High efficiency titanate catalyst for polymerizing olefins

Claim 1

A process for polymerization of an α-olefin under conditions characteristic of Ziegler polymerization at a temperature in the range from about 0° to about 95° C. and in the presence of a catalyst consisting essentialy of (I) catalytic reaction product of (A) an ester of tetravalent or trivalent titanium with (B) an intermediate reaction product of (a) an organomagnesium component selected from an organomagnesium compound or a hydrocarbon soluble complex of the organomagnesium compound and an organometallic compound which solubilizes the organomagnesium compound in hydrocarbon and (b) a metallic halide provided that during the formation of the intermediate product the concentration of the organomagnesium component is at least 0.1 molar with respect to the magnesium up to the maximum concentrations at which the intermediate reaction product in slurry form is still stirrable, said metallic halide corresponding to the empirical formula MR 3--a X a wherein N is a metal of Group 3a, R is alkyl, alkoxy, aryl or aryloxy; X is halogen; and a is in the range from 1 to 3 provided that wherein the organomagnesium component is an organomagnesium compound, a is in the range from 1 to 2.1, the proportions of the foregoing components of said catalytic reaction product being such that the atomic ratio of Mg:Ti is within the range from about 20:1 up to about 200:1, the atomic ratio of M:Ti is within the range from about 60:1 to about 150:1, the atomic ratio of Mg:X is within the range from about 0.1:1 to about 0.1:1, said catalytic reaction product being the sole catalyst of the polymerization process.