Reaction products of transition metal compounds and boron compounds and catalysts prepared therefrom

Claim 2

The reaction product or complex formed from the admixture of (a) at least one transition metal compound represented by the empirical formulae Tm(OR) y X x-y or Tm(OR) x-2 O, wherein Tm is a transition metal selected from groups IVB, VB or VIB; each R is independently a hydrocarbyl group, having from 1 to about 20 carbon atoms; each X is independently a halogen; x has a value equal to the valence of Tm and y has a value from 1 to the valence of Tm; and (b) at least one boron compound represented by the empirical formula BX 3 wherein X is a halogen; and wherein components (a) and (b) are mixed in proportions such that the atomic ratio of B:Tm is at least about 0.1:1.

Claim 3

The reaction product or complex of claim 1 wherein in component (a) Tm is titanium, each R is independently a hydrocarbyl group having from 2 to about 10 carbon atoms and X is chlorine or bromine; and wherein component (b) has the formula BX 3 wherein X is bromine and the B:Ti atomic ratio is from about 0.2:1 to about 10:1.

Claim 4

The reaction product or complex of claim 1 wherein in component (a) R is a saturated aliphatic hydrocarbyl group and the B:Ti ratio is from about 0.5:1 to about 2:1.

Claim 5

The reaction product or complex of claims 1, 2, or 3 wherein component (a) is titanium tetraethoxide, titanium tetra-n-propoxide, titanium tetra-isopropoxide, titanium tetra-n-butoxide or titanium tetra-(2-ethylhexoxide) and component (b) is boron tribromide.

Claim 6

The catalytic reaction product of (A) the reaction product or complex formed from the admixture of (1) at least one transition metal compound represented by the empirical formulae Tm(OR) y X x-y or Tm(OR) x-2 O, wherein Tm is a transition metal selected from groups IVB, VB or VIB; each R is independently a hydrocarbyl group, having from 1 to about 20 carbon atoms; each X is independently a halogen; x has a value equal to the valence of Tm and y has a value from 1 to the valence of Tm; and (2) at least one boron compound represented by the empirical formula BX 3 wherein X is a halogen; and (B) a magnesium halide resulting from the reaction of (1) an organomagnesium compound represented by the empirical formula MgR" 2 .xMR" y wherein M is aluminum or zinc, each R" is independently a hydrocarbyl or hydrocarbyloxy group having from 1 to about 20 carbon atoms, x has a value from zero to 10 and y has a value corresponding to the valence of M; with (2) a halide source selected from (a) an active non-metallic halide, said non-metallic halide corresponding to the formula R'X wherein R' is hydrogen or a hydrocarbyl group such that the hydrocarbyl halide is at least as active as sec-butyl chloride and does not poison the catalyst and X is halogen or (b) a metallic halide corresponding to the empirical formula MR y-a X a wherein M is a metal of Group IIB, IIIA or IVA of Mendeleev's Periodic Table of Elements, R is a monovalent hydrocarbyl radical, X is halogen, y is a number corresponding to the valence of M and a is a number from 1 to y; and (C) when the organomagnesium component and/or the halide source provides insufficient quantities of aluminum, an aluminum compound represented by the empirical formula AlR y' X y" wherein R and X are as defined above, y' has a value of 2 or 3 and y" has a value of zero or one with the sum of y' and y" being three; and wherein the components are employed in quantities which provide an atomic ratio of the elements Mg:Tm of from about 1:1 to about 200:1; B:Tm at least about 0.1:1; Al:Tm of from about 0.1:1 to about 200:1 and an excess X:Al of from about 0.0005:1 to about 5:1.

Claim 7

The catalytic reaction product of (A) the reaction product or complex formed from the admixture of (1) at least one transition metal compound represented by the empirical formulae Tm(OR) y X x-y or Tm(OR) x-2 O, wherein Tm is a transition metal selected from groups IVB, VB or VIB; each R is independently a hydrocarbyl group, having from 1 to about 20 carbon atoms; each X is independently a halogen; x has a value equal to the valence of Tm and y has a value from 1 to the valence of Tm; and (2) at least one boron compound represented by the empirical formula BX 3 wherein X is a halogen; and (B) a magnesium halide resulting from the reaction of (1) an organomagnesium compound represented by the empirical formula MgR" 2 .xMR" y wherein M is aluminum or zinc, each R" is independently a hydrocarbyl or hydrocarbyloxy group having from 1 to about 20 carbon atoms, x has a value from zero to 10 and y has a value corresponding to the valence of M; with (2) a halide source selected from (a) an active non-metallic halide, said non-metallic halide corresponding to the formula R'X wherein R' is hydrogen or a hydrocarbyl group such that the hydrocarbyl halide is at least as active as sec-butyl chloride and does not poison the catalyst and X is halogen or (b) a metallic halide corresponding to the empirical formula MR y-a X a wherein M is a metal of Group IIB, IIIA or IVA of Mendeleev's Periodic Table of Elements, R is a monovalent hydrocarbyl radical, X is halogen, y is a number corresponding to the valence of M and a is a number from 1 to y; and (C) when the organomagnesium component and/or the halide source provides insufficient quantities of aluminum, an aluminum compound represented by the empirical formula AlR y' X y" wherein R and X are as defined above, y' has a value of 2 or 3 and y" has a value of zero or one with the sum of y' and y" being three; and wherein the components are employed in quantities which provide an atomic ratio of the elements Mg:Tm of from about 1:1 to about 200:1; B:Tm at least about 0.1:1; Al:Tm of from about 0.1:1 to about 200:1 and an excess X:Al of from about 0.0005:1 to about 5:1.

Claim 8

The catalytic reaction product of claim 5 wherein (a) in component (A-1), Tm is titanium, each R is independently a hydrocarbyl group having from 1 to about 10 carbon atoms and X is chlorine or bromine; (b) in component (A-2), the boron compound is represented by the empirical formula BX 3 wherein X is bromine; (c) in component (B-1), M is aluminum and R" is a hydrocarbyl group having from 1 to about 10 carbon atoms and x has a value of from about 0.001 to about 5; (d) in component (B-2-a), R' is hydrogen or a tertiary butyl group and X is chlorine; (e) in component (B-2-b), M is a metal from Groups IIIA or IVA, y-a is zero or 1 and X is chlorine; (f) in component (C), the aluminum compound is a trialkyl aluminum compound wherein the alkyl groups independently have from 1 to about 10 carbon atoms; and (g) the components are employed in quantities so as to provide atomic ratios of Mg:Ti of from about 2:1 to about 100:1; B:Ti from about 0.2:1 to about 10:1; Al:Ti of from about 0.5:1 to about 150:1 and excess X:Al of from about 0.002:1 to about 2:1.

Claim 9

The catalytic reaction product of claim 6 wherein (a) in component (A-1), each R is independently a saturated aliphatic hydrocarbyl group; (b) in component (B-1), x has a value of from about 0.15 to about 2.5; and (c) the components are employed in quantities so as to provide atomic ratios of Mg:Ti of from about 5:1 to about 75:1; B:Ti of from about 0.5:1 to about 2:1; Al:Ti of from about 1:1 to about 100:1; and excess X:Al of from about 0.01:1 to about 1.4:1.

Claim 10

The catalytic reaction product of claim 7 wherein (a) component (A-1) is titanium tetraethoxide, titanium tetra-n-propoxide, titanium tetra-isopropoxide, titanium tetra-n-butoxide, or titanium tetra-(2-ethylhexoxide); (b) component (A-2) is boron tribromide; (c) component (B-1) is a dialkyl magnesium compound wherein the alkyl groups independently have from 1 to about 10 carbon atoms; and (d) component (B-2) is substantially anhydrous hydrogen chloride, ethyl aluminum dichloride or tin tetrachloride.

Claim 11

The catalytic reaction product of claims 5, 6, 7 or 8 wherein the components are added in the order (B-1), (B-2), (C) if employed and (A).

Claim 12

The catalytic reaction product of claims 5, 6, 7 or 8 wherein the components are added in the order (B-1), (B-2), (A) and (C) if employed, and provided that the halide source, (B-2), is not a tin compound.

Claim 13

In a catalyst composition comprising a magnesium halide, a transition metal compound and a boron compound, said composition having an atomic ratio of the elements Mg:Tm of from about 1:1 to about 200:1; B:Tm at least about 0.1:1; Al:Tm of from about 0.1:1 to about 200:1; and an excess X:Al of from about 0.0005:1 to about 5:1; the improvement which comprises forming a reaction product or complex of the transition metal compound and the boron compound prior to preparation of the catalyst therefrom; wherein said boron compound is represented by the formula BX 3 wherein X is halogen.

Claim 14

In a catalyst composition comprising a magnesium halide, a transition metal compound and a boron compound, said composition having an atomic ratio of the elements Mg:Tm of from about 1:1 to about 200:1; B:Tm at least about 0.1:1; Al:Tm of from about 0.1:1 to about 200:1; and an excess X:Al of from about 0.0005:1 to about 5:1; the improvement which comprises forming a reaction product or complex of the transition metal compound and the boron compound prior to preparation of the catalyst therefrom; wherein said boron compound is represented by the formula BX 3 wherein X is halogen.

Claim 15

The catalyst composition of claim 11 wherein the atomic ratios of the elements are Mg:Tm of from about 2:1 to about 100:1; B:Tm of from about 0.2:1 to about 10:1; Al:Tm of from about 0.5:1 to about 150:1; and excess X:Al of from about 0.002:1 to about 2:1.

Claim 16

The catalyst composition of claim 11 wherein the atomic ratios of the elements are Mg:Tm of from about 5:1 to about 75:1; B:Tm of from about 0.5:1 to about 2:1; Al:Tm of from about 1:1 to about 100:1; and excess X:Al of from about 0.01:1 to about 1.4:1.