Process for producing polymers
AssigneePhillips Petroleum Company
InventorsMax P. McDaniel, Elizabeth A. Benham, Shirley J. Martin, Kathy S. Collins, James L. Smith, Gil R. Hawley, Christopher E. Wittner, Michael D. Jensen
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A process of using a catalyst composition to polymerize at least one monomer to produce a polymer. The process comprises contacting the catalyst composition and at least one monomer in a polymerization zone under polymerization conditions to produce the polymer. The catalyst composition is produced by a process comprising contacting at least one organometal compound, at least one treated solid oxide compound, and at least one organoaluminum compound.
Claims26
A process of using a catalyst composition to polymerize at least one monomer to produce a polymer, said process comprising contacting said catalyst composition and at least one monomer in a polymerization zone under polymerization conditions to produce said polymer;
- wherein said catalyst composition is produced by a process comprising contacting at least one organometal compound, at least one treated solid oxide compound, and at least one organoaluminum compound to produce said catalyst composition,
- wherein said organometal compound has the following general formula
- (X1)(X2)(X3)(X4)M1
- wherein M1 is selected from titanium, zirconium, or hafnium, and
- wherein (X1) is independently selected from cyclopentadienyls, indenyls, fluorenyls, substituted cyclopentadienyls, substituted indenyls, or substituted fluorenyls, and
- wherein substituents on said substituted cyclopentadienyls, substituted indenyls, and substituted fluorenyls are selected from aliphatic groups, cyclic groups, combinations of aliphatic and cyclic groups, organometallic groups, or hydrogen;
- and
- wherein (X3) and (X4) are independently selected from halides, aliphatic groups, cyclic groups, combinations of aliphatic and cyclic groups, or organometallic groups, and
- wherein (X2) is selected from cyclopentadienyls, indenyls, fluorenyls, substituted cyclopentadienyls, substituted indenyls, substituted fluorenyls, halides, aliphatic groups, cyclic groups, combinations of aliphatic and cyclic groups, or organometallic groups, and
- wherein said organoaluminum compound has the following general formula,
- Al(X5)n(X6)3-n
- wherein (X5) is a hydrocarbyl having from 1-20 carbon atoms, and
- wherein (X6) is a halide, hydride, or alkoxide, and
- wherein “n” is a number from 1 to 3 inclusive;
- wherein said treated solid oxide compound is produced by a process comprising contacting at least one solid oxide compound with at least one electron-withdrawing anion source compound;
- and
- wherein said solid oxide compound is calcined before, during, or after contacting said electron-withdrawing anion source;
- and
- wherein the activity of said catalyst composition is greater than 250 grams of polyethylene per gram of treated solid oxide compound per hour;
- and
- wherein there is a substantial absence of aluminoxanes and organoborates.
A process of using a catalyst composition to polymerize at least one monomer to produce a polymer, said process comprising contacting said catalyst composition and said at least one monomer in a polymerization zone under polymerization conditions to produce said polymer;
- wherein said catalyst composition is produced by a process comprising:
- 1) calcining alumina at about 600° C. for about 3 hours and simultaneously contacting with carbon tetrachloride to produce a treated solid oxide compound;
- 2) combining said treated solid oxide compound with bis(n-butylcyclopentadienyl) zirconium chloride at a temperature in a range of about 25° C. to about 100° C. to produce a mixture;
- and
- 3) about between 1 minute and 1 hour, combining said mixture and triethylaluminum to produce said catalyst composition.
A process of using a catalyst composition to polymerize at least one monomer to produce a polymer, said process comprising contacting said catalyst composition and said at least one monomer in a polymerization zone under polymerization conditions to produce said polymer;
- wherein said catalyst composition is produced by a process comprising:
- 1) calcining an oxide selected from alumina, silica-alumina, aluminophosphate, and mixtures thereof to produce a calcined oxide;
- 2) contacting said calcined oxide with a treating agent selected from sulfating agents, fluoriding agents, and chloriding agents to produce a treated oxide;
- 3) combining (1) said treated oxide, (2) an organoaluminum compound selected from triethylaluminum, triisobutylaluminum, and mixtures thereof;
- and (3) an organometal compound,
- wherein said catalyst composition has an activity greater than 100 gP/gS·hr in the substantial absence of aluminoxanes and organoborates.
A process of using a catalyst composition to polymerize at least one monomer to produce a polymer, said process comprising contacting said catalyst composition and said at least one monomer in a polymerization zone under polymerization conditions to produce said polymer;
- wherein said catalyst composition is produced by a process comprising:
- 1) calcining alumina to produce a calcined alumina;
- 2) treating said calcined alumina with carbon tetrachloride at an elevated temperature to give a treated alumina;
- 3) combining said treated alumina with triethylaluminum and bis(n-butylcyclopentadienyl) zirconium dichloride.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.