Equistar Chemicals, LP

Barbara M Tsuie

Sandor M Nagy

Mark P Mack

Shaotian Wang

Jean A Merrick-Mack

Natalia Nagy

Clifford C Lee

Craig C Meverden

Gregory G Hlatky

Edward S Vargas

Joel A Mutchler

Bradley P Etherton

Michael W Lynch

Charles S Holland

Linda N Winslow

Jonathan L Schuchardt

Stephen M Imfeld

Sebastian Joseph

Kenneth W Johnson

William J Sartain

Karen L Neal-Hawkins

William G Todd

Debra L Beran

Charles H Gates, Jr

Everett O Lewis

Ronald J Clemons

A slurry process for polymerizing ethylene is disclosed. The process comprises polymerizing ethylene in the presence of an &#x3b1;-olefin and a catalyst comprising an activator and a supported bridged indeno[1,2-b]indolyl zirconium complex. The process produces polyethylene characterized by good incorporation of the &#x3b1;-olefin and low long-chain branching. The process is capable of forming high-molecular-weight polyethylene and has good hydrogen sensitivity.

Olefin polymerization process

A slurry process for polymerizing ethylene is disclosed. The process comprises polymerizing ethylene in a first reactor in the presence of hydrogen and a catalyst comprising an activator and a supported dimethylsilyl-bridged indeno[1,2-b]indolyl zirconium complex to produce an ethylene homopolymer, removing some of the unreacted hydrogen, and reacting the homopolymer slurry in a second reactor with ethylene and a C-C&#x3b1;-olefin to produce polyethylene. The polyethylene has weight-average molecular weight greater than 150,000, broad molecular weight distribution, low long-chain branching, and it provides pipes or molded articles with good environmental stress crack resistance.

A slurry process for polymerizing ethylene is disclosed. The process comprises polymerizing ethylene in the presence of an &#x3b1;-olefin, hydrogen, and a catalyst comprising an activator and a supported, dimethylsilyl-bridged bis(indenoindolyl)zirconium complex. The process has high catalyst activity and produces polyethylene having a broad molecular weight distribution.

A process for making polyethylene having an uncommon but valuable balance of broad molecular weight distribution and a low level of long-chain branching is disclosed. The process comprises polymerizing ethylene in a single reactor in the presence of an &#x3b1;-olefin and a catalyst comprising an activator and a supported dialkylsilyl-bridged bis(indeno[1,2-b]indolyl)zirconium complex. The polyethylene, which has an M/Mgreater than 10 and a viscosity enhancement factor (VEF) of less than 2.5, is valuable for making blown films.

A slurry process for polymerizing ethylene is disclosed. The process comprises polymerizing ethylene in the presence of an &#x3b1;-olefin and a catalyst comprising an activator and a supported bridged bis-indeno[2,1-b]indolyl zirconium complex. The process uses a highly active catalyst and provides polyethylene characterized by a high level of long-chain branching.

A slurry process for polymerizing ethylene is disclosed. The process comprises polymerizing ethylene in the presence of an &#x3b1;-olefin and a catalyst comprising an activator and a supported bridged indeno[1,2-b]indolyl zirconium complex. The process produces polyethylene characterized by good incorporation of the &#x3b1;-olefin and moderate long-chain branching. The process is capable of forming high molecular weight polyethylene and has good catalyst activity.

A process for polymerizing ethylene is disclosed. The process comprises polymerizing ethylene in the presence of a catalyst system which comprises a bridged indenoindolyl transition metal complex on a support material, an alkylalumoxane, a titanium tetralkoxide, and a branched alkyl aluminum compound. The process provides polyethylenes with low density from ethylene alone.

Methods for making polyolefins are disclosed. One method comprises polymerizing an olefin in the presence of a catalyst system comprising a single-site complex, an agglomerated metal oxide/clay support-activator, and an ionic borate. Including an ionic borate with the support-activator provides an unexpected boost in catalyst activity and gives polyolefins with high molecular weight and improved comonomer incorporation. In another method of the invention, an olefin is polymerized in the presence of an indenoindolyl metal alkylated complex and an agglomerated metal oxide/clay support-activator. Use of alkylated indenoindolyl complexes with the support-activators provides improved activity compared with metal halides.

Olefin polymerization methods

A catalyst system useful for polymerizing olefins is disclosed. The catalyst system comprises a cocatalyst and a supported transition metal prepared from a halogen-containing Group 4&#x2013;6 transition metal compound and an organoaluminum-siloxane containing mixture. The latter mixture, which is prepared from an organoaluminum compound and an organomagnesium-siloxane reaction product, incorporates a chelating ligand. The invention includes a method for making the catalyst system and a process for polymerizing olefins using the catalyst system. The process is convenient and avoids expensive catalyst components used in known olefin polymerization processes.

Olefin polymerization catalyst system

Catalyst systems and methods for olefin polymerization are disclosed. The polymerizations are performed in the presence of a clathrochelate which comprises a transition metal ion and an encapsulating macropolycyclic ligand. At least one of the capping atoms of the macropolycyclic ligand is a Group 3&#x2013;10 transition metal or a Group 13 atom. When a capping atom is a Group 3&#x2013;10 transition metal, the clathrochelate can be used with an activator to polymerize olefins. When a capping atom is a Group 13 atom, the clathrachelate can be used as an activator for an olefin polumerization. Clathrochelates allow polyolefin markers to fine tune catalyst reactivity and polyolefin properties.

Clathrochelates as olefin polymerization catalyst components

A process for polymerizing olefins is disclosed. The process uses an organometallic complex with at least one non-bridged indenoindolyl ligand bonded to M. The substituent on the indole nitrogen contains an atom selected from the group consisting of S, O, P, and N. Polyolefins from the process have unexpectedly high molecular weight compared with polyolefins made using similar supported indenoindolyl complexes.

A method for making ethylene polymers and copolymers is disclosed. The method uses a catalyst system comprising a low level of an aluminum-containing activator, a bridged indenoindolyl transition metal complex, and a treated silica support. The method enables economical preparation of ethylene copolymers having very low density. The silica-supported, bridged complexes incorporate comonomers efficiently and are valuable for a commercial slurry loop process. Use of a bridged indeno[2,1-b]indolyl complex provides exceptionally efficient comonomer incorporation, and gives polymers with a substantial and controlled level of long-chain branching. The method facilitates the production of a wide variety of polyolefins, from HDPE to plastomers.

Method for making polyolefins

Catalyst systems useful for olefin polymerization are disclosed. The catalysts include a bimetallic complex that incorporates two linked indenoindolyl groups, each of which is pi-bonded through its cyclopentadienyl ring to one of the metals. Compared with conventional indenoindolyl complexes, the bimetallic complexes of the invention have enhanced ability to give polyolefins with desirably low melt indices. Certain bimetallic indenoindolyl complexes also provide a way to broaden polymer molecular weight distribution and thereby improve processability simply by regulating the amounts of comonomer and activator used in the polymerization.

Bimetallic indenoindolyl catalysts

A process for making ethylene copolymers is disclosed. Ethylene copolymerizes with an &#x3b1;-olefin in the presence of a catalyst system comprising an activator and a silica-supported, bridged indenoindolyl metal complex having 'open architecture.' The supported complex incorporates comonomers with exceptional efficiency, and the process gives ethylene copolymers having high molecular weights (Mw&#x3e;100K) and very low densities (&#x3c;0.910 g/cm). Open architecture catalysts that include bridging through the indolyl nitrogen of the indenoindolyl framework are also described. Additionally, supported and unsupported indeno[1,2-b]indolyl catalysts provide exceptional activities in the preparation of elastomeric polypropylene and ethylene copolymers.

Catalysts for making polyolefins

A catalyst system useful for polymerizing olefins is disclosed. The catalyst system includes an organometallic complex that incorporates a Group 3 to 10 transition metal and an annulated cyclopentadienyl ligand that is pi-bonded to the metal. A one-pot method for making organometallic complexes from fulvene precursors is also disclosed. Additionally, the invention includes bimetallic complexes from cyclopentazulenyl compounds and a one-pot method for making them. Molecular modeling studies reveal that organometallic complexes incorporating such annulated cyclopentadienyl ligands, when combined with an activator such as MAO, should actively polymerize olefins.

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Cincinnati, OH, United States of America

Barbara M Tsuie