Process to prepare a solid support for a procatalyst suitable for polymerization of olefins

A process for preparing a procatalyst for preparing a catalyst composition for olefin polymerization, said process comprising the steps of:

• Step 1) preparing a solid support by reacting:
• a compound R4zMgX42-z wherein
• R4 is each independently a linear, branched or cyclic hydrocarbyl group independently selected from alkyl, alkenyl, aryl, aralkyl, alkoxycarbonyl, alkylaryl groups, and one or more combinations thereof;
• wherein said hydrocarbyl group is substituted or unsubstituted and optionally contains one or more heteroatoms;
• X4 is each independently a fluoride (F—), chloride (Cl—), bromide (Br—) or iodide (I—);
• z is in a range of larger than 0 and smaller than 2, being 0<z<2;
• with a silane compound Si(OR5)4-n(R6)n wherein
• R5 is each independently a linear, branched or cyclic hydrocarbyl group independently selected from alkyl, alkenyl, aryl, aralkyl, alkoxycarbonyl, alkylaryl groups, and one or more combinations thereof;
• wherein said hydrocarbyl group is substituted or unsubstituted and optionally contains one or more heteroatoms;
• R6 is each independently a linear, branched or cyclic hydrocarbyl group independently selected from alkyl, alkenyl, aryl, aralkyl, alkoxycarbonyl, alkylaryl groups, and one or more combinations thereof;
• wherein said hydrocarbyl group is substituted or unsubstituted and optionally contains one or more heteroatoms;
• n is in range of 0 to 4;
• in a solvent and mixing the resulting mixture with a mixing device and at a certain mixing speed in order to give a solid support Mg(OR1)xX12-x, wherein R1 is the same as R5;
• X1 is each independently a fluoride (F—), chloride (Cl—), bromide (Br—) or iodide (I—);
• and x is in a range of larger than 0 and smaller than 2, being 0<x<2;
• wherein the reaction is carried out in a full scale reactor of 100 L to 6000 L, the mixing is started with an initial mixing speed and the speed is increased to a final mixing speed wherein the initial mixing speed is lower than the final mixing speed, wherein the initial mixing speed is between 30 to 150 rpm, and the final mixing speed is between 160 to 230 rpm, and
• wherein the solid support obtained in step 1) has an average particle size of at most 17 μm;
• Step 2) optionally contacting the solid support obtained in step 1) with at least one activating compound selected from the group formed by activating electron donors and metal alkoxide compounds of formula M1(OR2)v-w(OR3)w or M2(OR2)v-w(R3)w, to obtain an intermediate reaction product;
• wherein:
• M1 is a metal of Ti, Zr, Hf, Al or Si;
• M2 is a metal being Si;
• v is the valency of M1 or M2 and w<v;
• R2 and R3 are each a linear, branched or cyclic hydrocarbyl group independently selected from alkyl, alkenyl, aryl, aralkyl, alkoxycarbonyl, alkylaryl groups, and one or more combinations thereof;
• wherein said hydrocarbyl group is substituted or unsubstituted and optionally contains one or more heteroatoms;
• and
• Step 3) reacting the solid support or intermediate reaction product, obtained respectively in step 1) or 2), with a halogen-containing Ti-compound, an activator and at least one internal electron donor to obtain a procatalyst,
• wherein the activator in step 3) is ethylbenzoate and the internal electron donor in step 3) is 4-[benzoyl(methyl)amino]pentan-2-yl benzoate.