Patent ID: 7285607

Claim:
Process for producing a polymeric product by the polymerisation of at least one olefinic compound in the form of an olefin or a compound including an olefinic moiety comprising contacting the at least one olefinic compound with a polymerisation catalyst, wherein the catalyst comprises the combination of i) a source of a Group IV to VI transition metal; and ii) a ligating compound of the formula (R 1 ) m X 1 (Y)X 2 (R 2 ) n wherein: X 1 and X 2 are independently selected from the group consisting of P, As, Sb, O, Bi, S, Se and N; Y is a linking group between X 1 and X 2 , provided that where Y includes or is at least one heteroatom (that is not being H or C) in the shortest link between X 1 and X 2 at least one of the said heteroatoms is not a ring member of a heteroaromatic ring structure; m and n are independently 0, 1 or a larger integer; and R 1 and R 2 are independently a hydrocarbyl group which contains no polar substituent or a heterohydrocarbyl group which contains no polar substituent, and R 1 being the same or different when m>1, and R 2 being the same or different when n>1; wherein when R 1 and R 2 are independently a hydrocarbyl group which contains at least one non-polar substituent, or a heterohydrocarbyl group which contains at least one non-polar substituent, the olefinic compound is contacted with the polymerisation catalyst at a reaction temperature from and above 70° C.; and when R 1 and R 2 are independently a hydrocarbyl group which contains no substituent or a heterohydrocarbyl group which contains no substituent, the olefinic compound is contacted with the polymerisation catalyst at a reaction temperature from and above 90° C.