Solid catalyst component and process for the (co)polymerization of ethylene

1. A process for preparation of a solid component comprising titanium, magnesium, chlorine, an organo-oxygenated protic compound D p which is selected from the group consisting of alcohols and organic acids having from 2 to 10 carbon atoms, and a neutral electron-donor aprotic compound D which is an ether having from 3 to 10 carbon atoms, in the following molar ratio ranges:

Mg/Ti=1.0-50; D/Ti=1.0-15;

Cl/Ti=6.0-100; D p /D=0.2 to 1.0,

and additionally comprising an inert granular solid, in a quantity ranging from 10 to 90% by weight with respect to the total weight of the solid component,

the process comprising in succession: (a) forming of a mixture in aprotic electron-donor compound D, of a magnesium chloride and titanium trichloride until at least 50% of said components are dissolved,

with a molar ratio between magnesium and titanium ranging from 1/1 to 50/1,

and adding an inert solid in granular form;

(b) separating the compound D from said mixture prepared in (a) until a solid is obtained, wherein the D/Ti ratio ranges from 1.5 to 40,

(c) forming a suspension of said solid in a liquid hydrocarbon medium,

(d) adding to said suspension organo-oxygenated protic compound D p , in a quantity that the molar ratio D p /D ranges from 0.2 to 1.2 and heating the mixture to a temperature ranging from 40 to 100° C., for a period varying from 5 minutes to 5 hours.

2. The process according to claim 1 , wherein said inert solid is selected from the group consisting of: silica, titania, silico-aluminates, calcium carbonate, and magnesium chloride; the inert solid has an average granule size ranging from 10 μm to 300 μm.

3. The process according to claim 1 , wherein said inert solid has microspheroidal silica having an average diameter ranging from 20 to 100 μm, a BET surface area ranging from 150 to 400 m 2 /g, a total porosity equal or higher than 80% and an average pore radius of 50 to 200 Å.

4. The process according to claim 1 , wherein said magnesium chloride is in amorphous form.

5. The process according to claim 1 , wherein, in said (a), the atomic ratio between magnesium and titanium ranges from 1.0 to 50 and the ratio (D moles)/(Ti atoms) ranges from 5 to 100.

6. The process according to claim 1 , wherein said (a) is carried out at a temperature ranging from room temperature to a boiling point of the donor compound D, until at least 80% of said compounds of Ti and Mg are dissolved.

7. The process according to claim 1 , wherein said (b) is carried out by evaporation.

8. The process according to claim 1 , wherein the reaction mixture in said (d) is heated to a temperature of 60 to 80° C., for a period ranging from 5 to 60 minutes.

9. The process according to claim 1 , wherein said organo-oxygenated protic compound D p comprises an organic acid.