Supported polymerisation catalysts

1 . A method for the preparation of a supported polymerisation catalyst system, said method comprising

(1) contacting together in a suitable solvent

(a) a transition metal polymerisation catalyst, and

(b) a cocatalyst,

(2) contact of the mixture from step (I) with a porous support material, and

(3) removal of the solvent characterised in that the molar ratio of cocatalyst to transition metal catalyst is <10:1.

2 . A method according to claim 1 wherein the molar ratio of cocatalyst to transition metal catalyst is <3:1.

3 . A method according to claim 1 wherein the porous support material is silica.

4 . A method according to claim 1 wherein the transition metal polymerisation catalyst is a metallocene complex.

5 . A method according to claim 4 wherein the metallocene complex is a monocyclopentadienyl complex.

6 . A method according to claim 4 wherein the metallocene complex has the general formula:

wherein:—

R′ each occurrence is independently selected from hydrogen, hydrocarbyl, silyl, germyl, halo, cyano, and combinations thereof, said R′ having up to 20 nonhydrogen atoms, and optionally, two R′ groups (where R′ is not hydrogen, halo or cyano) together form a divalent derivative thereof connected to adjacent positions of the cyclopentadienyl ring to form a fused ring structure;

X is a neutral η 4 bonded diene group having up to 30 non-hydrogen atoms, which forms a π-complex with M;

Y is —O—, —S—, —NR*—, —PR*—,

M is titanium or zirconium in the +2 formal oxidation state;

Z* is SiR* 2 , CR*2, SiR* 2 SIR*2, CR* 2 CR* 2 , CR*═CR* 3 CR* 2 SIR* 2 , or GeR* 2 , wherein:

R* each occurrence is independently hydrogen, or a member selected from hydrocarbyl, silyl, halogenated alkyl, halogenated aryl, and combinations thereof, said R* having up to 10 non-hydrogen atoms, and optionally, two R* groups from Z* (when R* is not hydrogen), or an R* group from Z* and an R* group from Y form a ring system.

7 . A method according to claim 6 wherein M is titanium.

8 . A method according to any of the preceding claims wherein the cocatalyst is an aluminoxane, a borane or a borate.

9 . A method according to claim 1 wherein the cocatalyst has the formula:

(L*−H) + d (A d− )

wherein:

L* is a neutral Lewis base (L*−H) + d is a Bronsted acid

A d− is a non-coordinating compatible anion having a charge of d − , and d is an integer from 1 to 3.

10 . A method according to claim 1 wherein the cocatalyst comprises ionic compounds having a cation and an anion wherein the anion has at least one substituent comprising a moiety having an active hydrogen.

11 . A method according to claim 1 wherein the cocatalyst comprises fluorinated aromatic boron atoms.

12 . A method according to claim 11 wherein the cocatalyst comprises tris pentafluorophenyl groups.

13 . A method for the preparation of a supported polymerisation catalyst system, said method comprising:

(1) contacting together in a suitable solvent

(a) a metallocene complex,

(b) a cocatalyst, and (c) a polymerisable monomer,

(2) contacting the mixture from step (1) with a porous support material, and

(3) removal of the solvent, characterised in that the molar ratio of cocatalyst to metallocene complex is <10:1.

14 . A method according to claim 13 wherein the molar ratio of cocatalyst to metallocene complex is <3:1.

15 . A method according to claim 13 wherein the polymerisable monomer is 1-hexene.

16 . A supported polymerisation catalyst system comprising

(a) a transition metal polymerisation catalyst,

(b) a cocatalyst, and

(c) a porous support material. characterised in that the molar ratio of cocatalyst to transition metal catalyst is <10:1.

17 . A process for the polymerisation of olefin monomers selected from (a) ethylene, (b) propylene (c) mixtures of ethylene and propylene and (d) mixtures of (a), (b) or (c) with one or more other α-olefins, said process performed in the presence of a supported polymerisation catalyst system prepared according to claim 1 .

18 . A process for the polymerisation of ethylene or the copolymerisation of ethylene and α-olefins having from 3 to 10 carbon atoms, said process performed under polymerisation conditions in the present of a supported catalyst system prepared according to claim 1 .

19 . A process according to claim 17 wherein the α-olefin is 1-hexene.

20 . A process according to claim 17 performed in the gas phase.

21 . A composition comprising a fluorinated Group III metal compound and a porous support wherein the ratio of (1) the ratio of fluorine to the support element outside the support to (2) the ratio of fluorine to support element inside the support is ≦1.1.

22 . A composition according to claim 21 wherein the ratio is <1.0.

23 . A composition according to claim 21 wherein the ratio is <0.85.

24 . A composition according to claim 21 wherein the Group III metal is boron.

25 . A composition according to claim 21 wherein the Group III metal compound is an aromatic boron compound.

26 . A composition comprising a polymerisation catalyst transition metal compound and a porous support wherein the ratio of (1) the ratio of transition metal to the support element outside the support to (2) the ratio of titanium to support element inside the support is <1.0.

27 . A composition according to claim 26 wherein the ratio is <0.85.

28 . A composition according to claim 26 wherein the ratio is <0.6.

29 . A composition according to claim 26 wherein the transition metal compound is a Group IV metal compound.

30 . A composition according to claim 29 wherein the Group IV metal is titanium.

31 . A composition according to claim 21 wherein the porous support is silica.