Process for the oligomerization of α-olefins having low unsaturation, the resulting polymers, and lubricants containing same

A process for the preparation of a poly(α-olefin) copolymer comprising polymerizing at least one α-olefin comprising from about 6 to about 16 carbon atoms and at least one bulky olefin in the presence of hydrogen and a catalytically effective amount of catalyst comprising the product obtained by combining a metallocene procatalyst with a cocatalyst, the metallocene procatalyst being at least one compound of general formula:

• (Cp1R1m)R3(Cp2R2p)MXq
• wherein Cp1 of ligand (Cp1R1m) and Cp2 of ligand (Cp2R2p) are the same or different cyclopentadienyl rings, R1 and R2 each is, independently, hydrogen or a hydrocarbyl, halocarbyl, heterocarbyl, hydrocarbyl-substituted organometalloid or halocarbyl-substituted organometalloid group containing up to about 20 carbon atoms, m is 0 to 5, p is 0 to 5 and two R1 and/or R2 substituents on adjacent carbon atoms of the cyclopentadienyl ring associated therewith can be joined together to form a ring containing from 4 to about 20 carbon atoms, R3 is a bridging group bridging Cp1 with Cp2, M is a transition metal having a valence of from 3 to 6, each X is a non-cyclopentadienyl ligand and is, independently, halogen or a hydrocarbyl, oxyhydrocarbyl, halocarbyl, hydrocarbyl-substituted organometalloid, oxyhydrocarbyl-substituted organometalloid or halocarbyl-substituted organometalloid group containing up to about 20 carbon atoms, and q is equal to the valence of M minus 2, the cocatalyst being an aluminoxane and it being provided that ligand (Cp1R1m) is different than ligand (Cp2R2p) and bridging group R3 contains at least two bulky groups, wherein the poly(α-olefin) copolymer possesses a Mw of from about 500 to about 80,000, a Mw/Mn of from about 1.0 to about 10, a Kv100 of from about 10 to about 10,000, an Iodine Number of from about 0.0 to about 10 and a Tg of below about −20° C. and wherein the poly(α-olefin) is substantially amorphous.