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Abstract

Vanadium compound/organometallic compound/inorganic oxide catalyst compositions useful for the polymerization of ethylene to polymers having a molecular weight distribution that can be controlled by selection of the appropriate member of a particular family of vanadium compounds are obtained by using, as the vanadium component, at least one vanadium compound prepared by reacting one molar proportion of VOCl.sub.3 and/or VOBr.sub.3 with about 0.5 to 1 molar proportion of a diol corresponding to the formula HO-R-OH, wherein R is a divalent hydrocarbon radical having a chain length of 2 to 16 carbon atoms. The molecular weight distributions of polymers formed in the presence of the catalyst compositions are narrowed as the chain length of R is increased. The preferred vanadium compounds are those prepared by reacting VOCl.sub.3 with a diol wherein R is a straight- or branched-chain alkylene group containing 2 to 6 carbon atoms.

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First Claim