groups IVa, Va and VIa of the Periodic Table according to Mendeleeff and an activator therefor selected from the group consisting of metal alkyls, metal hydrides, metal borohydrides, aryl metal halides, and alkyl metal halides wherein said metal is selected from the group consisting of aluminum, zinc, beryllium, chromium, magnesium, lithium, sodium, potassium, and lead, in an inert hydrocarbon liquid reaction medium, whereby said propylene is polymerized to form a polymeric block, then contacting a second monomeric composition selected from the group consisting of ethylene and mixtures thereof with propylene, with said catalyst system under polymerizing conditions whereby said second monomeric composition polymerizes in the presence of the previously formed polymeric block as a linear extension thereto, the polymerization of propylene being performed in the presence of sufficient hydrogen to give a melt index suitable for melt processing of the resulting block polymer and the polymerization of said second monomeric composition being performed in the substantial absence of added hydrogen, terminating the polymerization reaction and separating from the reaction mixture a solid, substantially crystalline block polymer which is predominantly insoluble in said reaction mixture at polymerization temperature and comprises molecules consisting essentially of a single homopolymer block linearly connected to a single polymer block selected from the group consisting of an interpolymer block and a homopolymer block derived from a monomer different from that of the first-mentioned homopolymer block, said block polymer consisting essentially of 99.8 to 40 weight percent of propylene and 0.2 to 60 weight percent of ethylene.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
21 words
A process of claim 1 wherein said metal subhalide is a titanium subhalide and said activator is an alkyl aluminum halide.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
14 words
The process of claim 2 wherein said aluminum compound is a dialkyl aluminum halide.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
35 words
The process of claim 2 wherein said block polymer consists essentially of 97 to 40 weight percent of a propylene homopolymer block linearly joined to 3 to 60 weight percent of an ethylene homopolymer block.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
23 words
The process of claim 4 wherein the reactor is vented to substantially remove hydrogen therefrom prior to polymerization of said second monomeric composition.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
55 words
The process of claim 2 wherein said block polymer consists essentially of a single homopolymer block derived from propylene linearly joined to a single interpolymer block derived from a mixture of propylene and ethylene, said block polymer consisting essentially of 99.8 to 80 weight percent of propylene and 0.2 to 20 weight percent of ethylene.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
56 words
The process of claim 6 wherein the propylene content of said block polymer ranges from 99.8 to 92 weight percent and the ethylene content of said block polymer ranges from 0.2 to 8 weight percent, and wherein the reactor is vented to substantially remove hydrogen therefrom prior to polymerization of said mixture of propylene and ethylene.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
14 words
The process of claim 7 wherein said aluminum compound is a dialkyl aluminum halide.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
23 words
The process of claim 1 wherein about 5 to 100 ppm hydrogen, based upon solvent weight, are present during said polymerization of propylene.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
23 words
The process of claim 2 wherein about 5 to 100 ppm hydrogen, based upon solvent weight, are present during said polymerization of propylene.