Polymerization process

Claim 1

A CONTINUOUS PROCESS FOR THE POLYMERIZATION OF ETHYLENE IN A TUBLAR REACTOR HAVING A LENGTH TO DIAMETER RATIO GREATER THAN ABOUT 2.50:1 AT A PRESSURE OF AT LEAST ABOUT 15,000 P.S.I.G. AND A TEMPERATURE OF FROM ABOUT 90* C. TO ABOUT 350* C. IN THE PRESENCE OF A FREE RADICAL CATALYST TO PRODUCE NORMALLY SOLID POLYMERS THEREOF, WHICH COMPRISES INTRODUCING A POLYMERIZABLE ETHYLENE REACTION MIXTURE TO THE TUBULAR REACTOR IN AT LEAST TWO SEPARATE STREAMS, THE FIRST STREAM BEING INJECTED INTO THE TUBULAR REACTOR AT THE INLET END OF THE TUBULAR REACTOR AND THE SUBSEQUENT SIDE STREAMS BEING INJECTED INTO THE TUBULAR REACTOR AT SIDE LOCATIONS ALONG THE TUBULAR REACTOR LOCATED AT POINTS FROM ABOUT 15 PERCENT TO ABOUT 85 PERCENT OF THE DISTANCE BETWEEN THE INLET POINT AT WHICH THE FIRST STREAM IS INTRODUCED AND THE DISCHARGE POINT AT WHICH THE POLYMER AND UNREACTED ETHYLENE MIXTURE IS DISCHARGED FROM THE TUBULAR REACTOR, WHEREIN SAID FIRST SSTREAM IS A MIXTURE OF ETHYLENE AND A CHAIN TRANSFER AGENT SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF A SATURATED ALOCHOL CONTAINING FROM 1 TO ABOUT 10 CARBON ATOMS PRESENT AT A CONCENTRATION OF FROM ABOUT 0.2 TO ABOUT 6 MOLE PERCENT, BASED ON THE TOTAL ETHYLENE FLOW TO THE REACTOR, A SATURATED ALIPHATIC KETONE CONTAINING FROM 3 TO ABOUT 10 CARBON ATOMS PRESENT AT A CONCENTRATION OF FROM ABOUT 0.05 TO ABOUT 6 MOLE PERCENT, BASED ON THE TOTAL FLOW OF ETHYLENE TO THE REACTOR, A SATURATED ALIPHATIC ALDEHYDE CONTAINING FROM 1 TO ABOUT 8 CARBON ATOMS PRESENT AT A CONCENTRATION OF FROM ABOUT 0.1 TO ABOUT 6 MOLE PERCENT, BASED ON THE TOTAL FLOW OF ETHYLENE TO THE REACTOR, AND AN ALPHA OLEFIN CONTAINING FROM 3 TO ABOUT 18 CARBON ATOMS PRESENT AT A CONCENTRATION OF FROM ABOUT 0.1 TO ABOUT 4 MOLE PERCENT, BASED ON THE TOTAL FLOW OF ETHYLENE TO THE REACTOR, AND WHEREIN SAID SUBSEQUENT SIDE STREAM INJECTED INTO THE TUBULAR REACTOR IS A MIXTURE OF ETHYLENE AND THE CHAIN TRANSFER AGENTS AS DEFINED ABOVE AND THE TOTAL CONCENTRATION IN THE POLYMERIZABLE ETHYLENE RECTION MIXTURE OF SATURATED ALIPHATIC ALCOHOL IS FROM ABOUT 0.2 TO ABOUT 10 MOLE PERCENT, OF SATURATED ALIPHATIC KETONE IS FROM ABOUT 0.05 TO ABOUT 10 MOLE PERCENT, OF SATURATED ALIPHATIC ALDEHYDE IS FROM ABOUT 0.02 TO ABOUT 10 MOLE PERCENT, AND OF ALPHA OLEFIN IS FROM ABOUT 0.1 TO ABOUT 10 MOLE PERCENT, BASED ON THE TOTAL FLOW OF ETHYLENE TO THE REACTOR.