Process for producing polyethylene polymers

1. A gas phase polymerization process for producing polyethylene polymers comprising contacting ethylene and at least one C 3 to C 8 alpha-olefin comonomer with a polymerization catalyst on a particulate support in a fluidized bed polymerization reactor comprising a distributor plate, a reaction zone, and a velocity reduction zone, under conditions effective to polymerize at least part of the ethylene and comonomer, producing and recovering the polyethylene polymers,

wherein the fluidized bed comprises growing polymer particles, formed polymer particles, and catalyst particles;

wherein the fluidized bed is fluidized by a continuous flow of polymerizable and modifying gaseous components comprising make-up feed and recycle gas passing through the distributor plate and into the reaction zone at a superficial gas velocity, wherein the superficial gas velocity is sufficient to maintain the fluidized bed in the reaction zone;

and further wherein the particulate support comprises an inorganic oxide selected from silica, alumina, magnesia, titania, zirconia, clays, and combinations thereof, and further has a d 10 particle size as measured by laser diffraction of at least 18 microns, a d 50 particle size as measured by laser diffraction of at least 40 microns, and a d 90 particle size as measured by laser diffraction of no more than 100 microns.

2. The process of claim 1 , wherein the particulate support comprises an oxide of silicon.

3. The process of claim 1 , wherein the polymerization catalyst comprises one or more metallocene catalysts.

4. The process of claim 3 , wherein the particulate support comprises an oxide of silicon.

5. The process of claim 1 , wherein process comprises a rate of distributor plate fouling and the rate of distributor plate fouling is reduced as compared with a substantially similar or an identical process operating at the same superficial gas velocity and using the same polymerization catalyst but on a particulate support having a d 10 particle size as measured by laser diffraction of less than 18 microns.

6. The method of claim 4 , wherein sheeting in the velocity reduction zone is reduced as compared to an otherwise substantially identical process in which the metallocene catalyst is supported on particulate silica with a d 10 particle size as measured by laser diffraction of less than 18 microns.

7. The process of claim 4 , wherein fouling on the distributor plate is reduced as compared to an otherwise substantially identical process operated at the same superficial gas velocity, but in which the metallocene catalyst is supported on particulate silica with a d 10 particle size as measured by laser diffraction of less than 18 microns.

8. The process of claim 4 , further comprising increasing the superficial as velocity of the gaseous components flowing through the distributor plate and through the reaction zone; and increasing rate of cooling of the reactor and rate of production of the polyethylene polymer at a constant distributor plate fouling rate.

9. The process of claim 1 , wherein the process comprises a rate of sheeting and the rate of sheeting is reduced as compared with a substantially similar or an identical process using the same polymerization catalyst but on a particulate support having a d 10 particle size as measured by laser diffraction of less than 18 microns.

10. The process of claim 1 , further comprising polymerizing at a temperature from 30 to 120° C. and a pressure from 790 to 3550 kPa-a.

11. The process of claim 1 , wherein the comonomer comprises propylene, 1-butene, 1-hexene, 1-octene, or mixtures thereof.

12. The process of claim 1 , wherein the polyethylene polymers have a density of at least 0.920 g/cc.

13. The process of claim 1 , wherein the polyethylene polymers have a density less than 0.940 g/cc.