Patent ID: 6303717
Filing Date: 2001-10-16
Classification: C08F,C08L,C09J,C10M,Y10S

Abstract:
A method of synthesizing polymers from ethylene, which comprises: contacting under polymerization conditions and optionally, in the presence of a halogenated solvent (a) ethylene and (b) a catalyst system consisting essentially of (i) a transition metal component, (ii) an excess of a Lewis acid component having the formula AlX.sub.x R.sub.3-x, where X is a halogen, R is a lower alkyl and x is 0 to 3, and, optionally, (iii) a nitrogen, oxygen, phosphorus or mixed nitrogen and/or oxygen and/or phosphorus based monodentate, bidentate or tridentate ligand, so as to form branched ethylene polymers that are liquid, viscous oils at about room temperature, said polymers having a molecular weight in excess of about 300 and having a ratio {character pullout} of methyl hydrogens centered around 0.85 ppm in the .sup.1 H-NMR spectra of the polymers relative to the total aliphatic hydrogens in the polymers of at least about 0.40, wherein the transition metal component is selected from the group consisting of {(.pi.-(meth)allyl)Ni(Br)}.sub.2, (1,5-cyclooctadiene)Pd(CH.sub.3)(Cl), {Ni((meth)allyl)(trifluoroacetate)}.sub.2, Ni(1,5-cyclooctadiene).sub.2, PdCl.sub.2, Pd(1,5-cyclooctadiene)Cl.sub.2, Co(acetylacetonate).sub.3, Mn(acetylacetonate).sub.2, {(1,5-cyclooctadiene)Rh(Cl)}.sub.2, complexes of Ni that consist of Ni and at least one moiety selected from the group consisting of alkyl, aryl and halide moieties, complexes of Pd that consist of Pd and at least one moiety selected from the group consisting of alkyl, aryl and halide moieties, and mixtures thereof.