Abstract:
Synthetic, high quality lubricating oils are produced through the polymerization of a single alpha-olefin or a mixture of alpha-olefins from ''''wax-cracking'''' having the formula R - CH CH2 wherein R is an alkyl radical containing from 2 to 16 C atoms, by the use, in a dry nitrogen atmosphere, of a catalyst system constituted by a compound of a transition metal selected from groups IV to VIII of the periodic system (e.g., TiCl4) and by two coordinate anionic cocatalysts, one of which is an aluminum compound of inorganic nature devoid of any metal-carbon bond and consisting of a polyiminic linear polymer (e.g., a polyimine alane represented by the formula:
WHEREIN R is alkyl, aryl or cycloalkyl and n is a whole number from 4 to 25) and the other of which is an aluminum compound of the conventional Ziegler type with a metal-carbon link (e.g., an aluminum alkyl sesquichloride or an aluminum dialkyl monochloride.