Processes for polymerizing polyolefins include contacting ethylene and optionally one or more (C.sub.3-C.sub.12)α-olefin in the presence of a catalyst system, wherein the catalyst system comprises a metal-ligand complex having a structure according to formula (I).

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Processes for polymerizing polyolefins include contacting ethylene and optionally one or more (C.sub.3-C.sub.12)α-olefin in the presence of a catalyst system, wherein the catalyst system comprises a metal-ligand complex having a structure according to formula (I).

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The present disclosure provides polymerization processes to produce polymeric materials, such as olefin terpolymers, using transition metal catalysts having bridged phenolate ligands. The polymerization process includes contacting a transition metal complex with a mixture olefin monomers that contain ethylene, propylene, and a cyclic diene to produce an olefin polymer and recovering the olefin polymer. The mixture of olefin monomers can include specified weight ratios for the various olefin monomers. The transition metal complex includes a bridged phenolate ligand bonded to a metal atom via covalent bonds by two oxygens, a coordinate covalent bond by a Group 15 atom, and a coordinate covalent bond by a Group 15 or 16 atom. The transition metal complex provides relatively high endocyclic alkene/vinyl selectivity to minimize hyperbranching during the production of olefin polymeric materials, such as EPDM and other terpolymers that are free or substantially free of gels.

The present disclosure provides polymerization processes to produce polymeric materials, such as olefin terpolymers, using transition metal catalysts having bridged phenolate ligands. The polymerization process includes contacting a transition metal complex with a mixture olefin monomers that contain ethylene, propylene, and a cyclic diene to produce an olefin polymer and recovering the olefin polymer. The mixture of olefin monomers can include specified weight ratios for the various olefin monomers. The transition metal complex includes a bridged phenolate ligand bonded to a metal atom via covalent bonds by two oxygens, a coordinate covalent bond by a Group 15 atom, and a coordinate covalent bond by a Group 15 or 16 atom. The transition metal complex provides relatively high endocyclic alkene/vinyl selectivity to minimize hyperbranching during the production of olefin polymeric materials, such as EPDM and other terpolymers that are free or substantially free of gels.

The present application provides a catalyst component for alkene polymerization. The catalyst component contains: (a) a group 4 transition metal or rare earth metal, (b) a rigid non-cyclopentadienyl ligand with a tricyclic backbone composed of three ortho-fused 6-membered rings in a linear arrangement (as is the case in xanthene), with or without additional fused rings; the tricyclic backbone contains at least one donor atom within the central ring (as is the case for xanthene, oxanthrene, or acridan); furthermore, donor atoms/groups or aryl rings are attached directly (i.e. via the donor atom in the case of donor groups) to both of the bondable carbon atoms adjacent to at least one of the donor atoms within the central ring (e.g. xanthene with two donor groups, or two aryl rings, or one donor group and one aryl ring adjacent to oxygen), and (c) two or more activatable ligands, such as chloro, alkyl, aryl, allyl or hydride ligands, attached to the central metal if the complex is neutral or anionic, or one or more activatable ligand if the complex is monocationic or dicationic. The rigid non-cyclopentadienyl ligand has a charge of 0, 1- or 2- (considering all donor atoms of the ligand to have an octet of valence electrons). The catalyst component is optionally combined with an activator, typically for the purpose of generating a highly active monocationic or dicationic polymerization catalyst, and the catalyst and/or catalyst components may be in solution, precipitated from solution, or optionally carried on a support.

The present application provides a catalyst component for alkene polymerization. The catalyst component contains: (a) a group 4 transition metal or rare earth metal, (b) a rigid non-cyclopentadienyl ligand with a tricyclic backbone composed of three ortho-fused 6-membered rings in a linear arrangement (as is the case in xanthene), with or without additional fused rings; the tricyclic backbone contains at least one donor atom within the central ring (as is the case for xanthene, oxanthrene, or acridan); furthermore, donor atoms/groups or aryl rings are attached directly (i.e. via the donor atom in the case of donor groups) to both of the bondable carbon atoms adjacent to at least one of the donor atoms within the central ring (e.g. xanthene with two donor groups, or two aryl rings, or one donor group and one aryl ring adjacent to oxygen), and (c) two or more activatable ligands, such as chloro, alkyl, aryl, allyl or hydride ligands, attached to the central metal if the complex is neutral or anionic, or one or more activatable ligand if the complex is monocationic or dicationic. The rigid non-cyclopentadienyl ligand has a charge of 0, 1- or 2- (considering all donor atoms of the ligand to have an octet of valence electrons). The catalyst component is optionally combined with an activator, typically for the purpose of generating a highly active monocationic or dicationic polymerization catalyst, and the catalyst and/or catalyst components may be in solution, precipitated from solution, or optionally carried on a support.

The present disclosure provides catalyst compounds including a nonsymmetric bridged amine bis(phenolate), catalyst systems including such, and uses thereof. Catalyst compounds, catalyst systems, and processes of the present disclosure can provide high comonomer content and high molecular weight polymers having narrow Mw/Mn values, contributing to good processability for the polymer itself and for the polymer used in a composition.

The present disclosure provides catalyst compounds including a nonsymmetric bridged amine bis(phenolate), catalyst systems including such, and uses thereof. Catalyst compounds, catalyst systems, and processes of the present disclosure can provide high comonomer content and high molecular weight polymers having narrow Mw/Mn values, contributing to good processability for the polymer itself and for the polymer used in a composition.

An olefin polymerization catalyst system comprising: a procatalyst component comprising a metal-ligand complex of Formula (I) wherein each X is independently a monodentate or polydentate ligand that is neutral, monoanionic, or dianionic, wherein n is an integer, and wherein X and n are chosen such that the metal-ligand complex of Formula (I) is overall neutral; wherein each R1 and R5 independently is selected from (C1-C40)hydrocarbyls, substituted (C1-C40)hydrocarbyls; (C1-C40)heterohydrocarbyls and substituted (C1-C40)heterohydrocarbyls; wherein each R2 and R4 independently is selected from (C1-C40)hydrocarbyls and substituted (C1-C40)hydrocarbyls; wherein R3 is selected from the group consisting of a (C3-C40)hydrocarbylene, substituted (C3-C40)hydrocarbylene, [(C+Si)3-(C+Si)40]organosilylene, substituted [(C+Si)3-(C+Si)40]organosilylene, [(C+Ge)3-(C+Ge)40]organogermylene, or substituted [(C+Ge)3-(C+Ge)40]organogermylene; wherein each N independently is nitrogen; and optionally, two or more R1-5 groups each independently can combine together to form mono-aza ring structures, with such ring structures having from 5 to 16 atoms in the ring excluding any hydrogen atoms.

An olefin polymerization catalyst system comprising: a procatalyst component comprising a metal-ligand complex of Formula (I) wherein each X is independently a monodentate or polydentate ligand that is neutral, monoanionic, or dianionic, wherein n is an integer, and wherein X and n are chosen such that the metal-ligand complex of Formula (I) is overall neutral; wherein each R1 and R5 independently is selected from (C1-C40)hydrocarbyls, substituted (C1-C40)hydrocarbyls; (C1-C40)heterohydrocarbyls and substituted (C1-C40)heterohydrocarbyls; wherein each R2 and R4 independently is selected from (C1-C40)hydrocarbyls and substituted (C1-C40)hydrocarbyls; wherein R3 is selected from the group consisting of a (C3-C40)hydrocarbylene, substituted (C3-C40)hydrocarbylene, [(C+Si)3-(C+Si)40]organosilylene, substituted [(C+Si)3-(C+Si)40]organosilylene, [(C+Ge)3-(C+Ge)40]organogermylene, or substituted [(C+Ge)3-(C+Ge)40]organogermylene; wherein each N independently is nitrogen; and optionally, two or more R1-5 groups each independently can combine together to form mono-aza ring structures, with such ring structures having from 5 to 16 atoms in the ring excluding any hydrogen atoms.