Transition metal composition and process

A process for the production of a polymer or copolymer of an olefine monomer wherein at least one olefine monomer, or a mixture of at least one olefine monomer and ethylene, is polymerised by contacting the at least one olefine, or mixture thereof with ethylene, under polymerisation conditions with an olefine polymerisation catalyst comprising

• (1) a titanium trichloride-containing material;
• and
• (2) at least one organo-metallic compound of aluminium, or of a non-transition metal of Group IIA of the Periodic Table, or a complex of an organo-metallic compound of a non-transition metal of Group IA or Group IIA of the Periodic Table with an organo-aluminium compound,
• wherein the titanium trichloride-containing material which is component (1) of the catalyst is the product obtained by
• (1) reducing titanium tetrachloride by reacting the titanium tetrachloride with a reducing agent under conditions to give a solid titanium trichloride product which includes an associated aluminium compound containing aluminium and chlorine atoms, wherein the titanium trichloride is formed predominantly in the beta-form;
• (2) contacting a suspension of the solid reduction product of step (1) with both compound E and compound L, compound L being added after the addition of compound E so that both compound E and compound L are present together, at least part of the contacting being effected while maintaining the suspension at a temperature of at least 60.degree. C. in the presence of at least compound E;
• and
• (3) washing the solid product obtained with an inert hydrocarbon or inert halohydrocarbon liquid;
• wherein
• E is an ether or a thioether;
• L is an organic sulphur-containing compound of one of the formulae (1), (2) or (3);
• formula (1) is ##STR5## formula (2) is ##STR6## and formula (3) is ##STR7## where T, or each T is, independently, a halogen atom, an alkyl, aryl, alkoxy, aryloxy, alkylthio, or arylthio group, or a group --NR.sup.1 R.sup.2, or two groups T can together form a saturated or unsaturated hydrocarbon ring;
• Y, or each Y is, independently, a halogen atom, an alkyl, aryl, alkoxy, aryloxy, alkylthio, or arylthio group, or a group --NR.sup.1 R.sup.2, or two groups Y can together form a saturated or unsaturated hydrocarbon ring;
• or a group T and a group Y may be replaced by a link between the two phenyl groups attached to the --SO.sub.2 -- group, the linkage being either direct or through a group --O--, --CH.sub.2 --, --NR.sup.1 --, --S-- or --CO--;
• Z, or each Z is, independently, a halogen atom, an alkyl, aryl, alkoxy, aryloxy, alkylthio, or arylthio group, or a group --NR.sup.1 R.sup.2, or two groups Z can together form a saturated or unsaturated hydrocarbon ring;
• D, or each D is, independently, a halogen atom, an alkyl, aryl, alkoxy, aryloxy, alkylthio, or arylthio group, or a group --NR.sup.1 R.sup.2 ;
• G is --S--, --O--, --NR.sup.2 -- or --CO--;
• R.sup.1 is a hydrogen atom or a hydrocarbyl group;
• R.sup.2 is a hydrocarbyl group;
• R.sup.3 is a hydrocarbyl group or can be a group ##STR8## m, p, q and r are each, independently, an integer from 0 up to 5;
• and y is a positive integer.