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Bridged zirconocene compounds, process for their preparation and their use as catalyst components in the polymerization of olefins

Assignee: Basell Technology Co BV
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Filing: 2001-10-05
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Granted: 2004-01-06
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Expires: 2021-10-05
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Abstract

Abstract Zirconocene compounds with two indenyl ligands linked in the 2 position by means of a two-carbon-atoms divalent bridging group can be suitably used as components of catalysts for the polymerization of olefins. Particularly it is possible to prepare, with high yields, ethylene (co)polymers having low molecular weights and narrow molecular weight distributions, without the need of using considerable amounts of molecular weight regulators, such as hydrogen.

Inventors

  • 👤 Colin J. Schaverien
  • 👤 René Ernst
  • 👤 Jan-Dirk van Loon
  • 👤 Tiziano Dall'Occo

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction US
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-11-01 13:17
CPC Classifications
C; C07; C07C; C07C67/00; C07C67/30; C07C67/333; C07C67/343; C07C13/00; C07C13/28; C07C13/32; C07C13/45; C07C13/465; C07C69/00; C07C69/612; C07C69/616; C07F; C07F17/00; C08; C08F; C08F10/00; C07C2602/00; C07C2602/02; C07C2602/04; C07C2602/08; C08F110/00; C08F110/02; C08F110/04; C08F110/06; C08F210/00; C08F210/16; C08F4/00; C08F4/42; C08F4/44; C08F4/60; C08F4/62; C08F4/64; C08F4/659; C08F4/65912; Y; Y10; Y10S; Y10S526/00; Y10S526/943

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 18
Claim 1
Independent Claim 317 words
A process for the polymerization of olefins comprising the reaction of polymerization of one or more olefinic monomers in the presence of a catalyst comprising the product obtained by contacting: (A) one or more bridged zirconocene compounds of formula (I), wherein R 1 , R 2 , R 3 and R 4 , the same or different from each other, are selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, linear or branched, saturated or unsaturated, C 1 -C 20 alkyl, C 3 -C 20 cycloalkyl, C 6 -C 20 aryl, C 7 -C 20 alkylaryl and C 7 -C 20 arylalkyl radicals, optionally containing one or more Si or Ge atoms, or wherein two substituents of R 1 , R 2 , R 3 and R 4 form a ring having from 4 to 8 carbon atoms; R 5 and R 6 , the same or different from each other, are selected from the group consisting of linear or branched, saturate or unsaturated C 1 -C 20 alkyl, C 3 -C 20 cycloalkyl, C 6 -C 20 aryl, C 7 -C 20 alkylaryl and C 7 -C 20 arylalkyl radicals, optionally containing one or more Si or Ge atoms, or wherein two vicinal R 6 substituents on the same indenyl group form a ring having from 4 to 8 carbon atoms; m is an integer ranging from 0 to 2; n is an integer ranging from 0 to 4; the groups X, the same or different from each other, are hydrogen, halogen, —R, —OR, —SR, —NR 2 or —PR 2 , wherein R is selected from the group consisting of linear or branched, saturate or unsaturated, C 1 -C 20 alkyl, C 3 -C 20 cycloalkyl, C 6 -C 20 aryl, C 7 -C 20 alkylaryl and C 7 -C 20 arylalkyl radicals, optionally containing one or more Si or Ge atoms; and (B) a suitable activating cocatalyst.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim 317 words
A process for the polymerization of olefins comprising the reaction of polymerization of one or more olefinic monomers in the presence of a catalyst comprising the product obtained by contacting: (A) one or more bridged zirconocene compounds of formula (I), wherein R 1 , R 2 , R 3 and R 4 , the same or different from each other, are selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, linear or branched, saturated or unsaturated, C 1 -C 20 alkyl, C 3 -C 20 cycloalkyl, C 6 -C 20 aryl, C 7 -C 20 alkylaryl and C 7 -C 20 arylalkyl radicals, optionally containing one or more Si or Ge atoms, or wherein two substituents of R 1 , R 2 , R 3 and R 4 form a ring having from 4 to 8 carbon atoms; R 5 and R 6 , the same or different from each other, are selected from the group consisting of linear or branched, saturate or unsaturated C 1 -C 20 alkyl, C 3 -C 20 cycloalkyl, C 6 -C 20 aryl, C 7 -C 20 alkylaryl and C 7 -C 20 arylalkyl radicals, optionally containing one or more Si or Ge atoms, or wherein two vicinal R 6 substituents on the same indenyl group form a ring having from 4 to 8 carbon atoms; m is an integer ranging from 0 to 2; n is an integer ranging from 0 to 4; the groups X, the same or different from each other, are hydrogen, halogen, —R, —OR, —SR, —NR 2 or —PR 2 , wherein R is selected from the group consisting of linear or branched, saturate or unsaturated, C 1 -C 20 alkyl, C 3 -C 20 cycloalkyl, C 6 -C 20 aryl, C 7 -C 20 alkylaryl and C 7 -C 20 arylalkyl radicals, optionally containing one or more Si or Ge atoms; and (B) a suitable activating cocatalyst.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim 27 words
The process according to claim 1 , characterized by being used in ethylene homopolymerization or in the copolymerization of ethylene with propylene, 1-butene, 1-hexene, 4-methyl-1-pentene or 1-octene.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim 41 words
The process according to claim 1 , characterized by being used in propylene homopolymerization, in the presence of hydrogen, in amounts ranging from 1 to 30 mol % with respect to the total quantity of hydrogen and propylene, at 50° C.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim 103 words
A ligand of formula (II): wherein R 1 , R 2 , R 3 , R 4 , R 5 and R 6 , m and n have the meanings reported in claim 1 , with the provisos that: when R 1 , R 2 , R 3 and R 4 are hydrogen and n is 0, then m is different from 0; and when R 1 , R 2 , R 3 and R 4 are hydrogen, n is 0 and m is 1, then R 5 is different from —CH 3 , —CH 2 Ph and —Si(CH 3 ) 3 .
Claim 6
Dependent Claim 322 words
A process for the preparation of a ligand of formula (II), as described in claim 4 , comprising the following steps: (1) reacting an adipic ester of formula (III): wherein R 1 , R 2 , R 3 and R 4 have the meaning reported in claim 1 and R 7 is selected from the group consisting of linear or branched, saturated or unsaturated C 1 -C 20 alkyl, C 3 -C 20 cycloalkyl, C 6 -C 20 aryl, C 7 -C 20 alkylaryl and C 7 -C 20 arylalkyl radicals; with at least 2 equivalents of a benzyl compound of formula (IV): wherein R 6 and n have the meaning reported in claim 1 and Y is a leaving group; and with at least 2 equivalents of an alkali metal or alkaline earth metal base, in the presence of an organic solvent, to obtain an intermediate compound of formula (V): wherein R 1 , R 2 , R 3 , R 4 , R 6 , R 7 and n have the meaning reported above; (2) converting the compound of formula (V), obtained from step (1), to a compound of formula (VI): wherein R 1 , R 2 , R 3 , R 4 , R 6 and n have the meaning reported above and Y′ is a leaving group, and cycling said compound of formula (VI) to obtain a compound of formula (VII): wherein R 1 , R 2 , R 3 , R 4 , R 6 and n have the meaning reported above; (3) reducing, the ketonic functions on the indanyl moieties of the compound of formula (VII), obtained from step (2), to obtain a diol (VIII): wherein R 1 , R 2 , R 3 , R 4 , R 6 and n have the meaning reported above, and finally dehydrating the hydroxy functions on the indanyl moieties of said diol (VIII) to give said ligand (II).
Claim 7
Dependent Claim 95 words
The process according to claim 5 , characterized in that, when m ≠ 0 in formula (II), R 5 is introduced on the cyclopentadienyl ring by reacting said compound of formula (VII) or said ligand of formula (II) with at least 2 equivalents of an alkylating agent R 5 MgBr, R 5 MgCl or R 5 j B, wherein B is an alkaline or alkaline-earth metal and j is 1 or 2, at a temperature ranging from −78° C. to 20° C., for a time of 1-3 hours, in the presence of an organic solvent.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim 72 words
The process according to claim 5 , characterized in that, in step (1), said adipic ester of formula (III) is reacted with 2-4 equivalents of said compound of formula (IV) and 2-4 equivalents of said alkali metal or alkaline earth metal base, by sequential addition of said base and of the benzyl compound of formula (IV), in the presence of an organic solvent, at a temperature ranging from 20 to 80° C.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim 45 words
The process according to claim 7 , characterized in that said base of an alkali metal or alkaline earth metal is selected from the group consisting of NaOEt, KOEt, NaOH, KOH, NaH, KH and mixtures thereof, and said organic solvent is THF, glyme and/or toluene.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim 87 words
The process according to claim 5 , characterized in that step (2) comprises first de-esterifying the functions —COOR 7 of the compound of formula (V) to the corresponding —COOH groups, by adding at least 2 equivalents of a base in a mixture of aqueous and organic solvents, at a temperature ranging from 20 to 150° C., for a time of 1-5 hours; then derivatizing said —COOH groups with a suitable leaving group Y′ and finally cycling the compound of formula (VI) to the compound of formula (VII).
Claim 11
Dependent Claim 48 words
The process according to claim 9 , characterized in that said base is KOH and/or NaOH, said mixture of solvents is a mixture of water and MeOH, and the deesterification is carried out at a temperature ranging from 70 to 100° C., for a time of 2-3 hours.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim 17 words
The process according to claim 9 , characterized in that said group Y′ is Cl or Br.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim 55 words
The process according to claim 11 , characterized in that Y′ is Cl and the compound of formula (VI) is obtained by reacting said —COOH groups with SOCl 2 in amounts ranging from 6 to 10 equivalents per Y′ group, at a temperature ranging from 20 to 80° C., for a period of 4-12 hours.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim 41 words
The process according to claim 9 , characterized in that said compound of formula (VI) is cycled to the compound (VII) with 1.1-1.3 equivalents of AlCl 3 , at a temperature of 0-40° C., in the presence of an organic solvent.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim 58 words
The process according to claim 5 , characterized in that, in step (3), said compound (VII) is reduced to the diol (VIII) by reaction with 1.0-1.2 equivalents of a reducing agent selected from the group consisting of NaBH 4 , LiAlH 4 , NaH and KH, in MeOH, at a temperature ranging from −20° C. to 20° C.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim 45 words
The process according to claim 5 , characterized in that, in step (3), said diol (VIII) is dehydrated to the ligand (II) by treatment with catalytic amounts of p-toluensulfonic acid or HCl, in an organic solvent, at a temperature ranging from 20 to 100° C.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim 39 words
The process according to claim 5 , characterized in that, in step (3), said diol (VIII) is dehydrated to the ligand (II) by thermolysis, at a temperature ranging from 200 to 300° C., for a period of 1-2 hours.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim 76 words
A compound of formula (V): wherein R 1 , R 2 , R 3 , R 4 , R 5 , R 6 and n have the meaning reported in claim 1 , and R 7 is selected from the group consisting of linear or branched, saturated or unsaturated C 1 -C 20 alkyl, C 3 -C 20 cycloalkyl, C 6 -C 20 aryl, C 7 -C 20 alkylaryl and C 7 -C 20 arylalkyl radicals.

References Cited (Backward Citations)

EP0372414A2 Cited
EP0485823B1 Cited
WO1994011406A1 Cited
US5646322A Cited
US5990253A Cited
US5948873A Cited
US6262195B1 Cited

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