Patent ID: 6281304
Filing Date: 2001-08-28
Classification: C08F

Abstract:
A process for preparing a polymer of vinylaromatic compounds at from 0 to 150.degree. C. in the presence of a metallocene complex as catalyst, wherein the metallocene catalyst is a metallocene complex of formula II ##STR3##whereinR.sup.7 to R.sup.11 are hydrogen, C.sub.1 -C.sub.10 -alkyl, 5- to 7-membered cycloalkyl which in turn may bear C.sub.1 -C.sub.6 -alkyl groups as substituents, C.sub.6 -C.sub.15 -aryl or aralkyl or two adjacent radicals may also together form a cyclic group having from 4 to 15 carbon atoms, or Si (R.sup.12).sub.3, where R.sup.12 i s C.sub.1 -C.sub.10 -alkyl, C.sub.6- C.sub.15 -aryl or C.sub.3 -C.sub.10 - cycloalkyl,M is a metal of transition groups Ill to VI of the Periodic Table of the Elements or a lanthanide metal,Z.sup.1 to Z.sup.5 are hydrogen, halogen, C.sub.1 -C.sub.10 -alkyl, C.sub.6 -C.sub.15 -aryl, C.sub.1 -C.sub.10 -alkoxy or C.sub.1 -C.sub.50 -aryloxy, andz.sub.1 to z.sub.5 are 0, 1, 2, 3, 4 or 5, where the SUM z.sub.1 +z.sub.2 +z.sub.3 +z.sub.4 +z.sub.5 corresponds to the valence of M minus 1,which is in a supported form, the support being selected from the group consisting of silica gels, finely divided polyolefins, polyethylene glycol, polybutylene terephthalate, polyethylene terephthalate, polyvinyl alcohol, polystyrene, polybutadiene, polycarbonates and copolymers thereof,and the polymerization is carried out at a pressure of from 5 to 300 bar in the presence of an aliphatic C.sub.1 -C.sub.4 -hydrocarbon and, as cocatalyst, a coordination complex selected from the group consisting ofi) a strong uncharged Lewis acid of the formula IIIM.sup.1 X.sup.1 X.sup.2 X.sup.3 (III)whereinM.sup.1 is an element of main group III of the Periodic Table, andX.sup.1, X.sup.2 and X.sup.3 are hydrogen, C.sub.1 -C.sub.10 -alkyl, C.sub.6 --C.sub.15 -aryl, alkylaryl, arylalkyl, haloalkyl, or haloaryl each having from 1to 10 carbon atoms in the alkyl radical and from 6 to 20 carbon atoms in the aryl radical, or fluorine, chlorine, bromine or iodine, andii) an ionic compound having a Lewis acid cation of the formula IV[(A.sup.a-)Q.sub.1 Q.sub.2. . . Q.sub.z ].sup.d- (IV)whereinA is an element of main groups I to VI or transition groups I to VIII of the Periodic Table,Q.sub.1 to Q.sub.z are radicals bearing a single negative charge selected from the group consisting of C.sub.1 -C.sub.28 -alkyl, C.sub.6 -C.sub.15 -aryl, C.sub.1 -C.sub.28 -alkyl-C.sub.6 -C.sub.20 -aryl, C.sub.6 -C.sub.20 -aryl-C.sub.1 -C.sub.28 -alkyl, C.sub.1 -C.sub.28 -haloalkyl, C.sub.6 -C.sub.20 -haloaryl, halogen, C.sub.1 -C.sub.28 -alkoxy, C.sub.6 -C.sub.15 -aryloxy, silyl, rnercaptyl, C.sub.1 -C.sub.10 -cy-C.sub.1 -C.sub.10 -cycloalkyl and C.sub.1 -C.sub.10 -cycloalkyl which is substituted by C.sub.1 -C.sub.10 -alkyl,a is an integer from 1 to 6,z is an integer from 0 to 5, andd corresponds to the difference a-z, but d is greater than or equal to 1 with the proviso that the metallocene complex cannot be Ag[B(C.sub.6 H.sub.5)4].