Patent ID: 8318874
Filing Date: 2012-11-27
Classification: C08F

Abstract:
1. A continuous process for selectively polymerizing ethylene in the presence of an alpha-olefin and thereby preparing a poly(ethylene-alpha-olefin) block copolymer, the process comprising a step of contacting together a catalytic amount of a catalyst comprising a mixture or reaction product of ingredients (a) and (b); ethylene as ingredient (c); a (C 3 -C 40 ) alpha-olefin as ingredient (d); a chain shuttling agent (CSA) as ingredient (e); and a promiscuous olefin polymerization catalyst useful for copolymerizing ethylene and the alpha-olefin, the promiscuous olefin polymerization catalyst being ingredient (f); wherein ingredient (a) is one or more metal-ligand complexes of formula (I): wherein: R ingredient (b) is one or more activating co-catalysts, or a reaction product thereof, wherein the ratio of total number of moles of the one or more metal-ligand complexes of formula (I) to total number of moles of the one or more activating co-catalysts is from 1:10,000 to 100:1; where the contacting step comprises a continuous polymerization process that is performed under olefin polymerizing conditions and prepares a poly(ethylene-alpha-olefin) block copolymer in one polymerization reactor, the poly(ethylene-alpha-olefin) block copolymer comprising a polyethylene in a form of a polyethylene hard segment and a soft segment comprising residuals from the (C