United States Patent Office Patented Apr
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2,981,725 United States Patent Office Patented Apr. 25, 1961 1. 2 other object of this invention to improve upon Ziegler 2,981,725 reactions whereby substantially lower processing costs are obtained. Other objects will become apparent as the de PROCESS FOR POLYMERIZING OLEFENS cription proceeds. Norbert W. Luft, Cheadle. Hulme, and Dhafir Yusuf These and other objects are accomplished in the method Waddan, Chorlton-cum-Hardy, Manchester, England, for polymerizing olefins comprising subjecting an olefin assignors to Sheil Oil Company, a corporation of Dela to the action of an organo-metallic catalyst and a pro Ware moter therefor, by the improvement which comprises conducting the polymerization in the presence of an in No Drawing. Filed Oct. 15, 1956, Ser. No. 615,750 O organic inert carrier for said catalyst and promoter, and Claims priority, application Great Britain Nov. 16, 1955 - thereafter separating said carrier from said polymeriza tion product. This invention is based on the finding that 2 Claims. (C. 260-93.7) the processes involving Ziegler catalysts are primarily heterogeneous catalytic reactions and that the catalyst This invention relates to novel methods for poly is essentially a solid precipitate formed by the interaction merizing alpha-olefins. More particularly, it relates to of the organo-metallic catalyst and the promoter. Ac improved methods for polymerizing alpha-olefins in the cordingly, it is the surface layer of each catalyst particle presence of organo-metallic catalysts whereby improved which is effective in promoting the polymerization reac yields are obtained. tion. From this it follows that the amount of catalyst It is now well known that when ethylene is contacted 20 required to produce a given yield will be higher or lower with various organo-metallic catalysts at low pressures, - depending on the surface area of the catalyst components there results a mixture of dimers and some polymers of which are accessible to the olefin reactant. By this inven the ethylene. It has been additionally found that when tion, the surface area of the catalyst is very conveniently certain promoters are added and used in conjunction with increased, or made more accessible to the reactants, e.g., the catalyst, there results high molecular weight polymers. 25 the olefin or olefins to be polymerized, by supporting the of the ethylene. This discovery is considered to be an catalyst components upon a carrier. outstanding advance in the chemical arts because hereto The carrier may be any inert inorganic solid. Such fore the preparation of polymers of ethylene has been materials may be selected from a rather wide group of accomplished by subjecting ethylene to Very high pres materials with certain preferences being expressed be sures and very high temperatures for long periods of '30 cause of the numerous considerations involved in Ziegler time. Furthermore, the discovery provides a method for reactions. Thus, for example, it will be understood that the preparation of alpha-olefins other than ethylene. the carrier must be of the type which does not adversely Since the above-described discovery, numerous important affect the reaction. It is well known that Ziegler reac improvements have been found not only regarding the 35 tions are most desirably conducted under anhydrous con organo-metallic compounds that may be used, but also ditions. Therefore, certain siliceous carriers may be un by the application of analogous techniques to other re desirable since they sometimes, contain some hydroscopic actions. The nature of the catalysts which have been moisture. However, such carriers are perfectly satisfac found to be similarly useful are described more fully here tory after they have been subjected to drying before being inafter. They are generally referred to as "Ziegler-cat 40 used in the methods of this invention. Under other cir alysts" and the body of reactions to which the technique cumstances, if an otherwise attractive carrier is capable has been applied is sometimes referred to as "Ziegler of adversely affecting the reaction, e.g., by water-absorb reactions.” Upon careful study of the economics in ing, it may first be coated with some inactive material, as oved in Ziegler reactions, it has been found that several a resin or polymeric material of the type that is produced serious problems arose which affected the cost of the prod by the process in question. ucts obtained from such reactions. One such problem is 45 In general, catalysts carriers for the purposes of this that the catalyst and the promoter participate in the reac invention may be selected from two large groups of solid tion to such an extent that they are not recoverable for inorganic substances. re-use. The result has been that the cost of products These include water-soluble in prepared using Ziegler reactions has been rather high organic salts and mineral substances such as water-in because the catalysts are rather expensive. Another prob 50 soluble clays, earths, and the like. When the reaction lem which arises in Ziegler reactions in general is that of is complete, the carrier is removed by either washing out removing the catalyst residues from the final products. : the water-soluble salt or by dissolving the polymer in a One method for removing the residue is to wash the poly: suitable solvent and separating the insoluble mineral. In merseveral times in methanol thereby removing most of this way, the carrier is completely separated and other it. The removal of the residue is an important require 55 difficulties associated with removal of catalyst residues ment since products containing the residue are usually from the polymer are considerably reduced as there is a less satisfactory than those which are substantially free - tendency for some of the catalyst residue to be separated of aluminum and titanium. In the absence of an inex during the washing and filtering processes for the separa pensive and simple means for separating the catalyst resi tion of the carrier. The water-soluble inorganic salts dues, together with the other factor mentioned above, whichany iner are solid,suitable water-soluble in the methods salt ofbut this it inventionis especially include pre it appears that the cost of products using Ziegler reac-. ferred that those derived from a strong acid or a strong tions may not represent an improvement in costs and in base be used. The reason for this is that such salts are some cases the cost may be even higher. more easily separated. Typical water-soluble salts which It is an object of this invention to improve upon Ziegler are suitable include such as sodium carbonate, magnesium reactions. It is another object of this invention to pro 65 vide novel methods for polymerizing alpha-olefins chloride, potassium carbonate, sodium chloride, calcium whereby higher yields are obtained per unit of catalyst. chloride, sodium sulfate, and the like. As in the case of siliceous, materials which contain moisture, salts having . It is yet another object of this invention for polymerizing r water of hydration are satisfactory after they have been alpha-olefins whereby higher yields per unit of catalyst completely dried. Other inorgani ' ' - a 'o - - - - - - - . 'ther inorganic material which may be are accomplished and at the same time reduce the quan similarly utilized cludes such materials assilica gel, tity of catalyst residue from the product. t is still tivated alumina, tieselguhr, activated carbon, activated 2,981,725 3 4. montmorillonite clay, activated kaolinite clay, and the like. it is well known that Ziegler catalysts include those of The last group of materials is particularly suitable as they the formula RR2AIX where R1 and R are similar or dis are easily recovered from the processes of this invention similar and are selected from hydrogen or a hydrocar and are capable of re-use. The water-solubie salts de bon radical and X represents hydrogen, halogen, alkoxy Scribed above are likewise capable of re-use but because or aryloxy groups, the residue of a secondary amine, of their low cost it is generally too costly to recover them. secondary acid amide, mercaptan, thiophenol, carboxylic The quantity of the carrier which is used may be acid or sulfonic acid. In the case of the preferred cat varied over a rather large range depending upon such alysts, that is, the aluminum trialkyls, extreme caution factors as particle size, the quantity of the catalyst and should be exercised in handling them as they ignite quickly the promoter, the surface area of the carrier, and similar IO when exposed to air, oxygen, carbon dioxide and com considerations but in general, it is found that amounts pounds that have active hydrogen atoms such as ally ranging from 0.5 to 3 parts by weight of the carrier for chloride. each .005 to 1 mole of the catalyst is adequate. The The promoter may be selected from a large group of quantity of the promoter is not critical and may range metals within the “a” subgroup of Groups IV to VI of from about .5 to about 3 moles of the catalyst. More 15 the Periodic Table which includes titanium, palladium, often, however, the ratio is in the order of 1:1 to 1:2. Zirconium, vanadium, chromium, molybdenum, tungsten, Regarding the particle size of the carrier, it appears that and the like. Desirably, salts of some of the compounds particles in the order of 0.1 to 50 microns are suitable may be used with particular advantage such as the chlo with an average particle size from about 1 to 15 microns rides, oxychlorides, and acetonates of titanium and zir being preferred. It will readily be understood that the 20 conium. Particularly preferred are the chlorides of particle size and the ratio of catalyst to carrier are not palladium, zirconium and titanium with the last being critical considerations as the methods of this invention most preferred.