Patent ID: 7645847

Claim:
A single-stage liquid phase polymerization process for preparing a polyolefin product having preselected properties, said process comprising: providing a liquid feedstock comprising at least one olefinic component; providing a catalyst composition comprising a complex of BF 3 and a complexing agent therefor which comprises an aliphatic alcohol having a primary hydroxyl group and no hydrogen on a beta carbon, said complex thereby being stable at temperatures greater than 0° C.; introducing said feedstock and said catalyst composition into a residual reaction mixture in a loop reactor reaction zone; recirculating the residual reaction mixture with the feedstock and the catalyst composition therein in said zone at a recirculation rate sufficient to cause intimate intermixing of the residual reaction mixture, the feedstock and the catalyst composition to thereby present a recirculating, intimately intermixed reaction admixture of the residual reaction mixture, the feedstock and the catalyst composition in said reaction zone; maintaining the recirculating intimately intermixed reaction admixture in its intimately intermixed condition and removing heat of reaction from the reaction admixture at a rate calculated to provide a substantially constant reaction temperature greater than 0° C. in the reaction admixture while the reaction admixture is recirculating in said reaction zone; withdrawing a product stream comprising polyolefin product and catalyst composition from said reaction zone; and controlling the introduction of said feedstock into said reaction zone and the withdrawal of said product stream from the reaction zone such that the residence time of the olefinic components undergoing polymerization in the reaction zone is appropriate for production of said polyolefin product.