Process for the production of ethylenic polymers

Claim 1

A process for the production of ethylenic polymers which comprises polymerizing an ethylenic monomer in the presence of a catalyst, said catalyst supported on a carrier and prepared by combining, in the presence of an inert hydrocarbon solvent: a chromium compound (a) in an amount of 0.05 to 5.0 percent by weight as the amount of Cr based on the weight of said carrier, selected from the group consisting of a chromium salt of a carboxylic acid represented by either one of the formulae ##STR10## and ##STR11## wherein R 1 , R 2 , R 3 , R 4 and R 5 each are hydrogen or a C 1 -C 18 hydrocarbon group which may be the same or different, a chromium-1,3-diketo compound represented by the formula CrX.sub.k Y.sub.m Z.sub.n ( 3) wherein X is a 1,3-diketo type chelate ligand, Y and Z are each selected from the group consisting of halogen, alkoxy, aryloxy, alkyl, aryl and amide, which may be the same or different, k+m+n is equal to 3, 1≦k≦3, 0≦m≦2 and 0≦n≦2, an ester of chromic acid represented by the formula ##STR12## wherein R 6 , R 7 , R 8 , R 9 , R 10 and R 11 each are a C 1 -C 18 hydrocarbon group which may be the same or different and M 1 and M 2 each are a carbon atom or silicon atom, and a chromium amide compound represented by either one of the formulae ##STR13## wherein R 12 , R 13 , R 14 , R 15 , R 16 , R 17 , R 18 , R 19 , R 20 , R 21 , R 22 and R 23 are each hydrogen or a C 1 -C 18 hydrocarbon group which may be the same or different, M 3 , M 4 , M 5 and M 6 are each carbon or silicon, L is a ligand selected from the group consisting of ether and nitryl, and 0≦p≦2 and ##STR14## wherein R 24 , R 25 , R 26 , R 27 , R 28 , R 29 , R 30 , R 31 , R 32 , R 33 , R 34 , R 35 , R 36 , R 37 , R 38 , R 39 , R 40 , R 41 each are hydrogen or a C 1 -C 18 hydrocarbon group which may be the same or different, M 7 , M 8 , M 9 , M 10 , M 11 and M 12 are each carbon or silicon; an alumoxane (b); an organometallic alkoxide, an organometallic siloxide, or mixtures thereof, (c) selected from the group consisting of organoaluminum alkoxide, organomagnesium alkoxide, organoboron alkoxide, and organoaluminum siloxide; and removing said inert hydrocarbon solvent; wherein said catalyst has an atomic ratio of metal present in said organometallic alkoxide, organometallic siloxide, or mixtures thereof (c) to chromium present in said chromium compound (a) in a range of from 0.5 to 100.