GB936877A - Copolymerisation of ethylene and butylene - Google Patents

Abstract

Copolymers of ethylene and butene-1 are made by copolymerizing ethylene and less than 2% by volume (based on ethylene) of butene-1, with a Ziegler-type catalyst in an inert liquid diluent or solvent, in the presence of an organic compound containing hydroxy and/or mercapto groups, in an amount between 1 and 100 molar per cent of the amount of the catalyst. The polymerization may be effected continuously and the hydroxy and/or mercapto compound fed to the reaction with additional solvent. The Ziegler-type catalyst is preferably a mixture of a transition metal in which the metal is in a lower than normal valency state, and a metal hydride, metal, or organometallic compound of a metal of Group I, II, or III, of the Mendel<\>eeff Periodic Table. The organic hydroxy compound may be benzyl alcohol, polyalkylene glycol, or a mono-ether or mono-ester thereof, methanol, ethanol, sec. butanol, and the mercapto compounds, the corresponding thio compounds of the hydroxy compounds. The exemplified catalyst is titanium tetrachloride reduced with aluminum diethyl monochloride, the product "aged", and treated subsequently with A1Et2C1. Specifications 799,823, 801,031, 810,023, 819,867 and 820,263 are referred to.