Thermoplastic elastomeric olefin polymers, method of production and catalysts therefor

Claim 2

A transition metal compound useful with a cocatalyst as a polymerization catalyst, comprising a metallocene of the formula (L)(L')M(X)(X') wherein: a. L and L' are hydrocarbon or substituted hydrocarbon ligands at least one of which is a substituted cyclopentadienyl ring and the other is a substituted cyclopentadienyl ring having the formula: ##STR7## where R 1 is a, or R 1 and R 2 are, aryl or substituted aryl substituent(s) of the formula: ##STR8## where R 4 , R 5 , R 6 , R 7 and R 8 are hydrogen, halogen, aryl, hydrocarbyl, silahydrocarbyl or halohydrocarbyl substituents; and at least one of R 2 or R 3 are C 1 -C 20 alkyl, C 1 -C 20 alkylsilyl, or R 2 and R 3 are connected as a ring having at least three carbon atoms; b. said ligands L and L' are selected to provide a proselected degree of steric hindrance to ligand rotation on their respective L-M and L'-M axes, said degree of hindrance being selected on the principle that sterically larger substituents provide a greater hindrance; c. L and L' are rotatable about their respective L-M and L'-M bond axes on a time scale slower than that of monomer insertion but faster than the time to construct a polymer chain, to alternate between two distinct states characterizable as rac-like and meso-like states wherein: (1) when L=L', said metallocene alternates between chiral rac and achiral meso states; and (2) when L=L', said metallocene alternates between a chiral rac-like state and a state which is chiral by virtue of the difference in substituents on the ligands, but meso-like in relative orientation of the two ligands including their substituents; d. M is a Group 3, 4 or 5 Transition metal, a Lanthanide or an Actinide; and e. X and X' are uninegative hydride, halogen, alkoxide, hydrocarbyl, or halohydrocarbyl ligands.

Claim 3

A transition metal compound useful with a cocatalyst as a polymerization catalyst as in claim 1 wherein: a. said L and L' ligands are both substituted cyclopentadienyl rings having the formula and the substituents set forth in part a of claim 1.

Claim 4

A transition metal compound useful with a cocatalyst as a polymerization catalyst as in claim 2 wherein: a) R 1 is aryl; and b) R 2 and R 3 are connected as a ring having at least three carbon atoms.

Claim 5

A transition metal compound useful with a cocatalyst as a polymerization catalyst as in claim 3 wherein: a) at least one of L and L' is a 2-aryl indene of the formula ##STR9## where R 4 , R 5 , R 6 , R 7 , and R 8 are hydrogen, halogen, aryl, hydrocarbyl, silahydrocarbyl or halohydrocarbyl substituents.

Claim 6

A transition metal compound useful with a cocatalyst as a polymerization catalyst as in claim 4 wherein: a) at least one of L and L' is: 2-phenylindene; 2-(3,5-dimethylphenyl)indene; 2-(3,5-bis-trifluoromethylphenyl)indene; 2-(4-fluorophenyl)indene; 2-(2,3,4,5-tetrafluorophenyl)indene; 2-(1-naphthyl)indene; 2-(2-naphthyl)indene; 2-[(4-phenyl)phenyl]indene; 2-[(3-phenyl)phenyl]indene; 2-4-t-butylphenyl)indene; or 2-(4-methylphenyl)indene.

Claim 7

A polymerization catalyst comprising: a) a compound as in claim 5 wherein M is Ti, Hf or Zr, and X is hydride, halogen, alkoxide or C 1 -C 7 hydrocarbyl; and b) a cocatalyst to form a catalyst system.

Claim 8

A polymerization catalyst system as in claim 6 wherein said cocatalyst is an aluminoxane, methylaluminoxane, modified methylaluminoxane, a Lewis acid, or a protic acid containing a non-coordinating counter ion.

Claim 9

A polymerization process as in claim 7 wherein, (a) said Lewis acid cocatalyst is B(C 6 F 5 ) 3 ; and (b) said protic acid cocatalyst is [PhNMe 2 H] + B(C 6 F 5 ) - 4 .

Claim 10

A polymerization catalyst comprising: a) a compound as in claim 3 wherein M is Ti, Hf or Zr, and X is hydride, halogen, alkoxide or C 1 -C 7 hydrocarbyl; and b) a cocatalyst to form a catalyst system.

Claim 11

A polymerization catalyst comprising: a) a compound as in claim 2 wherein M is Ti, Hf or Zr, and X is hydride, halogen, alkoxide or C 1 -C 7 hydrocarbyl; and b) a cocatalyst to form a catalyst system.

Claim 12

A polymerization catalyst comprising: a) a compound as in claim 1 wherein M is Ti, Hf or Zr and X is hydride, halogen, alkoxide or C 1 -C 7 hydrocarbyl; and b) a cocatalyst to form a catalyst system.

Claim 13

A polymerization catalyst system as in claim 11, wherein said cocatalyst is an aluminoxane, methylaluminoxane, modified methylaluminoxane, a Lewis acid, or a protic acid containing a non-coordinating counter ion.

Claim 14

A polymerization catalyst system as in claim 12 wherein: (a) said Lewis acid cocatalyst is B(C 6 F 5 ) 3 ; and (b) said protic acid cocatalyst is [PhNMe 2 H] * B(C 6 F 5 ) - 4 .

Claim 15

A polymerization catalyst system as in claim 11, wherein the transition metal compound component is: bis[2-phenylindenyl]zirconium dichloride ; bis[2-phenylindenyl]zirconium dimethyl; bis[2-(3,5dimethylphenyl)indenyl]zirconium dichloride; bis[2-(3,5-bistrifluoromethylphenyl)indenyl]zirconium dichloride; bis[2-(4,-fluorophenyl)indenyl]zirconium dichloride; bis[2-(2,3,4,5tetrafluorophenyl)indenyl]zirconium dichloride; bis[2-(1naphthyl)indenyl]zirconium dichloride; [2-(2-naphthhyl)indenyl]zirconium dichloride; bis[2-[(4-phenyl)phenyl]indenyl]zirconium dichloride; bis[2-[(3-phenyl)phenyl]indenyl]zirconium dichloride; bis[2-(4-t-butylphenyl)indenyl]zirconium dichloride; bis[2-phenyl(indenyl)]hafnium dichloride; bis[2-phenyl(indenyl)]hafnium dimethyl; bis[2-(3,5-dimethylphenyl)indenyl]hafnium dichloride; bis [2-phenyl(indenyl)]hafnium dimethyl; bis[2-3,5-dimethylphenyl)indenyl]hafnium dicholoride; bis [2-phenyl(indenyl)] hafnium dimethyl; bis[2-(4-fluorophenyl)indenyl]hafnium dichloride; bis[2-(2,3,4,5-tetrafluorophenyl)indenyl]hafnium dichloride; bis[2-(1-naphthyl)indenyl]hafnium dichloride; bis[2-(2-naphthyl)indenyl]hafnium dichloride; bis[2-[(4-phenyl)phenyl]indenyl]hafnium dichloride; bis[2-[(3-phenyl)phenyl]indenyl]hafnium dichloride; or bis[2-(4-t-butylphenyl)indenyl]hafnium dichloride.

Claim 16

A process for producing a polyolefin comprising the steps of: a) providing a metallocene reaction catalyst system comprising a cocatalyst and a transition metal compound of the formula (L)(L')M(X)(X') wherein: i) L and L' are hydrocarbon or substituted hydrocarbon ligands at least one of which is a substituted cyclopentadienyl ring and the other is a substituted cyclopentadienyl ring having the formula: ##STR10## where R 1 is a, or R 1 and R 2 are, aryl or substituted aryl substituent(s) of the formula: ##STR11## where R 4 , R 5 , R 6 , R 7 and R 8 are hydrogen, halogen, aryl, hydrocarbyl, silahydrocarbyl or halohydrocarbyl substituents; and at least one of R 2 or R 3 are C 1 -C 20 alkyl, C 1 -C 20 alkylsilyl, or R 2 and R 3 are connected as a ring having at least three carbon atoms; ii) said ligands L and L' are selected to provide a preselected degree of steric hindrance to ligand rotation on their respective L-M and L'-M axes, said degree of hindrance being selected on the principle that sterically larger substituents provide a greater hindrance: iii) L and L are rotatable about their respective L-M and L'-M bond axes on a time scale slower than that of monomer insertion but faster than the time to construct a polymer chain, to alternate between two distinct states characterizable as rac-like and meso-like states wherein: (1) when L=L', said metallocene alternates between chiral rac and achiral meso states; and (2) when L≠L', said metallocene alternates between a chiral rac-like state and a state which is chiral by virtue of the difference in substituents on the ligands, but meso-like in relative orientation of the two ligands including their substituents; iv) M is selected from a Group 3, 4 or 5 Transition metal, a Lanthanide or an Actinide; v) X and X' are uninegative hydride, halogen, alkoxide, hydrocarbyl, or halohydrocarbyl ligands; and b) contacting at least one olefin monomer with said reaction catalyst system for a time sufficient to catalytically polymerize said monomer(s) to form a polymer.

Claim 17

A process for producing a polyolefin comprising the steps of: a) providing a metallocene reaction catalyst system comprising a cocatalyst and a transition metal compound of the formula (L)(L')M(X)(X') wherein: i) L and L' are hydrocarbon or substituted hydrocarbon ligands at least one of which is a substituted cyclopentadienyl ring and the other is a substituted cyclopentadienyl ring having the formula: ##STR10## where R 1 is a, or R 1 and R 2 are, aryl or substituted aryl substituent(s) of the formula: ##STR11## where R 4 , R 5 , R 6 , R 7 and R 8 are hydrogen, halogen, aryl, hydrocarbyl, silahydrocarbyl or halohydrocarbyl substituents; and at least one of R 2 or R 3 are C 1 -C 20 alkyl, C 1 -C 20 alkylsilyl, or R 2 and R 3 are connected as a ring having at least three carbon atoms; ii) said ligands L and L' are selected to provide a preselected degree of steric hindrance to ligand rotation on their respective L-M and L'-M axes, said degree of hindrance being selected on the principle that sterically larger substituents provide a greater hindrance: iii) L and L are rotatable about their respective L-M and L'-M bond axes on a time scale slower than that of monomer insertion but faster than the time to construct a polymer chain, to alternate between two distinct states characterizable as rac-like and meso-like states wherein: (1) when L=L', said metallocene alternates between chiral rac and achiral meso states; and (2) when L≠L', said metallocene alternates between a chiral rac-like state and a state which is chiral by virtue of the difference in substituents on the ligands, but meso-like in relative orientation of the two ligands including their substituents; iv) M is selected from a Group 3, 4 or 5 Transition metal, a Lanthanide or an Actinide; v) X and X' are uninegative hydride, halogen, alkoxide, hydrocarbyl, or halohydrocarbyl ligands; and b) contacting at least one olefin monomer with said reaction catalyst system for a time sufficient to catalytically polymerize said monomer(s) to form a polymer.

Claim 18

A polymerization process as in claim 15 wherein: a) said metallocene catalyst ligands L and L' are both substituted cyclopentadienyl rings having the formula and the substituents set forth in part a)i) of claim 15.

Claim 19

A polymerization process as in claim 16 wherein: a) R 1 is aryl, and b) R 2 and R 3 are connected as a ring having at least three carbon atoms.

Claim 20

A polymerization process as in claim 17 wherein: a) at least one of L and L' is a 2-aryl indene of the formula: ##STR12## where R 4 , R 5 , R 6 , R 7 , and R 8 are hydrogen, halogen, aryl, hydrocarbyl, silahydrocarbyl or halohydrocarbyl substituents.

Claim 21

A polymerization process as in claim 18 wherein: a) at least one of L and L' is: 2-phenylindene; 2-(3,5-dimethylphenyl)indene; 2-(3,5-bis-trifluoromethylphenyl)indene; 2-(4-fluorophenyl)indene; 2-(2,3,4,5-tetrafluorophenyl)indene; 2-(1-naphthyl)indene; 2-(2-naphthyl)indene; 2-[(4-phenyl)phenyl]indene; 2-[(3-phenyl)phenyl]indene; or 2-(4-t-butylphenyl)indene.

Claim 22

A polymerization process as in claim 18 wherein: a) M is Ti, Hf or Zr; and b) X is halogen, alkoxide or C 1 -C 7 hydrocarbyl.

Claim 23

A polymerization process as in claim 18 wherein said transition metal compound component of said catalyst is: a) bis[2-phenylindenyl]zirconium dichloride; bis[2-phenylindenyl]zirconium dimethyl; bis[2-(3,5-dimethylphenyl)indenyl]zirconium dichloride; bis[2-(3,5-bis-trifluoromethylphenyl)indenyl]zirconium dichloride; bis[2-(4,-fluorophenyl)indenyl]zirconium dichloride; bis[2-(2,3,4,5tetrafluorophenyl)indenyl]zirconium dichloride; bis[2-(1-naphthyl)indenyl]zirconium dichloride; [2-(2-naphthyl)indenyl]zirconium dichloride; bis[2-[(4-phenyl)phenyl]indenyl]zirconium dichloride; bis[2-[(3-phenyl)phenyl]indenyl]zirconium dichloride; bis[2-4-t-butylphenyl)indenyl]zirconium dichloride; bis[2-phenyl(indenyl)]hafnium dichloride; bis[2-phenyl(indenyl)]hafnium dimethyl ; bis[2-(3,5-dimethylphenyl)indenyl]hafnium dichloride; bis[2-(3 ,5-bis-trifluoromethylphenyl)indenyl]hafnium dichloride; bis[2 -(4,-fluorophenyyl)indenyl]hafnium dichloride; bis[2-(2,3,4,5 -tetrafluorophenyl)indenyl]hafnium dichloride; bis[2-(1-naphthyl)indenyl]hafnium dichloride; bis[2-(2-naphthyl) indenyl]hafnium dichloride; bis[2-[(4-phenyl)phenyl]indenyl]hafnium dichloride; bis[2-[(3-phenyl)phenyl]indenyl]hafnium dichloride; or bis [2-(4-t-butylphenyl)indenyl]hafnium dichloride.

Claim 24

A polymerization process as in claim 17 wherein: a) M is Ti, Hf or Zr; and b) X is halogen, alkoxide or C 1 -C 7 hydrocarbyl.

Claim 25

A polymerization process as in claim 16 wherein: a) M is Ti, Hf or Zr; and b) X is halogen, alkoxide or C 1 -C 7 hydrocarbyl.

Claim 26

A polymerization process as in claim 15 wherein: a) M is Ti, Hf or Zr; and b) X is halogen, alkoxide or C 1 -C 7 hydrocarbyl.

Claim 27

A polymerization process as in claim 15 wherein: a) said olefin monomer(s) are ethylene, alpha olefins or mixtures thereof.

Claim 28

A polymerization process as in claim 25 wherein: a) said alpha olefin monomer(s) are propylene, 1-butene, 1-pentene, 4-methyl-1-pentene, 1-hexene or mixtures thereof.

Claim 29

A polymerization process as in claim 26 wherein: a) at least one of said alpha olefin monomer is propylene.

Claim 30

A polymerization process as in claim 25 wherein: a) said reaction is maintained for a time sufficient to produce an elastomeric thermoplastic poly-alpha olefin having a block index above about 5 and a weight average molecular weight above about 20,000.

Claim 31

A polymerization process as in claim 25 wherein: a) said olefin is ethylene; and b) said reaction is maintained for a time sufficient to produce a polyethylene of high weight average molecular weight.

Claim 32

A polymerization process as in claim 15 wherein: a) said cocatalyst is an aluminoxane, methylaluminoxane, modified methylaluminoxane, a Lewis acid, or a protic acid containing a non-coordinating counter ion.

Claim 33

A polymerization process as in claim 30 wherein: a) said Lewis acid cocatalyst is B(C 6 F 5 ) 3 ; and b) said protic acid cocatalyst is [PhNMe 2 H] 30 B(C 6 F 5 ) - 4 .

Claim 34

A polymerization process as in claim 30 wherein: a) said polymerization reaction is maintained at a temperature within the range of about -80° C. to about +100° C.; and the pressure of a reactor in which said polymerization takes place is in the range of from atmospheric to a pressure capable of maintaining the monomer in liquid form.

Claim 35

A polymerization process as in claim 15 wherein said reaction includes control of process conditions of at least one of temperature, pressure, monomer phase, monomer concentration, nature of the transition metal in said metallocene, nature of the cocatalyst, time, or combinations thereof.

Claim 36

A process for producing a polyolefin as in claim 33 wherein said monomer(s) phase is a gas phase, a solution phase, a slurry phase, a bulk phase, or combinations thereof.

Claim 37

A polymerization process as in claim 15 which includes at least one of the added steps of: (a) selecting the transition metal; (b) controlling the temperature of the reaction; (c) selecting the concentration of the monomer, and (d) selecting the cocatalyst; to control the structure and therefore the properties of the resulting polymer.

Claim 38

A polymerization process as in claim 35 wherein the property controlled by said process step is the block index.

Claim 39

A polymerization process as in claim 15 wherein: (a) a single monomer is selected to produce a homopolymer; and (b) said contact is maintained for a time sufficient to produce an atactic polymer having a weight average molecular weight above about 150,000.

Claim 40

A polymerization process as in claim 37 wherein said monomer is a linear or branched C 3 -C 10 monomer.

Claim 41

A polymerization process as in claim 38 wherein said monomer is propylene, 1-butene, 1-pentene, 4-methyl-1-pentene, or 1-hexene.

Claim 42

A polymerization process as in claim 39 wherein said monomer is propylene.

Claim 43

A polymerization process as in claim 40 which includes the step of maintaining the reaction for a time sufficient to produce a homogeneous atactic polypropylene polymer having a weight average molecular weight above about 170,000.

Claim 44

A transition metal compound useful alone or with a cocatalyst as a polymerization catalyst comprising a metallocene of the formula (L)(L')Sm (X)(X') wherein: a) L and L' are hydrocarbon or substituted hydrocarbon ligands; b) said ligands L and L' are selected to provide a proselected degree of steric hindrance to ligand rotation on their respective L-Sm and L'-Sm axes, said degree of hindrance being selected on the principle that sterically larger substituents provide a greater hindrance; c) L and L' are rotatable about their respective L-Sm and L'-Sm bond axes on a time scale slower than that of monomer insertion but faster than the time to construct a polymer chain, to alternate between two distinct states characterizable as rac-like and meso-like states wherein: i) when L=L', said metallocene alternates between chiral rac and achiral meso states; and ii) when L≠L', said metallocene alternates between a chiral rac-like state and a state which is chiral by virtue of the difference in substituents on the ligands, but meso-like in relative orientation of the two ligands including their substituents; and d) X and X' are uninegative hydride, halogen, alkoxide, hydrocarbyl, or halohydrocarbyl ligands.

Claim 45

A transition metal compound useful alone or with a cocatalyst as a polymerization catalyst comprising a metallocene of the formula (L)(L')Sm (X)(X') wherein: a) L and L' are hydrocarbon or substituted hydrocarbon ligands; b) said ligands L and L' are selected to provide a proselected degree of steric hindrance to ligand rotation on their respective L-Sm and L'-Sm axes, said degree of hindrance being selected on the principle that sterically larger substituents provide a greater hindrance; c) L and L' are rotatable about their respective L-Sm and L'-Sm bond axes on a time scale slower than that of monomer insertion but faster than the time to construct a polymer chain, to alternate between two distinct states characterizable as rac-like and meso-like states wherein: i) when L=L', said metallocene alternates between chiral rac and achiral meso states; and ii) when L≠L', said metallocene alternates between a chiral rac-like state and a state which is chiral by virtue of the difference in substituents on the ligands, but meso-like in relative orientation of the two ligands including their substituents; and d) X and X' are uninegative hydride, halogen, alkoxide, hydrocarbyl, or halohydrocarbyl ligands.

Claim 46

A transition metal compound useful alone or with a cocatalyst as a polymerization catalyst as in claim 42 wherein: a) at least one of said L and L' ligands are substituted cyclopentadienyl rings having the formula: ##STR13## where R 1 , R 2 and R 3 are C 1 -C 20 alkyl, C 1 -C 20 alkylsilyl, aryl or substituted aryl substituents, or R 2 and R 3 are connected as a ring having at least three carbon atoms.

Claim 47

A transition metal compound useful alone or with a cocatalyst as a polymerization catalyst as in claim 43 wherein: a) R 1 is aryl or substituted aryl; and b) R 2 and R 3 are connected as a ring having at least three carbon atoms.

Claim 48

A transition metal compound useful alone or with a cocatalyst as a polymerization catalyst as in claim 44 wherein: a) at least one of L and L' is a 2-aryl indene of the formula: ##STR14## where R 4 , R 5 , R 6 , R 7 , and R 8 are hydrogen, halogen, aryl, hydrocarbyl, silahydrocarbyl or halohydrocarbyl substituents.

Claim 49

A polymerization process for producing a polyacrylate comprising the steps of: a) providing a polymerization compound of the formula (L)(L')M(X)(X'), alone or with a cocatalyst, wherein: (1) M is selected from Zr, or Hf or Sm; (2) L and L' are hydrocarbon or substituted hydrocarbon ligands; b) said ligands L and L' are selected to provide a preselected degree of static hindrance to ligand rotation on their respective L-M and L'-M axes, said degree of hindrance being selected on the principle that sterically larger substituents provide a greater hindrance; c) L and L' are rotatable about their respective L-M and L'-M bond axes on a time scale slower than that of monomer insertion but faster than the time to construct a polymer chain, to alternate between two distinct states characterizable as rac-like and meso-like states wherein: i) when L=L', said metallocene alternates between chiral rac and achiral meso states; and ii) when L≠L', said metallocene alternates between a chiral rac-like state and a state which is chiral by virtue of the difference in substituents on the ligands, but meso-like in relative orientation of the two ligands including their substituents; d) X and X' are uninegative hydride, halogen, alkoxide, hydrocarbyl, or halohydrocarbyl ligands; and e) contacting an acrylate monomer with said compound or catalyst system for a time sufficient to catalytically polymerize said monomer to form a polymer.

Claim 50

A polymerization process for producing a polyacrylate comprising the steps of: a) providing a polymerization compound of the formula (L)(L')M(X)(X'), alone or with a cocatalyst, wherein: (1) M is selected from Zr, or Hf or Sm; (2) L and L' are hydrocarbon or substituted hydrocarbon ligands; b) said ligands L and L' are selected to provide a preselected degree of static hindrance to ligand rotation on their respective L-M and L'-M axes, said degree of hindrance being selected on the principle that sterically larger substituents provide a greater hindrance; c) L and L' are rotatable about their respective L-M and L'-M bond axes on a time scale slower than that of monomer insertion but faster than the time to construct a polymer chain, to alternate between two distinct states characterizable as rac-like and meso-like states wherein: i) when L=L', said metallocene alternates between chiral rac and achiral meso states; and ii) when L≠L', said metallocene alternates between a chiral rac-like state and a state which is chiral by virtue of the difference in substituents on the ligands, but meso-like in relative orientation of the two ligands including their substituents; d) X and X' are uninegative hydride, halogen, alkoxide, hydrocarbyl, or halohydrocarbyl ligands; and e) contacting an acrylate monomer with said compound or catalyst system for a time sufficient to catalytically polymerize said monomer to form a polymer.

Claim 51

A polymerization process as in claim 46 wherein said monomer is methyl methacrylate.

Claim 52

A process for producing a polyacrylate as in claim 46 wherein said transition metal compound is employed with a cocatalyst.

Claim 53

In a method of polymerization of olefin monomers by contacting at least one olefin monomer with a metallocene catalyst/cocatalyst system, the improvement which comprises the steps of: a) providing a metallocene having a pair of hydrocarbon or substituted hydrocarbon ligands L and L' independently rotatable about a ligand-metal bond, at least one of which ligands is a substituted cyclopentadiene ring and the other is a substituted cyclopentadienyl ring having the formula: ##STR15## where R 1 is a, or R 1 and R 2 are, aryl or substituted aryl substituent(s) of the formula; ##STR16## where R 4 , R 5 , R 6 , R 7 and R 8 are hydrogen, halogen, aryl, hydrocarbyl, silahydrocarbyl or halohydrocarbyl substituents; and at least one of R 2 or R 3 are C 1 -C 20 alkyl, C 1 -C 20 alkylsilyl, or R 2 and R 3 are connected as a ring having at least three carbon atoms; b) controlling the rate of rotation of said ligands by selecting ligand substituents to provide a preselected degree of static hindrance to ligand rotation on said ligand-metal bond, said degree of hindrance being selected on the principle that sterically larger substituents provide greater hindrance, said hindered rotation permitting said catalyst to alternate between two distinct states, wherein the rate of rotation between said states is less than the rate of monomer addition at the catalyst active site such that the lifetime of a given state is greater than the time required for insertion of a monomer unit to a growing polymer chain but shorter than the time required to form said polymer chain; c) said states are characterizable as rac-like and meso-like states wherein: i) when L=L' said metallocene alternates between chiral rac and achiral meso states; and ii) when L≠L' said metallocene alternates between a chiral rac-like state and a state which is chiral by virtue of the difference in substituents on the ligands, but meso-like in relative orientation of the two ligands including their substituents; and d) reacting said monomer(s) for a time sufficient to produce an alpha olefin block polymer having a block index of greater than about 5, and elastomeric properties.

Claim 54

In a method of polymerization of olefin monomers by contacting at least one olefin monomer with a metallocene catalyst/cocatalyst system, the improvement which comprises the steps of: a) providing a metallocene having a pair of hydrocarbon or substituted hydrocarbon ligands L and L' independently rotatable about a ligand-metal bond, at least one of which ligands is a substituted cyclopentadiene ring and the other is a substituted cyclopentadienyl ring having the formula: ##STR15## where R 1 is a, or R 1 and R 2 are, aryl or substituted aryl substituent(s) of the formula; ##STR16## where R 4 , R 5 , R 6 , R 7 and R 8 are hydrogen, halogen, aryl, hydrocarbyl, silahydrocarbyl or halohydrocarbyl substituents; and at least one of R 2 or R 3 are C 1 -C 20 alkyl, C 1 -C 20 alkylsilyl, or R 2 and R 3 are connected as a ring having at least three carbon atoms; b) controlling the rate of rotation of said ligands by selecting ligand substituents to provide a preselected degree of static hindrance to ligand rotation on said ligand-metal bond, said degree of hindrance being selected on the principle that sterically larger substituents provide greater hindrance, said hindered rotation permitting said catalyst to alternate between two distinct states, wherein the rate of rotation between said states is less than the rate of monomer addition at the catalyst active site such that the lifetime of a given state is greater than the time required for insertion of a monomer unit to a growing polymer chain but shorter than the time required to form said polymer chain; c) said states are characterizable as rac-like and meso-like states wherein: i) when L=L' said metallocene alternates between chiral rac and achiral meso states; and ii) when L≠L' said metallocene alternates between a chiral rac-like state and a state which is chiral by virtue of the difference in substituents on the ligands, but meso-like in relative orientation of the two ligands including their substituents; and d) reacting said monomer(s) for a time sufficient to produce an alpha olefin block polymer having a block index of greater than about 5, and elastomeric properties.

Claim 55

An improved method of polymerization as in claim 49 wherein said olefin monomer(s) are ethylene, alpha olefins, or mixtures thereof.

Claim 56

An improved method of polymerization as in claim 50 wherein said alpha olefin monomer(s) are propylene, 1-butene, 1-pentene, 4-methyl-1-pentene, 1-hexene or mixtures thereof.

Claim 57

An improved method of polymerization as in claim 51 wherein at least one of said alpha olefin monomer(s) is propylene.

Claim 58

A polymerization process as in claim 49 wherein said reaction includes control of process conditions of at least one of temperature, pressure, monomer phase, monomer concentration, nature of the transition metal in said metallocene, nature of the cocatalyst, time, or combinations thereof.

Claim 59

A process for producing a polyolefin as in claim 53 wherein said monomer(s) phase is a gas phase, a solution phase, a slurry phase, a bulk phase, or combinations thereof.

Claim 60

A polymerization process as in claim 49 which includes at least one of the added steps of: (a) selecting the transition metal; (b) controlling the temperature of the reaction; (c) selecting the concentration of the monomer, and (d) selecting the cocatalyst; to control the structure and therefore the properties of the resulting polymer.

Claim 61

A polymerization process as in claim 55 wherein the property controlled by said process step is the block index.

Claim 62

A polymerization process as in claim 49 wherein: (a) a single monomer is selected to produce a homopolymer; and (b) said contact is maintained for a time sufficient to produce an atactic polymer having a weight average molecular weight above about 150,000.

Claim 63

A polymerization process as in claim 57 wherein said monomer is a linear or branched C 3 -C 10 monomer.

Claim 64

A polymerization process as in claim 58 wherein said monomer is propylene, 1-butene, 1-pentene, 4-methyl-1-pentene, or 1-hexene.

Claim 65

A polymerization process as in claim 59 wherein said monomer is propylene.

Claim 66

A polymerization process as in claim 60 which includes the step of maintaining the reaction for a time sufficient to produce a homogeneous atactic polypropylene polymer having a weight average molecular weight above about 170,000.

Claim 67

A polymerization process as in claim 49 wherein: a) said cocatalyst is an aluminoxane, a methylaluminoxane, a modified methylaluminoxane, a Lewis acid, or a protic acid containing a non-coordinating counterion.

Claim 68

A polymerization process as in claim 62 wherein: a) said Lewis acid cocatalyst is B(C 6 F 5 ) 3 ; and b) said protic acid cocatalyst is [PhNMe 2 H] + B(C 6 F 5 ) - 4 .