The present disclosure provides a catalyst system having a Group 15 catalyst compound and borate or aluminate activators comprising cations having alkyl groups and methods for polymerizing olefins using such catalyst systems. In still another embodiment, the present disclosure provides a polymerization process comprising a) contacting one or more olefin monomers with a catalyst system comprising: i) an activator as described herein, ii) a catalyst compound as described herein, and iii) optional support.

The present disclosure provides a catalyst system having a Group 15 catalyst compound and borate or aluminate activators comprising cations having alkyl groups and methods for polymerizing olefins using such catalyst systems. In still another embodiment, the present disclosure provides a polymerization process comprising a) contacting one or more olefin monomers with a catalyst system comprising: i) an activator as described herein, ii) a catalyst compound as described herein, and iii) optional support.

The present disclosure provides group 4-, i.e., zirconium- and hafnium-, containing catalyst compounds having an ether bridged anilide phenolate ligand. Catalyst compounds of the present disclosure can be asymmetric, having an electron donating side of the catalyst and an electron deficient side of the catalyst. In at least one embodiment, catalysts of the present disclosure provide catalyst activity values of 400,000 gP/mmolCat.Math.h.sup.1 or greater and polyolefins, such as polyethylene copolymers, having comonomer content of from about 3.5 wt % to 8.5 wt %, an Mn of about 15,000 g/mol to about 140,000 g/mol, an Mw of from about 100,000 g/mol to about 300,000 g/mol, and a Mw/Mn of from 1 to 2.5. Catalysts, catalyst systems, and processes of the present disclosure can provide polymers having comonomer content of from 7 wt % to 12 wt %, such as from 8 wt % to 10 wt %).

The present disclosure provides group 4-, i.e., zirconium- and hafnium-, containing catalyst compounds having an ether bridged anilide phenolate ligand. Catalyst compounds of the present disclosure can be asymmetric, having an electron donating side of the catalyst and an electron deficient side of the catalyst. In at least one embodiment, catalysts of the present disclosure provide catalyst activity values of 400,000 gP/mmolCat.Math.h.sup.1 or greater and polyolefins, such as polyethylene copolymers, having comonomer content of from about 3.5 wt % to 8.5 wt %, an Mn of about 15,000 g/mol to about 140,000 g/mol, an Mw of from about 100,000 g/mol to about 300,000 g/mol, and a Mw/Mn of from 1 to 2.5. Catalysts, catalyst systems, and processes of the present disclosure can provide polymers having comonomer content of from 7 wt % to 12 wt %, such as from 8 wt % to 10 wt %).

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.

This invention relates to transition metal complexes represented by the formula:

##STR00001##

catalyst systems comprising the complexes, and polymerization methods for olefinic monomers using the catalyst systems. In said formula, M is a transition metal; E is NR.sup.2, CR.sup.3R.sup.4, O, S, or SiR.sup.5R.sup.6; Q is optional substitution; p is an integer ranging from 0 to 3; L is an optional neutral ligand; m is an integer ranging from 0 to 3; X is an anionic leaving group; n is 1 or 2, with m+n being 4 or less; J is a linker group contributing two or three atoms that are located within a first chelate ring; R.sup.1 and R.sup.1 are independently a hydrocarbyl group or a trihydrocarbylsilyl group; R.sup.2 is a hydrocarbyl group; R.sup.3 and R.sup.4 are independently H, a hydrocarbyl group, or a trihydrocarbylsilyl group; and R.sup.5 and R.sup.5 are independently a hydrocarbyl group.

This invention relates to transition metal complexes represented by the formula:

##STR00001##

catalyst systems comprising the complexes, and polymerization methods for olefinic monomers using the catalyst systems. In said formula, M is a transition metal; E is NR.sup.2, CR.sup.3R.sup.4, O, S, or SiR.sup.5R.sup.6; Q is optional substitution; p is an integer ranging from 0 to 3; L is an optional neutral ligand; m is an integer ranging from 0 to 3; X is an anionic leaving group; n is 1 or 2, with m+n being 4 or less; J is a linker group contributing two or three atoms that are located within a first chelate ring; R.sup.1 and R.sup.1 are independently a hydrocarbyl group or a trihydrocarbylsilyl group; R.sup.2 is a hydrocarbyl group; R.sup.3 and R.sup.4 are independently H, a hydrocarbyl group, or a trihydrocarbylsilyl group; and R.sup.5 and R.sup.5 are independently a hydrocarbyl group.

Catalyst systems and methods for making and using the same are described herein. A catalyst system can include at least three catalysts. The three catalysts include a metallocene catalyst, a first non-metallocene including a ligand complexed to a metal through two or more nitrogen atoms, and a second non-metallocene including a ligand complexed to a metal through one or more nitrogen atoms and an oxygen atom.

Catalyst systems and methods for making and using the same are described herein. A catalyst system can include at least three catalysts. The three catalysts include a metallocene catalyst, a first non-metallocene including a ligand complexed to a metal through two or more nitrogen atoms, and a second non-metallocene including a ligand complexed to a metal through one or more nitrogen atoms and an oxygen atom.