In at least one embodiment, a process to produce a poly alpha-olefin (PAO) includes introducing a first alpha-olefin to a first catalyst system comprising activator and a metallocene compound into a continuous stirred tank reactor or a continuous tubular reactor under first reactor conditions to form a first reactor effluent. The first alpha-olefin is introduced to the reactor at a flow rate of about 100 g/hr or more. The first reactor effluent includes at least 60 wt % of PAO dimer and 40 wt % or less of higher oligomers, where the higher oligomers are oligomers that have a degree of polymerization of 3 or more. The process includes introducing the first reactor effluent and a second alpha-olefin to a second catalyst composition including an acid catalyst in a second reactor to form a second reactor effluent comprising PAO trimer.

In at least one embodiment, a process to produce a poly alpha-olefin (PAO) includes introducing a first alpha-olefin to a first catalyst system comprising activator and a metallocene compound into a continuous stirred tank reactor or a continuous tubular reactor under first reactor conditions to form a first reactor effluent. The first alpha-olefin is introduced to the reactor at a flow rate of about 100 g/hr or more. The first reactor effluent includes at least 60 wt % of PAO dimer and 40 wt % or less of higher oligomers, where the higher oligomers are oligomers that have a degree of polymerization of 3 or more. The process includes introducing the first reactor effluent and a second alpha-olefin to a second catalyst composition including an acid catalyst in a second reactor to form a second reactor effluent comprising PAO trimer.

A 4-methyl-1-pentene polymer (X) wherein a content of a constitutional unit derived from 4-methyl-1-pentene is 90 to 100% by mol; a content of a constitutional unit derived from at least one olefin selected from ethylene and an α-olefin, other than 4-methyl-1-pentene, having 3 to 20 carbon atoms is 0 to 10% by mol; and the 4-methyl-1-pentene polymer satisfies certain requirements (a) to (f): (a) a meso diad fraction (m) measured by .sup.13C-NMR falling within a certain range; (b) a ratio of weight-average molecular weight Mw within a certain range; (c) a melt flow rate (MFR) within a certain range; (d) a cumulative weight fraction within a certain range; (e) a proportion of a polymer having a molecular weight of a certain range; and (f) a heat of fusion and a melting point of the 4-methyl-1-pentene polymer within certain ranges.

A 4-methyl-1-pentene polymer (X) wherein a content of a constitutional unit derived from 4-methyl-1-pentene is 90 to 100% by mol; a content of a constitutional unit derived from at least one olefin selected from ethylene and an α-olefin, other than 4-methyl-1-pentene, having 3 to 20 carbon atoms is 0 to 10% by mol; and the 4-methyl-1-pentene polymer satisfies certain requirements (a) to (f): (a) a meso diad fraction (m) measured by .sup.13C-NMR falling within a certain range; (b) a ratio of weight-average molecular weight Mw within a certain range; (c) a melt flow rate (MFR) within a certain range; (d) a cumulative weight fraction within a certain range; (e) a proportion of a polymer having a molecular weight of a certain range; and (f) a heat of fusion and a melting point of the 4-methyl-1-pentene polymer within certain ranges.

A 4-methyl-1-pentene polymer (X) wherein a content of a constitutional unit derived from 4-methyl-1-pentene is 90 to 100% by mol; a content of a constitutional unit derived from at least one olefin selected from ethylene and an α-olefin, other than 4-methyl-1-pentene, having 3 to 20 carbon atoms is 0 to 10% by mol; and the 4-methyl-1-pentene polymer satisfies certain requirements (a) to (f): (a) a meso diad fraction (m) measured by .sup.13C-NMR falling within a certain range; (b) a ratio of weight-average molecular weight Mw within a certain range; (c) a melt flow rate (MFR) within a certain range; (d) a cumulative weight fraction within a certain range; (e) a proportion of a polymer having a molecular weight of a certain range; and (f) a heat of fusion and a melting point of the 4-methyl-1-pentene polymer within certain ranges.

The present disclosure provides borate or aluminate activators comprising cations having branched alkyl groups, catalyst systems comprising, and methods for polymerizing olefins using such activators. Specifically, the present disclosure provides activator compounds represented by Formula: [R.sup.1R.sup.2R.sup.3EH].sub.d.sup.+[M.sup.k+Q.sub.n].sup.d−, wherein: E is nitrogen or phosphorous; d is 1, 2 or 3; k is 1, 2, or 3; n is 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, or 6; n−k=d; each of R.sup.1, R.sup.2, and R.sup.3 is independently C.sub.1-C.sub.40 branched or linear alkyl or C.sub.5-C.sub.50-aryl, wherein each of R.sup.1, R.sup.2, and R.sup.3 is independently unsubstituted or substituted with at least one of halide, C.sub.5-C.sub.50 aryl, C.sub.6-C.sub.35 arylalkyl, C.sub.6-C.sub.35 alkylaryl and, in the case of the C.sub.5-C.sub.50-aryl, C.sub.1-C.sub.50 alkyl; wherein R.sup.1, R.sup.2, and R.sup.3 together comprise 15 or more carbon atoms; M is an element selected from group 13 of the Periodic Table of the Elements; and each Q is independently a hydride, bridged or unbridged dialkylamido, halide, alkoxide, aryloxide, hydrocarbyl, substituted hydrocarbyl, halocarbyl, substituted halocarbyl, or halosubstituted-hydrocarbyl radical, provided that at least one of R.sup.1, R.sup.2, and R.sup.3 is a branched alkyl.

The present disclosure provides borate or aluminate activators comprising cations having branched alkyl groups, catalyst systems comprising, and methods for polymerizing olefins using such activators. Specifically, the present disclosure provides activator compounds represented by Formula: [R.sup.1R.sup.2R.sup.3EH].sub.d.sup.+[M.sup.k+Q.sub.n].sup.d−, wherein: E is nitrogen or phosphorous; d is 1, 2 or 3; k is 1, 2, or 3; n is 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, or 6; n−k=d; each of R.sup.1, R.sup.2, and R.sup.3 is independently C.sub.1-C.sub.40 branched or linear alkyl or C.sub.5-C.sub.50-aryl, wherein each of R.sup.1, R.sup.2, and R.sup.3 is independently unsubstituted or substituted with at least one of halide, C.sub.5-C.sub.50 aryl, C.sub.6-C.sub.35 arylalkyl, C.sub.6-C.sub.35 alkylaryl and, in the case of the C.sub.5-C.sub.50-aryl, C.sub.1-C.sub.50 alkyl; wherein R.sup.1, R.sup.2, and R.sup.3 together comprise 15 or more carbon atoms; M is an element selected from group 13 of the Periodic Table of the Elements; and each Q is independently a hydride, bridged or unbridged dialkylamido, halide, alkoxide, aryloxide, hydrocarbyl, substituted hydrocarbyl, halocarbyl, substituted halocarbyl, or halosubstituted-hydrocarbyl radical, provided that at least one of R.sup.1, R.sup.2, and R.sup.3 is a branched alkyl.

The present disclosure provides borate activators comprising cations having linear alkyl groups, catalyst systems comprising, and processes for polymerizing olefins using such activators. Specifically, the present disclosure provides polymerization activator compounds which may be prepared in, and which are soluble in aliphatic hydrocarbon and alicyclic hydrocarbon solvents.

The present disclosure provides borate activators comprising cations having linear alkyl groups, catalyst systems comprising, and processes for polymerizing olefins using such activators. Specifically, the present disclosure provides polymerization activator compounds which may be prepared in, and which are soluble in aliphatic hydrocarbon and alicyclic hydrocarbon solvents.

Metallocene complexes represented by the structure below are useful for alpha olefin oligomerization in the presence of an activator to generate polyalphaolefins having a high percentage of vinylidene termination and relatively low Mn values.

##STR00001##

M is a group 4 transition metal. A is a bridging group having one bridging atom extending between a first indenyl ring and a second indenyl ring. Each X is independently an anionic ligand, or two Xs are joined and bound to M to form a metallocycle ring, or two Xs are joined to form a chelating ligand, a diene ligand, or an alkylidene ligand. R.sup.1, R.sup.1′, R.sup.3, R.sup.3′, R.sup.4, R.sup.4′, R.sup.7 and R.sup.7′ are hydrogen. R.sup.5, R.sup.5′, R.sup.6, and R.sup.6′ are independently a C.sub.1-C.sub.10, optionally substituted, hydrocarbyl group, or R.sup.5 and R.sup.6 and/or R.sup.5′ and R.sup.6′ are bonded together to form an optionally substituted hydrocarbyl ring structure.