Process for preparing supported transition metal catalyst systems and catalyst systems prepared thereby

A coordination catalyst system formed by the process comprising substantially simultaneously providing:

• (I) particles of a support-activator agglomerate formed by agglomerating:
• (A) at least one inorganic oxide component selected from the group consisting of SiO2, Al2O3, MgO, AlPO4, TiO2, ZrO2, and Cr2O3;
• with
• (B) at least one ion containing layered material having interspaces between the layers and sufficient Lewis acidity to activate the transition metal of the pre-catalyst of (II) when said pre-catalyst is in contact with the support-activator agglomerate, said layered material, having a cationic component and an anionic component, wherein said cationic component is present within the interspace of said layered material, said layered material being intimately mixed with said inorganic oxide component within said agglomerate particle in an amount sufficient to provide a coordination catalyst system having the ability to polymerize at least one unsaturated monomer;
• (II) pre-catalyst reactants comprising at least one Group (1) material and at least one Group (2) material, wherein said Group (1) material comprises (i) at least one metallocene or constrained geometry transition metal reactant capable of reacting with (ii) at least one metallocene or constrained geometry ligand-containing reactant to form a Group (1) material, said Group (1) material capable of (i) being supported upon contact with the support-activator agglomerate of (I), or (ii) being converted, upon contact with an organometallic compound, to an intermediate capable of being activated upon contact with the support-activator agglomerate, wherein said transition metal is at least one element selected from Groups 3, 4 or the Lanthamide metals of the Periodic Table of Elements;
• and wherein said Group (2) material comprises (i) at least one non-metallocene, non-constrained geometry, bidentate transition metal reactant or tridentate transition metal reactant capable of reacting with (ii) at least one bidentate or tridentate ligand-containing reactant to form a Group (2) material, said Group (2) material capable of (i) being supported upon contact with said support-activator agglomerate (I) or (ii) being converted, upon contact with an organometallic compound, to an intermediate capable of being activated upon contact with said support-activator agglomerate (I), wherein said transition metal is at least one member selected from Groups 3 to 10 of said Periodic Table, said pre-catalyst reactants of Group (1) and Group (2), upon reaction, capable of being converted to a pre-catalyst;
• (III) contacting, in the presence of at least one liquid hydrocarbon, said at least one pre-catalyst reactant Group (1) and, optionally Group (2) materials in a manner sufficient to form activated pre-catalyst and, together with said support-activator agglomerate (I), to provide a ratio of micromoles of total ligand-forming compound to grams of support-activator agglomerate of from about 5:1 to about 500:1.