Titanium trichloride catalyst complex and process for the production thereof

An improved catalyst composition adaptable for use in a stereopolymerization of alpha-olefins comprising:

• (a) an organometal compound co-catalyst, in contact with;
• (b) a titanium trichloride composition catalyst, said titanium trichloride catalyst being produced by a process comprising:
• (i) in a reduction step, contacting titanium tetrachloride with an organo metal compound of the formula R.sub.n AlX.sub.3-n, wherein R is a group having 1 to 18 carbon atoms selected from alkyl or aryl, X is a halogen and n is a numeral within the range of 1.ltoreq.n.ltoreq.3 at about -50.degree. C. to about 100.degree. C. in an inert diluent to obtain a reduced solids product;
• (ii) in an activation step, contacting the reduced solids of (a) with a chlorinated hydrocarbon and a titanium tetrachloride in the presence of a Lewis base complexing agent, said chlorinated hydrocarbon, titanium tetrachloride and Lewis base complexing agent, respectively, being present in amounts of about 0.1 to about 10 mols chlorinated hydrocarbon, about 0.1 to about 2.0 mols titanium tetrachloride and about 0.1 to about 2.0 mols Lewis base complexing agent per one mol of titanium trichloride in such reduced solids of (a), and said titanium tetrachloride being in a concentration of about 2 to about 15 volume percent at an elevated temperature within the range of from about 50.degree. C. to about 150.degree. C. for about 5 minutes to about 10 hours until a crystal conversion of the reduced solids product of (a) is obtained;
• and
• (iii) in a recovery step, recovering the resulting activated reduced solids product as said titanium trichloride catalyst complex in high yield.