The invention relates to oligomerization of olefins, such as ethylene, to higher olefins, such as a mixture of 1-hexene and 1-octene, using a catalyst system that comprises a) a source of chromium b) one or more activators and c) a phosphacycle-containing ligating compound. Additionally, the invention relates to a phosphacycle-containing ligating compound and a process for making said compound.

Provided are a chromium catalyst precursor, an ethylene oligomerization catalyst including the same, and a method of preparing an ethylene oligomer using the same. More particularly, a chromium catalyst precursor which may oligomerize ethylene with high activity and high selectivity in spite of not using methylaluminoxane (MAO) or modified-methylaluminoxane (MMAO), an oligomerization catalyst including the same, and a method of preparing an ethylene oligomer using the same are provided.

The invention relates to oligomerization of olefins, such as ethylene, to higher olefins, such as a mixture of 1-hexene and 1-octene, using a catalyst system that comprises a) a source of chromium b) one or more activators and c) a phosphacycle-containing ligating compound. Additionally, the invention relates to a phosphacycle-containing ligating compound and a process for making said compound.

A method for preparing a homogenous catalyst for use in preparing a linear alpha olefin includes: preparing a first pre-catalyst solution by mixing a chromium source and a ligand in a first solvent, wherein the first pre-catalyst solution is stored in a first vessel; preparing a second pre-catalyst solution by mixing an organoaluminum compound and a modifier in a second solvent, wherein the second pre-catalyst solution is stored in a second vessel; and simultaneously feeding the first pre-catalyst solution and the second pre-catalyst solution directly into a reaction vessel, wherein the reaction vessel includes a third solvent.

Organometallic complexes are described which are useful as pre-polymerization catalysts which may form part of olefin polymerization catalyst systems. The catalyst systems find use in the polymerization of ethylene, optionally with one or more C.sub.3-12 alpha-olefin comonomers. The organometallic complexes are broadly represented by formula I:

##STR00001##

wherein L is a bridging group containing a contiguous chain of atoms connecting P with Cy, wherein the contiguous chain contains 2 or 3 atoms and wherein Cy is a cyclopentadienyl-type ligand. The olefin polymerization catalyst system is effective at polymerizing ethylene with alpha-olefins in a solution phase polymerization process at high temperatures and produces ethylene copolymers with high molecular weight and high degrees of alpha-olefin incorporation. Pre-metallation compounds, metallation processes and synthetic methods to make the organometallic complexes as well as polymerization processes are also described.

A method for preparing a homogenous catalyst for the production of linear alpha olefins includes: preparing a first pre-catalyst solution comprising a modifier and an organoaluminum compound in a first solvent wherein the first pre-catalyst solution is reacted and stored in a first vessel for a period of time of 1 hour to 90 days; preparing a second pre-catalyst solution comprising a second solvent, a ligand, and a chromium containing compound, wherein the second pre-catalyst solution is stored in a second vessel for a period of time of 1 hour to 90 days; and after a period of time, adding the first pre-catalyst solution to a catalyst pre-formation unit; after the same period of time, adding the second pre-catalyst solution to the catalyst pre-formation unit; forming a homogenous catalyst by mixing the first pre-catalyst solution and the second pre-catalyst solution; adding the homogeneous catalyst to a reaction vessel, wherein the reaction vessel comprises an alpha olefin; and forming the linear alpha olefin by mixing the homogeneous catalyst and the homogenous catalyst.

The present invention relates to a chrome compound composed of non-coordinating anions and a trivalent chrome cation, a reactant of the chrome compound and a bidentate ligand, an ethylene oligomerization reaction catalyst system using the chrome compound and the reactant, and a method for preparing an ethylene oligomer using the catalyst system. Through the above conformation, the present invention can selectively produce 1-hexene and 1-octene with high activity while omitting the use of methylaluminoxane (MAO), and can provide an ethylene oligomerization process more suitable for mass production.

The invention describes a novel catalytic composition comprising at least one nickel precursor A with at least one diphosphinamine ligand B1 of formula (R1)(R1)PN(R3)P(R2)(R2) or an iminobisphosphine ligand B2 of formula (R3)NP(R1)(R1)P(R2)(R2) or an iminobisphosphine ligand B2 of formula (R3)NP(R2)(R2)P(R1)(R1). The invention also describes the use of said catalytic composition in a method for the oligomerisation of olefins.

The invention relates to oligomerization of olefins, such as ethylene, to higher olefins, such as a mixture of 1-hexene and 1-octene, using a catalyst system that comprises a) a source of chromium b) one or more activators and c) a phosphacycle-containing ligating compound. Additionally, the invention relates to a phosphacycle-containing ligating compound and a process for making said compound.

The invention relates to oligomerization of olefins, such as ethylene, to higher olefins, such as a mixture of 1-hexene and 1-octene, using a catalyst system that comprises a) a source of chromium b) one or more activators and c) a phosphacycle-containing ligating compound. Additionally, the invention relates to a phosphacycle-containing ligating compound and a process for making said compound.