Manufacture of stereoregular polymers
AssigneeUnion Carbide Chemicals & Plastics Technology Corporation
InventorsMark Gregory Goode, Clark Curtis Williams, Timothy Roger Lynn, Robert Converse Brady, III, Jody Michael Moffett
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The present invention teaches the use of particular soluble metallocene catalysts to produce stereoregular polymers in gas phase polymerizations wherein the catalysts are fed into a particular lean zone in the reactor. The metallocene catalysts are bridged bis(substituted indenyl) compounds.
Claims10
A process for making stereoregular or regioregular polymers comprising feeding an unsupported metallocene catalyst and a cocatalyst in liquid form to a gas phase reactor in a resin lean particle zone within the reactor without immediately contacting growing polymer particles in the reactor to provide an average particle size ranging from about 0.025 to about 0.15 cm (about 0.01 to about 0.06 inches), wherein the metallocene is represented by the formula:
- (L)2R1MX(z−2) (I)
- wherein M is a metal from groups III to VIII or a rare earth metal of the Periodic Table;
- L is a π-bonded substituted indenyl ligand coordinated to M;
- R1 is a bridging group selected from the group consisting of C1-C4 substituted or unsubstituted alkylene radicals, dialkyl or diaryl germanium or silicon groups, and alkyl or aryl phosphine or amine radicals, each X is independently hydrogen, an aryl, alkyl, alkenyl, alkylaryl, or arylalkyl radical having 1-20 carbon atoms, a hydrocarboxy radical having 1-20 carbon atoms, a halogen, R2CO2—, or R22NCO2—, wherein each R2 is a hydrocarbyl group containing 1 to about 20 carbon atoms;
- and z is the valence state of M, wherein the liquid catalyst is in a carrier gas surrounded by at least one particle-deflecting gas having a velocity sufficient to deflect resin particles away from the path of the liquid catalyst as it enters the reactor, and at least one tip-cleaning gas, each gas selected from the group consisting of recycle gas, monomer gas, chain transfer gas, and inert gas.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.