Synthetic resins or natural rubbers -- part of the class 520 ser – Synthetic resins – Polymers from only ethylenic monomers or processes of...
Reexamination Certificate
2000-09-11
2003-04-29
Wu, David W. (Department: 1713)
Synthetic resins or natural rubbers -- part of the class 520 ser
Synthetic resins
Polymers from only ethylenic monomers or processes of...
C526S126000, C526S328000, C526S943000, C526S158000, C502S152000, C502S080000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06555633
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a catalyst for the production of &agr;-olefin and also to a method for the production of &agr;-olefin. More particularly, it relates to a catalyst by which &agr;-olefin can be efficiently produced and also to a method for the production of &agr;-olefin by means of oligomerization of ethylene using the said catalyst.
2. Description of the Related Art
In the production of &agr;-olefin by oligomerization of ethylene, a method in which a transition metal complex is used as a main catalytic component while an oxygen-containing organoaluminum compound such as alumoxane or a boron compound such as perfluorotetraphenyl borate is used as a co-catalyst has been known already. However, the necessary amount of such a co-catalyst to the main catalyst is usually several hundred times moles whereby the activity per catalyst is low and the productivity is bad. In addition, the yield of C
6
, C
8
and C
10
components which are highly demanded is insufficient.
The present invention has been achieved in view of the above and an object of the present invention is to provide a catalyst which is able to express a high oligomerizing activity to ethylene and also to provide a method for the production of &agr;-olefin by oligomerization of ethylene using the catalyst.
In the present invention, &agr;-olefin (oligomer) stands for a polymer having a molecular weight of 10,000 or less and is different from common high molecular substances having higher molecular weight and expressing the characteristics inherent to the high molecular substances. Accordingly, the property demanded for the catalyst used for the production of &agr;-olefin (oligomer) is different from the property demanded for the catalyst for the production of high molecular substances. Consequently, it is not true that a catalyst for the production of high molecular substances (polyolefins) can always be used for the production of &agr;-olefin as it is.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present inventors have found that the above-mentioned object can be effectively achieved by the use of a transition metal complex of Groups 4 to 6 of the Periodic Table or a transition metal complex of Groups 8 to 10 of the Periodic Table as a main catalyst and also by the use of clay, claymineral or ion-exchange layer compound as a co-catalyst whereby the present inventors have accomplished the present invention.
The present invention may be divided into the first feature using a transition metal complex of Groups 4 to 6 of the Periodic Table as a main catalyst and the second feature using a transition metal complex of Groups 8 to 10 of the Periodic Table as a main catalyst. As a result of adoption of the first feature, the above-mentioned object can be achieved and high yield of C
6
, C
8
and C
10
components can be achieved as well. As a result of adoption of the second feature, the above-mentioned object can be achieved and production of by-products such as heavy-weight components and wax component can be held to a low level.
Thus, the gist of the present invention is as follows.
The first feature of the present invention relates to:
(1) a catalyst for the production of &agr;-olefin obtained by contacting (a) clay, clay mineral or ion-exchange layer compound with (b-1) a transition metal complex of Groups 4 to 6 of the Periodic Table;
(2) the catalyst for the production of &agr;-olefin according to the above (1), wherein ligand of the transition metal complex which is the component (b-1) has a conjugated five-membered ring;
(3) the catalyst for the production of &agr;-olefin according to the above (1) or (2), wherein the transition metal in the component (b-1) is zirconium;
(4) the catalyst for the production of &agr;-olefin according to any of the above (1) to (3), wherein the clay, the clay mineral or the ion-exchange layer compound which is the component (a) contains an inorganic substance containing phyllosilicate;
(5) the catalyst for the production of &agr;-olefin according to any of the above (1) to (4), wherein the clay, the clay mineral or the ion-exchange layer compound which is the component (a) is montmorillonite;
(6) the catalyst for the production of &agr;-olefin according to any of the above (1) to (5), wherein the clay, the clay mineral or the ion-exchange layer compound which is the component (a) is that which is treated with an organosilane compound; and
(7) a method for the production of &agr;-olefin, characterized in that, ethylene is oligomerized using the catalyst for the production of &agr;-olefin which is mentioned in any of the above (1)-(6).
The second feature of the present invention relates to:
(8) a catalyst for the production of &agr;-olefin obtained by contacting (a) clay, clay mineral or ion-exchange layer compound with (b-2) a transition metal complex of Groups 8 to 10 of the Periodic Table;
(9) the catalyst for the production of &agr;-olefin according to the above (8), wherein ligand of the transition metal complex which is the component (b-2) has a carbon-nitrogen unsaturated bond;
(10) the catalyst for the production of &agr;-olefin according to the above (8) or (9), wherein the clay, the clay mineral or the ion-exchange layer compound which is the component (a) contains an inorganic substance containing phyllosilicate;
(11) the catalyst for the production of &agr;-olefin according to any of the above (8) to (10), wherein the clay, the clay mineral or the ion-exchange layer compound which is the component (a) is montmorillonite; and
(12) a method for the production of &agr;-olefin, characterized in that, ethylene is oligomerized using the catalyst for the production of &agr;-olefin which is mentioned in any of the above (8)-(11).
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
The present invention will be further illustrated hereunder.
The catalyst for the production of &agr;-olefin in accordance with the present invention is obtained by contacting (a) clay, clay mineral or ion-exchange layer compound (which maybe referred to as “clay or the like” hereinafter) with (b-1) a transition metal complex of Groups 4 to 6 of the Periodic Table. The catalyst for the production of &agr;-olefin in accordance with the present invention is also obtained by contacting the above-mentioned component (a) with (b-2) a transition metal complex of Groups 8 to 10 of the Periodic Table.
Those components (a), (b-1) and (b-2) will be illustrated in detail hereunder.
Component (a)
The component (a) is clay, clay mineral or ion-exchange layer compound. As one of the component (a), clay or clay mineral is used. Clay is an aggregate of fine aqueous silicate mineral and has such a property that, when it is kneaded after addition of an appropriate amount of water, it results in a plasticity and, when dried, it shows a rigidity while, when burned at high temperature, it is sintered. Clay mineral is an aqueous silicate which is a main component of clay. In the preparation of the catalyst for the production of &agr;-olefin according to the present invention, any of clay and claymineral may be used and that may be either a natural one or synthetic one.
It is also possible to use an ion-exchange layer compound as the component (a). The ion-exchange layer compound is a compound having such a crystalline structure that the planes constituted by ionic bond or the like are layered each other in parallel by a weak bonding force and that the ion contained therein is exchangeable. Some clay minerals are ion-exchange layer compounds.
As specific examples of the component (a), mentioned are, for example, phyllosilicic acid compounds belong to clay minerals. Phyllosilicic acid compounds include phyllosilicic acid and phyllosilicates. As natural phyllosilicates, known are montmorillonite, saponite and hectorite of the smectite family; illite and sericite of the mica family; and mixed layer minerals of smectites and micas, or those of micas and vermiculites.
As synthetic products, known are fluoro-tetrasilicon mica (TSM), laponite, smectone, etc.
Also mentioned are ion-exchanging compounds
Kuramoto Masahiko
Sato Haruhito
Shiraki Yasushi
Tamura Takao
Tanaka Shinji
Choi Ling-Siu
Idemitsu Petrochemical Co. Ltd.
Oblon & Spivak, McClelland, Maier & Neustadt P.C.
Wu David W.
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