Olefin polymerization catalyst composition comprising group 13 amide derivatives

1. A catalyst composition for polymerization of addition polymerizable monomers comprising:

a) a transition metal complex corresponding to the formula: L 1 MX p X′ q ,

wherein: M is a metal of Group 4 of the Periodic Table of the Elements havin an oxidation state of +2, +3 or +4, bound in an η 5 bonding mode to one or more L groups;

L independently each occurrence is a cyclopentadienyl-, indenyl-, tetrahydroindenyl-, fluorenyl-, tetrahydrofluorenyl-, or octahydrofluorenyl- group optionally substituted with from 1 to 8 substituents independently selected from the group consisting of hydrocarbyl, halo, halohydrocarbyl, aminohydrocarbyl, hydrocarbyloxy, dihydrocarbylamino, dihydrocarbylphosphino, silyl, aminosilyl, hydrocarbyloxysilyl, and halosilyl groups containing up to 20 non-hydrogen atoms, or further optionally two such L groups may be joined together by a divalent substituent selected from hydrocarbadiyl, halohydrocarbadiyl, hydrocarbyleneoxy, hydrocarbyleneamino, siladiyl, halosiladiyl, and divalent aminosilane groups containing up to 20 non-hydrogen atoms;

X independently each occurrence is a monovalent or polyvalent anionic ligand group having one or more shared or donative bonds to M, and optionally one or more shared or donative bonds to one or more L groups, said X containing up to 60 nonhydrogen atoms;

X′ independently each occurrence is a neutral Lewis base ligating compound, having up to 20 atoms;

t, p, and q are 0, 1 or 2;

b) an activator compound; and

c) a Group 13 metal compound corresponding to the formula:

wherein,

M, independently each occurrence is a group 13 metal;

R a is a hydrocarbyl, halocarbyl, halohydrocarbyl, tri(hydrocarbyl)silyl, or tri(hydrocarbyl)silyl- substituted hydrocarbyl radical of from 1 to 20 carbon, silicon or mixtures of carbon and silicon atoms;

R b independently each occurrence is a C 1-30 hydrocarbyl group;

R c independently each occurrence is selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, R a , —NR b 2 , and halo- or di(C 1-10 hydrocarbyl)amino- substituted hydrocarbyl groups, and optionally one or more R c groups may be shared by both metal centers, M, in the form of a μ-bridged structure; and

R d , is a divalent, anionic ligand group of up to 30 atoms, not counting hydrogen.

2. A catalyst composition according to claim 1 wherein the Group 13 component corresponds to the formula R 1 Al(NR 2 2 ) 2 wherein R 1 is C 1-4 alkyl, and R 2 independently each occurrence is C 6-20 aryl, or to the formula:

wherein R 2 is C 1-4 alkyl, R b is C 6-20 aryl, and R d is C 6-20 arylene.

3. A catalyst composition according to claim 2 wherein the Group 13 component is bis(ethylaluminum)-1-phenylene-2-(phenyl)amido μ-bisdiphenylamide.

4. A catalyst composition according to claim 1 wherein the molar ratio of metal complex to component b) is from 1:1 to 1:50.

5. A catalyst composition according to claim 1 wherein the activating cocatalyst comprises trispentafluorophenylborane, N-methyl-N,N-dioctadecylanimonium tetrakis(pentafluorophenyl)borate, or bis-C 14-18 alkyl methylammonium tetrakis(pentafluorophenyl)borate.

6. A process for polymerization of addition polymerizable monomers or mixtures thereof comprising contacting said monomer or mixture of monomers with a catalyst system comprising the catalyst composition of claim 1 under addition polymerization conditions.

7. The process of claim 6 wherein the addition polymerizable monomer is a C 2-20 α-olefin or a mixture thereof.

8. The process of claim 7 wherein ethylene and styrene are copolymerized.