IMPROVED PROCESS FOR POLYMERIZING ALPHA OLEFINS WITH PHENOLIC COMPOUND CONTAINING CATALYSTS

An improved method for the preparation of homopolymers and copolymers of alpha olefins by means of a catalyst system comprising a titanium halide, an aluminum alkyl, and a phenolic compound which has a tendency to crystallize at low temperatures in the reactor feed system is disclosed. The improvement comprises prereacting a portion of the aluminum alkyl with the phenolic compound such that the components remain catalytically inactive and then activating the catalyst by adding the remainder of the aluminum alkyl to prereacted components in situ in the polymerization reactor, thereby preventing the crystallization of the phenolic compound at low temperatures in the feed system for the reactor.