Patent ID: 7022788

Claim:
A process for the polymerization of olefins, consisting essentially of contacting a monomer selected from the group consisting of a hydrocarbon olefin, an olefin having a polar functionality and mixtures thereof under polymerization conditions with a polymerization catalyst or catalyst system which includes the components: (a) a source of a Group VIII metal; (b) a bidentate phosphine ligand having the formula (R 1 )(R 1 )P—X—P(R 1 )(R 1 ), where each R 1 is independently a phenyl group or a substituted phenyl group with the proviso that at least one of the R 1 groups is a phenyl group having at least one ortho substituent, and X is a bridging group of the structure —[N] x —[P] y —[N]—, where x and y are independently 0 or 1, or —C(R 4 ) 2 — where each R 4 may be the same or different and is hydrogen or a monovalent hydrocarbyl group, a substituted hydrocarbyl group or a hetero-hydrocarbyl group; and (c) optionally a promotor.