Catalysts for the polymerization of olefins

• US 4,978,648 A
• Filed: 09/27/1989
• Issued: 12/18/1990
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/1988
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Himont Incorporated 2801 Centerville Road New Castle County USA
• Original Assignee: Himont, Inc (Government of France)
• Inventors: Morini, Giampiero, Scordamaglia, Raimondo, Albizzati, Enrico, Giannini, Umberto, Noristi, Luciano, Barino, Luisa, Barbe, Pier C.
• Primary Examiner(s): GARVIN, PATRICK
• Application Number:
  US07/413,430
• Time in Patent Office: 447 Days
• Field of Search: 502/126, 502/127, 502/134
• US Class Current: 502/127
• CPC Class Codes: C08F 10/00 Homopolymers and copolymers of unsaturated aliphatic hydrocarbons having only one carbon-to-carbon double bond
• CPC Class Codes: C08F 4/6494 containing oxygen

Abstract

Catalysts for the polymerization of olefins, particularly alpha-olefin of the formula CH₂ ═CHR in which R is an alkyl radical with 1-6 carbon atoms or an aryl radical, obtained by the reaction of:

(a) an Al-alkyl compound;

(b) an ether containing at least two ether groups which can form complexes with anhydrous magnesium dichloride, under standard conditions of reaction, in an amount less than 60 mmol per 100 g Mg dichloride; and

(c) a solid catalyst component comprising an anhydrous magnesium dihalide in active form and having supported thereon a titanium compound containing at least a Ti-halogen bond and an electron-donor compound which is at least 70 mole % extractable with Al-triethyl, under standard conditions of extraction, component wherein the solid, after extraction, has a surface area of more than 20 m² g.

Claims

1. A catalyst for the polymerization of olefins comprising the reaction product of:

(a) an Al-alkyl compound;

(b) an ether with at least 2 ether groups capable of complexing anhydrous magnesium dichloride under standard reaction conditions when present in an amount of less than 60 mmols per 100 g magnesium dichloride; and

(c) a solid catalyst component comprising anhydrous magnesium dihalide in active form and having supported thereon a titanium compound containing at least one Ti-halogen bond and a electron-donor compound which is more than 70 mole % extractable from the solid with Al-triethyl, wherein the solid after extraction has a surface area of more than 20 m² /g.

2. The catalyst of claim 1 suitable for the polymerization of olefins having the formula CH₂ ═

CHR in which R is an alkyl radical with 1-6 carbon atoms or an aryl radical and wherein the Al-alkyl compound is an Al-trialkyl compound or an Al-alkyl compound with one or more Al atoms linked to each other through oxygen or nitrogen atoms or SO₄ or SO₃ groups.

5. The catalyst of claim 2 in which the ether has the formula:

##STR3## in which R, R^I, R^II, R^III, R^IV and R^V are the same or different and are H, linear or branched alkyl radicals, or cycloalkyl, aryl, alkylaryl or arylalkyl radicals with 1-18 carbon atoms, provided R and R^I are not both hydrogen;

R^VI and R^VII have the same meaning as R and R^I except for hydrogen;

provided that when R^I to R^V are hydrogen and R^VI and R^VII are methyl, R is not methyl; and

two or more R to R^VII can be linked to form a cyclic structure.

6. The catalyst of claim 5 in which R^VI and R^VII are methyl and R and R^I are the same or different, and are selected from the group consisting of isopropyl, isobutyl, t-butyl, cyclohexyl, isopentyl and radicals.

7. The catalyst of claim 2 in which the ether is 2,2-diisobutyl-1,3-dimethoxypropane.

8. The catalyst of claim 2 in which the ether is 2-isopropyl-2-isopentyl-1,3-dimethoxypropane.

9. The catalyst of claim 2 in which the ether is 2,2-bis(methylcyclohexyl)-1,3-dimethoxypropane.

10. The catalyst of claim 1 wherein the molar ratio of said Al-alkyl compound to said ether is from 5:

1 to 100;

1.

11. The catalyst of claim 5 wherein the ether complexes anhydrous magnesium dichloride in the amount of 5 to 35 mmoles ether per 100 g dichloride.

3. The catalyst of claim l wherein the magnesium halide is magnesium dichloride, the titanium compound is a titanium halide and the electron-donor is a phthalic acid ester.

4. The catalyst of claim 3 in which the phthalic acid ester is selected from diisobutyl and di-n-octylphthalates.