Production of substituted phenylene dibenzoate internal electron donor and procatalyst with same

Abstract

The present disclosure is directed to the production of substituted phenylene aromatic diesters and 5-tert-butyl-3-methyl-1,2-phenylene dibenzoate (or “BMPD”) in particular. The processes disclosed herein produce a liquid BMPD product. The liquid BMPD product unexpectedly creates production efficiencies by reducing the number of production steps, reducing the amount and/or number of reagents required for BMPD production. The liquid BMPD product may also be utilized in procatalyst production yielding similar production efficiencies. The procatalyst composition is subsequently used for olefin polymerization.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A process comprising:
 combining, under reaction conditions in a first reaction mixture, a first water insoluble solvent, BMC, triethylamine, and benzoyl chloride and forming a liquid BMPD product;   adding, under reaction conditions, the first reaction mixture including the liquid BMPD product directly to a second reaction mixture comprising a procatalyst precursor, a halogenating agent, and a second water insoluble solvent; and   forming a solid procatalyst composition.   
     
     
         2 . The process of  claim 1  comprising adding to the first reaction mixture a water insoluble solvent selected from the group consisting of toluene, ethyl acetate, orthochlorotoluene, chlorobenzene, and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         3 . The process of  claim 2  comprising adding to the second reaction mixture a water insoluble solvent selected from the group consisting of toluene, ethyl acetate, orthochlorotoluene, chlorobenzene, and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         4 . The process of  claim 3 , wherein the first and second water insoluble solvents are the same. 
     
     
         5 . The process of  claim 1  comprising adding to the first and second reaction mixture the water insoluble solvent orthochlorotoluene. 
     
     
         6 . The process of  claim 1  comprising adding to the first and second reaction mixture the water insoluble solvent chlorobenzene. 
     
     
         7 . A process comprising:
 forming a liquid BMPD product;   adding, under reaction conditions, the liquid BMPD product to a procatalyst precursor, a halogenating agent, and chlorobenzene to form a solid procatalyst composition;   contacting a propylene, under polymerization conditions, with the solid procatalyst composition, a cocatalyst, and an external electron donor; and   forming a propylene homopolymer having a xylene solubles content from 0.5 wt % to 6 wt %.   
     
     
         8 . The process of  claim 7  comprising forming the liquid BMPD product in a water insoluble solvent selected from the group consisting of toluene, ethyl acetate, orthochlorotoluene, chlorobenzene, and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         9 . The process of  claim 7  comprising forming the liquid BMPD product in the solvent orthochlorotoluene. 
     
     
         10 . The process of  claim 7  comprising forming the liquid BMPD product in the solvent orthochlorobenzene.