Manufacture of polyethylene of controlled molecular weight

Claim 1

IN THE POLYMERIZATION OF ETHYLENE TO LINEAR HOMOPOLYMER HAVING A DENSITY OF 0.95 TO 0.98 IN THE PRESENCE OF AN INERT LIQUID MEDIUM AND AN INITIATOR SYSTEM OBTAINED BY ADMIXING TITANIUM TETRACHLORIDE WITH A SECOND COMPONENT HAVING -HYDROCARBON ATTACHED DIRECTLY TO ALUMIUM, THE IMPROVEMENT WHICH COMPRISES INTRODUCING INTO THE ETHYLENE POLYMERIZATION ZONE A PREDETERMINED AND CONTROLLED AMOUNT OF OXYGEN WITHIN OF ETHYLENE PRESENT, 200 PARTS PER MILLION PARTS BY WEIGHT OF ETHYLENE PRESENT, CARRYING OUT THE POLYMERIZATION UNDER CONDITIONS OF TEMPERATURE AND PRESSURE SUCH THAT POLYMERIZED ETHYLENE IS PRODUCED AS A SLURRIED SOLID PHASE, SAID TEMPRATURE BEING FROM 20*C. TO 80*C. AND SAID PRESSURE BEING FROM 1 TO 1000 ATMOSPHERES, WHEREBY THE MELT INDEX OF THE POLYMERIC PRODUCT GRADUALLY DECREASES AS THE POLYMERIZATION PROCEEDS, CONTINUING THE POLYMERIZATION AND THE LOWERING OF THE MELT INDEX OF THE POLYMERIC PRODUCT UNTIL THE POLYMERIC PRODUCT WHICH IS PRESENT IN THE REACTION ZONE HAS A MELT INDEX OF FROM 0.01 TO 4.0. AND THEREUPON REMOVING SAID POLYMERIC PRODUCT FROM THE REACTION ZONE.