ETHYLENE/alpha-OLEFIN/NON-CONJUGATED POLYENE COPOLYMER

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a process for producing an ethylene/α-olefin/non-conjugated polyene copolymer with high conversion of a non-conjugated polyene and good polymerization activity, whereby unreacted monomers and a hydrocarbon solvent can be removed from a solution containing the copolymer obtained by copolymerization using a transition metal compound catalyst in the hydrocarbon solvent without removing the residual catalyst. SOLUTION: The copolymer comprising ethylene, a 3-20C α-olefin and a norbornene skeleton-having non-conjugated polyene is produced by using the polymerization catalyst containing a transition metal compound composed of (A) a transition metal compound having a specific structure and (B) at least one compound selected from the following (B-1)-(B-3): (B-1) an organometallic compound, (B-2) an organic aluminum oxy compound and (B-3) a compound to form an ion pair by reacting with the transition metal compound (A). The copolymer is characterized by the followings: (i) the Mooney viscosity ML at 100°C is in a specific range, or the intrinsic viscosity [η] in decalin at 135°C is in a specific range; (ii) the content ratio of the ethylene, α-olefin and non-conjugated polyolefin is in a specific range; and (iii) the ethylene molar fraction, ethylene/α-olefin diad molar fraction, ethylene/non-conjugated polyene diad molar fraction, α-olefin molar fraction and non-conjugated polyene molar fraction satisfy a specific relation. COPYRIGHT: (C)2011,JPO&INPIT