Equistar Chemicals, LP

Quantum Chemical Corporation

Lummus Novolen Technology Gmbh

Novolen Technology Holdings, C.v.

Douglas D Klendworth

Mark K Reinking

Charles K Buehler

Kenneth W Johnson

Edward D Kist

Andreas Winter

Franz Langhauser

Shaotian Wang

Michael W Lynch

Gregory G Hlatky

Sameer D Mehta

Richard W Fries

Albert P Masino

Linda N Winslow

William J Sartain

Karen E Meyer

Raghu K Menon

Keta M Lindstrom

Frank Wolf Spaether

Garry L Fields

Therese A Pastrick

Patricia A Hooks

Stella L Ellis

Improved Ziegler-Natta catalysts and methods of making the improved catalyst are described. The Ziegler-Natta catalyst is formed using a spherical MgCl-xROH support, where R is a linear, cyclic or branched hydrocarbon unit with 1-10 carbon atoms and where ROH is an alcohol or a mixture of at least two different alcohols and where x has a range of about 1.5 to 6.0, preferably about 2.5 to 4, more preferably about 2.9 to 3.4, and even more preferably 2.95 to 3.35. The Ziegler-Natta catalyst includes a Group 4-8 transition metal and an internal donor. The catalyst has improved activity in olefin polymerization reactions as well as good stereoregularity and hydrogen sensitivity.

High activity Ziegler-Natta catalysts, process for producing catalysts and use thereof

The invention relates to supports comprising inorganic oxide particles coated with magnesium chloride and a method for making them. The inorganic oxide has a mean particle diameter of less than 5 microns and is used as a seed to crystallize magnesium chloride from solution. The magnesium chloride-coated inorganic oxide is useful for supporting transition metal compounds; the supported transition metal compounds are used as catalysts for polymerizing olefins.

Magnesium chloride support

A method for making a Ziegler-Natta catalyst support includes the steps of contacting a fumed silica with a surface modifying agent such as a compound having the formula RMgX MgR'R&#x2033; wherein R, R&#x2032; and R&#x2033; are each individually a moiety selected from an alkyl group, cycloalkyl, aryl or alkaryl group, and X is a halogen selected from the group consisting of chlorine, bromine and iodine, to provide a pretreated silica seeding agent. The pretreated silica seeding agent is then dispersed in a non-aqueous liquid magnesium halide/alkanol complex, and the magnesium halide is crystallized onto the silica particles to form catalyst support particles especially suitable for Ziegler-Natta catalysts.

Method of making a ziegler-natta catalyst

A clay-filled polyolefin composition and process for making it are disclosed. The process involves treatment of a non-acid-treated smectite clay with a Ziegler-Natta catalyst in the presence of a hydrocarbon and subsequent polymerization of an olefin in the presence of the treated clay and an organoaluminum cocatalyst. Results indicate that filled compositions produced by this process contain exfoliated clay.

Process for making polyolefin compositions containing exfoliated clay

A process for polymerizing ethylene is disclosed. A magnesium chloride-alcohol is used to support an organometallic complex comprising a Group 3 to 10 transition metal and an indenoindolyl ligand. The supported organometallic complex is mixed with an activator and ethylene and the ethylene is polymerized. Use of magnesium chloride containing an alcohol as the support provides an unexpected boost in catalyst activity and improves polymer rheological properties.

Olefin polymerization process

A method for producing propylene polymers having a broad molecular weight distribution (MWD) is disclosed. The method uses a Ziegler catalyst and one silane donor. The silane donor is selected from vinyltrimethoxysilane or dicyclohexyldimethoxysilane. The polymers made by the method have an MWD greater than or equal to 7.0.

Method for preparing propylene polymers having broad molecular weight distribution

A process for producing olefin polymer composites having improved melt strength and other improved physical characteristics is provided. The process is a solution process wherein an organically modified clay is intimately incorporated, at low levels and without the use of compatibilizing agents, into an olefin polymer base resin.

Process for producing olefin polymer composites having improved melt strength

A process for polymerizing propylene is disclosed. The process involves charging propylene and about 90 to 99% of an organoaluminum cocatalyst to a reactor and heating this mixture to at least about 50&deg; C. This is followed by addition of a premix of 1 to 10% of the organoaluminum cocatalyst with a magnesium halide-supported Ziegler-Natta catalyst. The temperature of the reaction mixture is maintained to produce a propylene polymer. The process gives improved catalyst activity.

Propylene polymerization process with enhanced catalyst activity

A catalyst component formed by the steps of contacting a transition metal-containing metallocene of a transition metal of Group 4, 5 or 6 of the Periodic Table of the Elements with silica or an organic support. This product is contacted with an organomagnesium compound or complex followed by contact with an alcohol and a silane. Finally, the so-contacted product is contacted with a Group 4, 5 or. 6 transition metal-containing non-metallocene compound. The component is preferably combined with an aluminum-containing cocatalyst to form a catalyst system.

Catalyst component and system

The invention relates to olefin polymerization using an organosilicon compound from the pyrazolyl family as an external adjuvant.

Polymerization system with organosilicon compound

A vanadium-containing catalyst system particularly suited to the polymerization of blow moldable olefin polymers. The catalyst system includes a supported, first catalyst component prepared by contacting preheated silica, with (1) a compound or complex which includes at least one carbon to magnesium covalent bond and (2) a compound which includes at least one carbon to Group III metal covalent bond. The sequence of contact of the silica with compound or complex (1) and compound (2) is optional. However, unless the compound or complex (1) and the compound (2) contact the silica simultaneously, the product of this contact is next contacted with whichever of compound (1) or (2) does not initially contact the silica. The product of the step of contacting with compounds (1) and (2) is contacted with a vanadium compound which includes at least one halogen atom. Finally, the product of the vanadium compound contacting step is contacted with an alcohol. A second component of the catalyst system is an organoaluminum compound cocatalyst. The catalyst system also includes a halocarbon compound promoter as a third catalyst component.

Vanadium-containing catalyst system

A catalyst useful in the polymerization of olefins is disclosed. The catalyst is produced by initially treating an inert inorganic compound to remove surface hydroxy groups. The thus treated inorganic compound is contacted with a hydrocarbon soluble magnesium compound in a second step. The product of this second step is contacted with a modifying compound selected from the group consisting of silicon halides, boron halides, aluminum halides, alkyl silicon halides, hexaalkyl disilazanes and mixtures thereof in a third step. The product of this third step is contacted a vanadium compound having the structured formula V(O).sub.s X.sup.1.sub.4-s, where X.sup.1 is halogen; and s is 0 or 1, a first titanium-containing compound having the structural formula Ti(OR.sup.2).sub.n X.sup.2 m, where R.sup.2 is hydrocarbyl; X.sup.2 is halogen; n is an integer of 1 to 4; and m is 0 or an integer of 1 to 3, with the proviso that the sum of n and m is 4, and a second titanium-containing compound having the structural formula TiX.sup.3 (OR.sup.3).sub.q, where X.sup.3 is halogen; R.sup.3 is hydrocarbyl; p is an integer of 1 to 4; and q is 0 or an integer of 1 to 3, with the proviso that the sum of p and q is 4 and that the first and the second titanium-containing compounds are not identical. A process for polymerizing olefins, using the catalyst of this disclosure is also provided.

Supported polymerization catalyst

A catalyst useful in the polymerization of olefins is disclosed. The catalyst is produced by initially treating an inert inorganic compound to remove surface hydroxy groups. The thus treated inorganic compound is contacted with a hydrocarbon soluble magnesium compound in a second step. The product of this second step is contacted with a modifying compound selected from the group consisting of silicon halides, boron halides, aluminum halides, alkyl silicon halides, hexaalkyl disilazanes and mixtures thereof in a third step. The product of this third step is contacted a vanadium compound having the structured formula V(O).sub.s X.sup.1.sub.4-s, where X.sup.1 is halogen; and s is 0 or 1, a first titanium-containing compound having the structural formula Ti(OR.sup.2).sub.n X.sup.2.sub.m, where R.sup.2 is hydrocarbyl; X.sup.2 is halogen; n is an integer of 1 to 4; and m is 0 or an integer of 1 to 3, with the proviso that the sum of n and m is 4, and a second titanium-containing compound having the structural formula TiX.sup.3 (OR.sup.3).sub.q, where X.sup.3 is halogen; R.sup.3 is hydrocarbyl; p is an integer of 1 to 4; and q is 0 or an integer of 1 to 3, with the proviso that the sum of p and q is 4 and that the first and the second titanium-containing compounds are not identical. A process for polymerizing olefins, using the catalyst of this disclosure is also provided.

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West Chester, OH, United States of America

Douglas D Klendworth