GB1017848A - Process for preparing polymers of olefinically unsaturated hydrocarbons - Google Patents

Abstract

In a process for the homo- and co-polymerization of olefines of the formula CH2=CHR, in which R represents a hydrogen atom, an alkyl radical containing 1-5 carbon atoms or a phenyl radical, the polymerization catalyst used is formed by reacting (1) a titanium tetrahalide or a titanium trihalide prepared by the reduction of a titanium tetrahalide by means of hydrogen, aluminium, or an alkyl aluminium dihalide, with (2) a co-ordination compound prepared from an alkyl aluminium dihalide and an alkali metal halide or an alkaline earth metal halide. In the examples homopolymers of propylene, butene-1, styrene, and 4-phenyl butene-1, and copolymers of propylene with ethylene or 4-phenyl butene-1 are prepared. Co-ordination compounds used are those formed by reacting ethyl aluminium dichloride with sodium chloride, potassium chloride, strontium chloride or barium chloride. The polymerization is effected in an organic solvent and the polymers produced are isotactic. The polymerization is terminated with n-butanol and the polymer is washed with water.ALSO:Co-ordination compounds, used as components of polymerization catalysts (see Division C3), are prepared by heating a mixture of ethyl aluminium dichloride with sodium, potassium strontium or barium chlorides. They may also be prepared by reacting the alkali metal halide with the ethyl aluminium dihalide in solution in benzene and recovering the product from solution by evaporating off the solvent or by precipitation with an excess of an aliphatic solvent such as n-hexane or n-pentane.