Impregnated polymerization catalyst, process for preparing, and use for ethylene copolymerization

Claim 1

A continuous catalytic process for producing ethylene copolymer with a Ti containing catalyst at a productivity of ≧50,000 pounds of polymer per pound of Ti in a fluid bed reactor under a pressure of <1000 psi in the gas phase said polymer being produced in granular form and having a density of ≧0.91 to ≦0.94 and a melt flow ratio of ≧22 to ≦32 which comprises polymerizing ethylene with at least one C 3 to C 8 alpha olefin at a temperature of about 30° to 105° C. by contacting the monomer charge with, in the presence of about 0 to 2.0 mols of hydrogen per mol of ethylene in the gas phase reaction zone, particles of a catalyst composition comprising a precursor composition of the formula Mg.sub.m Ti.sub.1 (OR).sub.n X.sub.p [ED]q wherein R is a C 1 to C 14 aliphatic or aromatic hydrocarbon radical, or COR' wherein R' is a C 1 to C 14 aliphatic or aromatic hydrocarbon radical, X is selected from the group consisting of Cl, Br, I or mixtures thereof, ED is an electron donor compound, m is ≧0.5 to ≦56, n is 0, 1 or 2, p is ≧2 to ≦116, and q is ≧2 to ≦85, said precursor composition being impregnated in a porous support and being first partially activated outside of said reactor in a hydrogen slurry with >0 to ≦10 mols of activator compound per mol of Ti in said precursor composition, and then completely activated in said reactor with >10 to ≦400 mols of activator compound per mol of Ti in said precursor composition in the absence of a solvent so as to avoid the need for drying the fully active catalyst to remove solvent therefrom, said activator compound having the formula Al(R").sub.c X'.sub.d H.sub.e wherein X' is Cl or OR"', R" and R"' are the same or different, and are C 1 to C 14 saturated hydrocarbon radicals, d is 0 to 1.5, e is 1 or 0 and c+d+e=3, said electron donor compound being a liquid organic compound in which said precursor composition is soluble and which is selected from the group consisting of alkyl esters of aliphatic and aromatic carboxylic acids, aliphatic esters, cyclic ethers and aliphatic ketones.