Hydrocarbyloxy magnesium halides

A hydrocarbon soluble hydrocarbyloxymagnesium halide of the formula ROMgX wherein R is a primary 2-alkyl substituted radical of 5 to 18 carbon atoms and X is halide.

The hydrocarbyloxymagnesium chloride of claim 11 wherein the primary two alkyl substituted radical is selected from the group consisting of 2-methyl-1-pentyl, 2-ethyl-1-butyl, 2-ethyl-1-pentyl, 2-ethyl-1-hexyl, 2-ethyl -2-methyl-1-pentyl, 2-methyl-1-hexyl, 2-propyl-1hexyl and 2-ethyl-5-methyl-1-octyl.

A hydrocarbon solution of a hydrocarbyloxymagnesium halide of the formula ROMgX in which R is a primary 2-alkyl substituted radical of 5 to 18 carbon atoms and X is a halide and which solution contains at least 0.1 mole of excess precursor of the 2-alkyl substituted radical.

A process for the production of organometallic hydrocarbyloxymagnesium halides of the formula ROMgX comprising:

• (a) reacting, in a dry inert hydrocarbon medium, activated magnesium metal with an alkyl halide of the formula R'X', in which R' is a redical of 1 to 20 carbon atoms and X is a halide, in a dry inert atmosphere at a temperature of at least 40.degree. C. to produce a compound of the formula R'MgX in which R' and X have the meanings ascribed to them herein, and,
• (b) reacting the R'MgX compound, in a dry inert hydrocarbon solvent, with 1.1 to 2.0 moles of a beta-alkyl substituted primary alcohol containing 5 to 18 carbon atoms per mole of magnesium to produce ether free beta-alkyl substituted hydrocarbyloxymagnesium halides.

A process for the production of a hydrocarbon soluble hydrocarbyloxymagnesium halide comprising reacting, in a dry hydrocarbon solvent in a dry inert atmosphere at a temeprature of at least 20.degree. C., a solid, hydrocarbon insoluble hydrocarbyloxymagnesium halide, having a primary, unsubstituted, hydrocarbyloxy group of 1 to 20 carbon atoms, with 1.2 to 1.4 moles of a 2-alkyl substituted alcohol of 5 to 18 carbon atoms per mole of magnesium to produce the hydrocarbon soluble hydrocarbyloxymagnesium halide.

Anether-free hydrocarbyloxymagnesium halide comprising a compound of the formula ROMgX whrein RO is a primary beta-alkyl substituted hydrocarbyloxy radical of 5 to 18 carbon atoms.

The ether-free low melting hydrocarbyloxymagnesium halide of cliam 21 containing 0.1 to 0.3 moles excess of the hydrocarbyloxy radical precursor.