Polymerization of ethylene
AssigneeE.I. du Pont de Nemours and Company
InventorAlison Margaret Anne Bennett
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Ethylene may be polymerized by contacting it with certain iron or cobalt complexes of selected 2,6-pyridinecarboxaldehydebis(imines) and 2,6-diacylpyridinebis(imines). The polymers produced are useful as molding resins. Novel 2,6-pyridinecarboxaldehydebis(imines) and 2,6-diacylpyridinebis(imines), and novel complexes of 2,6-pyridinecarboxaldehydebis(imines) and 2,6-diacylpyridinebis(imines) with iron and cobalt are also disclosed.
Claims45
A process for the polymerization of ethylene, comprising, contacting, at a temperature of about -100.degree. C. to about +200.degree. C., a compound of the formula ##STR21## with ethylene and:
- (a) a first compound W, which is a neutral Lewis acid capable of abstracting X.sup.- and alkyl group or a hydride group from M to form WX.sup.-, WR.sup.20 or WH and which is also capable of transferring an alkyl group or a hydride to M, provided that WX.sup.- is a weakly coordinating anion;
- or
- (b) a combination of a second compound which is capable of transferring an alkyl or hydride group to M and a third compound which is a neutral Lewis acid which is capable of abstracting X.sup.-, a hydride or an alkyl group from M to form a weakly coordinating anion;
- wherein:
- M is Co or Fe;
- each X is an anion;
- n is 1, 2 or 3 so that the total number of negative charges on said anion or anions is equal to the oxidation state of said Fe or Co atom present in (II);
- R.sup.1, R.sup.2 and R.sup.3 are each independently hydrogen, hydrocarbyl, substituted hydrocarbyl, or an inert functional group;
- R.sup.4 and R.sup.5 are each independently hydrogen, hydrocarbyl, an inert functional group, or substituted hydrocarbyl;
- R.sup.6 and R.sup.7 are aryl or substituted aryl;
- and
- R.sup.20 is alkyl.
A process for the polymerization of ethylene, comprising contacting, at a temperature of about -100.degree. C. to about +200.degree. C., a CoII!, CoIII!, FeII! or FeIII! complex of a tridentate ligand of the formula ##STR22## with ethylene, wherein:
- R.sup.1, R.sup.2 and R.sup.3 are each independently hydrogen, hydrocarbyl, substituted hydrocarbyl, or an inert functional group;
- R.sup.4 and R.sup.5 are each independently hydrogen, hydrocarbyl, an inert functional group or substituted hydrocarbyl;
- and
- R.sup.6 and R.sup.7 are aryl or substituted aryl;
- and provided that said CoII!, CoIII!, FeII! or FeIII! atom also has an empty coordination site or bonded to it a ligand that may be displaced by said ethylene, and a ligand that may add to said ethylene.
A compound of the formula ##STR25## wherein:
- M is Co or Fe;
- each X is an anion;
- n is 1, 2 or 3, so that the total number of negative charges on said anion or anions is equal to the oxidation state of said Fe or Co atom present in (II);
- R.sup.1, R.sup.2 and R.sup.3 are each independently hydrogen, hydrocarbyl, substituted hydrocarbyl, or an inert functional group;
- R.sup.4 and R.sup.5 are each independently hydrogen, hydrocarbyl, an inert functional group or substituted hydrocarbyl;
- R.sup.6 is ##STR26## R.sup.7 is ##STR27## R.sup.8 and R.sup.13 are each independently hydrocarbyl, substituted hydrocarbyl or a functional group;
- R.sup.9, R.sup.10, R.sup.11, R.sup.14, R.sup.15 and R.sup.16 are each independently hydrogen, hydrocarbyl, substituted hydrocarbyl or an inert functional group;
- R.sup.12 and R.sup.17 are each independently hydrogen, hydrocarbyl, substituted hydrocarbyl or an inert functional group;
- and provided that any two of R.sup.8, R.sup.9, R.sup.10, R.sup.11, R.sup.12, R.sup.13, R.sup.14, R.sup.15, R.sup.16 and R.sup.17 that are vicinal to one another, taken together may form a ring.
A compound of the formula ##STR28## wherein:
- M is Co or Fe;
- R.sup.1, R.sup.2 and R.sup.3 are each independently hydrogen, hydrocarbyl, substituted hydrocarbyl, or an inert functional group;
- R.sup.4 and R.sup.5 are each independently hydrogen, hydrocarbyl, an inert functional group or substituted hydrocarbyl;
- R.sup.6 and R.sup.7 are aryl or substituted aryl;
- T.sup.1 is hydride or alkyl or any other anionic ligand into which ethylene can insert;
- Y is a neutral ligand capable of being displaced by ethylene or a vacant coordination site;
- Q is a relatively non-coordinating anion;
- P is a divalent (poly)ethylene group of the formula --(CH.sub.2 CH.sub.2).sub.x -- wherein x is an integer of 1 or more;
- and
- T.sup.2 is an end group.
A process for the polymerization of ethylene, comprising, contacting, at a temperature of about -100.degree. C. to about +200.degree. C., ethylene and a compound of the formula ##STR31## wherein:
- M is Co or Fe;
- R.sup.1, R.sup.2 and R.sup.3 are each independently hydrogen, hydrocarbyl, substituted hydrocarbyl, or an inert functional group;
- R.sup.4 and R.sup.5 are each independently hydrogen, hydrocarbyl, an inert functional group or substituted hydrocarbyl;
- R.sup.6 and R.sup.7 are aryl or substituted aryl;
- T.sup.1 is hydride or alkyl or any other anionic ligand into which ethylene can insert;
- Y is a neutral ligand capable of being displaced by ethylene or a vacant contamination site;
- Q is a relatively non-coordinating anion;
- P is a divalent (poly)ethylene group of the formula --(CH.sub.2 CH.sub.2).sub.x -- wherein x is an integer of 1 or more;
- and
- T.sup.2 is an end group.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.