Ethylene polymerization

Claim 1

THE METHOD OF POLYMERIZING ETHYLENE TO FORM HIGH POLYMERS WHICH METHOD COMPRISES CONTACTING ETHYLENE WITH A SUPPORTED CATALYST CONSISTING ESSENTIALLY OF PARTICLES HAVING AN AVERAGE SCREEN SIZE SMALLER THAN 200 MESH AND CONSISTING OF ACTIVATED CARBON CONTAINING ABOUT .5 TO 25 PER CENT OF A REDUCED OXIDE OF A METAL OF THE CLASS CONSISTING OF COBALT AND NICKEL WHICH PARTICLES ARE DISTRIBUTED THROUGHOUT AN INHERT SUPPORT IN TH FORM OF RUGGED MASSES CONSTITUTING 50 PER CENT TO 98 PER CENT OF THE TOTAL CATALYST COMPOSITION AND HAVING A SCREEN SIZE GREATER THAN 20 MESH, EFFECTING SAID CONTACTING AT A TEMPERATURE IN THE RANGE OF 10* TO 300* C. UNDER A PRESSURE OF AT LEAST 50 P.S.I.G. AND FOR A TIME SUFFICIENT TO EFFECT SUBSTANTIAL CONVERSION OF ETHYLENE INTO POLYMERS HAVING MOLECULAR WEIGHTS HIGHER THAN 12,000, AND SUBSEQUENTLY SEPARATING SAID POLYMERS FROM SURFACES OF THE CATALYST COMPOSITION BY WASHING SAID MASSES WITH A SOLVENT.