Preparation of ethylene copolymers in fluid bed reactor

A continuous process for producing ethylene copolymer containing .gtoreq.90 mol percent of ethylene and .ltoreq.10 mol percent of one or more C.sub.3 to C.sub.8 alpha olefins with a Ti containing catalyst at a productivity of .gtoreq.50,000 pounds of polymer per pound of Ti under a pressure of <1000 psi in a gas phase fluid bed reaction

• said polymer being produced in granular form and having a density of .gtoreq.0.91 to .ltoreq.0.96 and a melt flow ratio of .gtoreq.22 to .ltoreq.32,
• which comprises copolymerizing ethylene with >0 to 0.9 mols of one or more C.sub.3 to C.sub.8 .alpha.olefin monomers per mol of ethylene at a temperature of about 30.degree. to 115.degree. C. by contacting the monomer charge with, in the presence of about 0 to 2.0 mol of hydrogen per mol of ethylene in a gas phase reaction zone, particles of a non-comminuted catalyst system comprising
• an activated precursor composition wherein said precursor composition has the formula
• Mg.sub.m Ti.sub.1 (OR).sub.n X.sub.p [ED].sub.q
• wherein
• m is .gtoreq.0.5 to .ltoreq.56
• n is 0 or 1
• p is .gtoreq.6 to .ltoreq.116
• q is .gtoreq.2 to .ltoreq.85
• R is a C.sub.1 to C.sub.14 aliphatic or aromatic hydrocarbon radical, or COR' wherein R' is a C.sub.1 to C.sub.14 aliphatic or aromatic hydrocarbon radical,
• X is selected from the group consisting of Cl, Br, I or mixtures thereof,
• ED is a liquid organic electron donor compound in which said precursor composition and the Ti and Mg components thereof are soluble and which is selected from the group consisting of alkyl esters of aliphatic and aromatic carboxylic acids, aliphatic ethers, cyclic ethers and aliphatic ketones,
• said precursor composition being diluted with at least one solid inert carrier material and being either
• completely activated, prior to the feeding of the activated precursor composition to said reaction zone with .gtoreq.10 to .ltoreq.400 mols of carrier absorbed activator compound per mol of titanium compound in said precursor composition so as to thereby prepare a solid dry catalyst composition without having to heat said catalyst composition above 50.degree. C., or
• partially activated with >0 to <10 mols of activator compound per mol of titanium compound in said precursor composition prior to feeding of the activated precursor composition to said reaction zone and then being completely activated in said reaction zone with .gtoreq.10 to .ltoreq.400 mols of activator compound per mol of titanium compound in said precursor composition, and
• said activator compound having the formula
• Al(R").sub.c X'.sub.d H.sub.e
• wherein X' is Cl or OR'", R" and R'" are the same or different and are C.sub.1 to C.sub.14 saturated hydrocarbon radicals
• d is 0 to 1.5,
• e is 0 or 1, and
• c+d+e=3.