Claims
- 1. A process for producing a copolymer of ethylene and an alpha-olefin having an ethylene content of from 40 to 60 mole %, a number average molecular weight of from 300 to 8200 and a molecular weight distribution defined by a Q value (the ratio of the weight average molecular weight to the number average molecular weight) of not more than 3 and a Z value (the ratio of the maximum value of the molecular weight to the minimum value of the molecular weight when the molecular weight is measured by gel permeation chromatography) of from 15 to 200, which comprises copolymerizing ethylene with an alpha-olefin in the liquid phase in the presence of a polymerization catalyst composed of a combination of
- a soluble vanadium compound selected from vanadium compounds of the formula
- VO(OR.sup.1).sub.n X.sup.1.sub.3-n and VX.sup.1.sub.4
- wherein R.sup.1 represents an aliphatic hydrocarbon group having 1 to 20 carbon atoms, X.sup.1 represents a halogen atom, and n is a number of from 0 to 3 and
- an organoaluminum compound in the co-presence of hydrogen, characterized in that
- (a) the copolymerization is carried out in a continuous manner,
- (b) the concentration of the vanadium compound in the polymerization system is maintained at 0.3 to 30 millimoles/liter, and
- (c) the vanadium compound is supplied to the polymerization system as a solution in a polymerization medium in a concentration which is 1-5 times the concentration of the vanadium compound in the liquid phase.
- 2. The process of claim 1 wherein the organoaluminum compound is selected from organoaluminum compounds of the formula
- R.sup.2.sub.m AlX.sup.1.sub.3-m
- wherein R.sup.2 represents an aliphatic hydrocarbon group having 1 to 60 carbon atoms, X.sub.2 represents a halogen atom, and m is a number of from 1 to 3.
- 3. The process of claim 1 wherein the concentration of the vanadium compound in the liquid phase is maintained at 0.5 to 20 millimoles.
- 4. The process of claim 1 wherein the organoaluminum compound is used in such an amount that the Al/V atomic ratio in the liquid phase is from 2 to 50.
- 5. The process of claim 1 wherein the average residence time of the reaction mixture in the polymerization system is from 5 to 300 minutes.
- 6. The process of claim 1 wherein the copolymerization is carried out at a temperature of from 0 to 100.degree. C.
- 7. The process of claim 1 wherein the copolymerization is carried out at a pressure of from 0 to 50 kg/cm.sup.2 gauge.
- 8. The process of claim 1 wherein ethylene and the alpha-olefin are fed into the polymerization system so that the ethylene/alpha-olefin mole ratio is from 1:10 to 10:1.
- 9. The process of claim 1 wherein hydrogen is used in an amount of 1/100 to 100/1 moles per mole of the sum of the ethylene and alpha-olefin fed to the polymerization system.
Priority Claims (2)
Number |
Date |
Country |
Kind |
56-2603 |
Jan 1981 |
JPX |
|
56-2604 |
Jan 1981 |
JPX |
|
Parent Case Info
This application is a continuation of application Ser. No. 07/825,842, filed Jan. 28, 1992, now abandoned; which is a continuation of application Ser. No. 07/567,108, filed Aug. 14, 1990, now abandoned; which is a division of application Ser. No. 07/364,535, filed Jun. 12, 1989, now abandoned; which is a continuation of application Ser. No. 07/220,954, filed Jun. 23, 1988, now abandoned; which is a continuation of application Ser. No. 06/885,399, filed Jul. 18, 1986, now abandoned; which is a continuation of application Ser. No. 06/770,019, filed Aug. 29, 1985, now abandoned; which is a continuation of application Ser. No. 06/553,873, filed Nov. 21, 1983, now abandoned; which is a continuation of application Ser. No. 06/338,138, Jan. 8, 1982, now abandoned.
US Referenced Citations (3)
Number |
Name |
Date |
Kind |
3522180 |
Sweeney et al. |
Jul 1970 |
|
3551336 |
Jacobsson et al. |
Dec 1970 |
|
3679380 |
Biswell et al. |
Jul 1972 |
|
Divisions (2)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
364535 |
Jun 1989 |
|
Parent |
220954 |
Jun 1988 |
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Continuations (6)
|
Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
825842 |
Jan 1992 |
|
Parent |
567108 |
Aug 1990 |
|
Parent |
885399 |
Jul 1986 |
|
Parent |
770019 |
Aug 1985 |
|
Parent |
553873 |
Nov 1983 |
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Parent |
338138 |
Jan 1982 |
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