Low Viscosity Poly-Alpha-Olefins

A polyalpha-olefin having a kinematic viscosity at 100° C. of less than 20 cSt, a Mw/Mn of between 1 and 1.4, wherein the polyalpha-olefin is produced by a process comprising:

• contacting one or more alpha-olefin monomers having 3 to 24 carbon atoms with 1) a transition metal compound, wherein the compound is a) an unbridged, mono-substituted bis cyclopentadienyl transition metal compound, wherein the substitution is a non-isoolefin substitution on both cyclopentadienyl rings or b) an unbridged substituted bis cyclopentadienyl transition metal compound having at least two substitutions on at least one cyclopentadienyl ring;
• 2) a non-coordinating anion activator;
• and 3) an alkyl-aluminum compound, where the molar ratio of transition metal compound to activator is 2:1 to 0.5:1, the molar ratio of alkyl aluminum compound to transition metal compound is 2:1 to 500:1, and the milligram amount of transition metal compound per gram of alpha-olefin monomer is in the range of 0.001 to 1, under polymerization conditions wherein:
• i) hydrogen is present at a partial pressure of 0.1 psi to less than 50 psi, based upon the total pressure of the reactor;
• ii) wherein the alpha-olefin monomer(s) having 3 to 24 carbon atoms are present at 10 volume % or more based upon the total volume of the catalyst/activator/alkylaluminum compound solutions, monomers, and any diluents or solvents present in the reaction;
• iii) the residence time of the reaction is at least 5 minutes;
• iv) the productivity of the process is at least 43,000 grams of total product per gram of transition metal compound;
• v) the process is continuous or semi-continuous;
• and
• vi) ethylene is not present at more than 30 volume % of the monomers entering the reaction zone.