Synthetic resins or natural rubbers -- part of the class 520 ser – Synthetic resins – Polymers from only ethylenic monomers or processes of...
Reexamination Certificate
2002-04-15
2003-06-24
Teskin, Fred (Department: 1713)
Synthetic resins or natural rubbers -- part of the class 520 ser
Synthetic resins
Polymers from only ethylenic monomers or processes of...
C526S126000, C526S131000, C526S132000, C526S160000, C526S348200, C526S348300, C526S348600, C526S905000, C525S333700, C525S338000, C585S255000, C585S511000, C585S512000, C585S513000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06583239
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a novel process for producing a polymer of an &agr;-olefin comprising polymerizing an &agr;-olefin having at least 4 carbon atoms and a lubricant comprising the polymer.
2. Description of the Related Arts
Various attempts have been made to obtain poly-&agr;-olefins which are useful as synthetic hydrocarbon lubricant. For example, a process for polymerizing 1-decene in the presence of a Friedel-Crafts catalyst which is aluminum chloride or boron trifluoride is disclosed (U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,149,178 and 3,382,291).
However, the obtained poly-&agr;-olefin has a low molecular weight and the obtained lubricant had a low viscosity. Moreover, boron trifluoride is not only expensive but also causes an environmental problem since fluorine corroding apparatuses is formed.
It has been disclosed that ethylene or an &agr;-olefin is polymerized in accordance with various processes and the obtained polymer is used as a synthetic hydrocarbon lubricant. Examples of such processes include a process in which a reduced chromium catalyst is used (Japanese Patent Application (as a national phase under PCT) Laid-Open No. Heisei 9(1997)-508151), a process in which cation polymerization is conducted (Japanese Patent Application (as a national phase under PCT) Laid-Open No. Heisei 8(1996)-505888), a process in which a Ziegler-type catalyst is used (Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. Heisei 7(1995)-145205 and Heisei 5(1993)-271339) and processes in which a metallocene catalyst is used (Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Nos. Heisei 7(1995)-133234 and Heisei 6(1994)-80725 and Japanese Patent Nos. 2796376 and 2664498). These processes have drawbacks in that an expensive catalyst is used, that the activity of the polymerization is small and that the use of ethylene is indispensable. Moreover, products obtained in accordance with these processes have a drawback in that the obtained polymer always has a low molecular weight or the polymer having an extremely high molecular weight is formed.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention has an object of providing a novel process for producing a polymer of an (&agr;-olefin comprising polymerizing an &agr;-olefin having at least 4 carbon atoms efficiently and a lubricant comprising the polymer.
As the result of extensive studies by the present inventors to achieve the above object, it was found that the above object can be achieved by a process for producing a polymer of an &agr;-olefin which comprises polymerizing an &agr;-olefin having at least 4 carbon atoms in the presence of a catalyst for producing polymers of olefins which comprises (A) a specific transition metal catalyst and (B) at least one compound selected from (b-1) organoaluminum oxy compounds and (b-2) ionic compounds which can be converted into cations by reaction with the transition metal compounds of component (A). The present invention has been completed based on the knowledge.
The present invention provides:
(1) A process for producing a polymer of an (&agr;-olefin which comprises polymerizing an &agr;-olefin having at least 4 carbon atoms in a presence of a catalyst for producing polymers of olefins which comprises:
(A) at least one compound selected from transition metal compounds represented by following general formulae (I) and (II):
wherein R
1
to R
12
and X
1
to X
4
each independently represent hydrogen atom, a halogen atom, a hydrocarbon group having 1 to 20 carbon atoms, a hydrocarbon group having 1 to 20 carbon atoms and a halogen atom, a group having silicon, a group having oxygen, a group having sulfur, a group having nitrogen or a group having phosphorus; adjacent groups among groups represented by R
1
to R
12
and X
1
to X
4
may form a ring by forming bonds between each other; three groups represented by R
9
may be the same with or different from each other; three groups represented by R
10
may be the same with or different from each other; Y
1
to Y
4
each independently represent a divalent group which forms a bond between two ligands and is selected from hydrocarbon groups having 1 to 20 carbon atoms, hydrocarbon groups having 1 to 20 carbon atom and a halogen atom, a group having silicon, a group having germanium, a group having tin, —O—, —CO—, —S—, —SO
2
—, —NR
13
—, —PR
13
—, —P(O)R
13
—, —BR
13
— and —AlR
13
—, R
13
representing hydrogen atom, a halogen atom, a hydrocarbon group having 1 to 20 carbon atoms or a hydrocarbon group having 1 to 20 carbon atoms and a halogen atom, and M
1
and M
2
each independently represent a transition metal of Groups 4 to 6 of the Periodic Table; and
(B) at least one compound selected from (b-1) organoaluminum oxy compounds and (b-2) ionic compounds which can be converted into cations by reaction with the transition metal compounds of component (A);
(2) A process described in (1), wherein the groups represented by Y
1
and Y
2
in general formula (I) representing the transition metal compound are each bonded to ligands in a meso form;
(3) A process described in any of (1) and (2), which comprises polymerizing an &agr;-olefin having at least 4 carbon atoms in a presence of hydrogen;
(4) A polymer of an (&agr;-olefin which is obtained in accordance with a process described in any of (1) to (3) and has a weight-average molecular weight in a range of 300 to 1,000,000;
(5) A polymer of an &agr;-olefin which is obtained by hydrogenating a polymer of an &agr;-olefin described in any of (4); and
(6) A lubricant which comprises a polymer of an &agr;-olefin described in any of (4) and (5).
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
The present invention relates to the process for producing a polymer of an &agr;-olefin and the lubricant which are described above.
The present invention will be described in detail in the following.
1. The process for producing a polymer of an &agr;-olefin
In accordance with the process of the present invention, an &agr;-olefin having at least 4 carbon atoms is polymerized in the presence of a catalyst for producing polymers of olefins which comprises:
(A) at least one compound selected from transition metal compounds represented by following general formulae (I) and (II):
wherein R
1
to R
12
and X
1
to X
4
each independently represent hydrogen atom, a halogen atom, a hydrocarbon group having 1 to 20 carbon atoms, a hydrocarbon group having 1 to 20 carbon atoms and a halogen atom, a group having silicon, a group having oxygen, a group having sulfur, a group having nitrogen or a group having phosphorus; adjacent groups among groups represented by R
1
to R
12
and X
1
to X
4
may form a ring by forming bonds between each other; three groups represented by R
9
may be the same with or different from each other; three groups represented by R
10
may be the same with or different from each other; Y
1
to Y
4
each independently represent a divalent group which forms a bond between two ligands and is selected from hydrocarbon groups having 1 to 20 carbon atoms, hydrocarbon groups having 1 to 20 carbon atom and a halogen atom, a group having silicon, a group having germanium, a group having tin, —O—, —CO—, —S—, —SO
2
—, —NR
13
—, —PR
13
—, —P(O)R
13
—, —BR
13
— and —AlR
13
—, R
13
representing hydrogen atom, a halogen atom, a hydrocarbon group having 1 to 20 carbon atoms or a hydrocarbon group having 1 to 20 carbon atoms and a halogen atom, and M
1
and M
2
each independently represent a transition metal of Groups 4 to 6 of the Periodic Table; and
(B) at least one compound selected from (b-1) organoaluminum oxy compounds and (b-2) ionic compounds which can be converted into cations by reaction with the transition metal compounds of component (A); and in the presence of hydrogen, where necessary.
The compound represented by general formula (I) described above may be a transition metal compound in which the groups represented by Y
1
and Y2 are each bonded to ligands in the meso form or in the racemic form. It is preferable that the groups represented by Y
1
and Y
2
are bonded to ligands in the meso form.
Preferab
Egawa Tatsuya
Minami Yutaka
Idemitsu Petrochemical Co. Ltd.
Oblon & Spivak, McClelland, Maier & Neustadt P.C.
Teskin Fred
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