| abstract |
A process for the preparation of a solution of a catalyst system, suitable for use in a process for copolymerizing carbon monoxide and one or more ethylenically unsaturated compounds, which comprises (a) combining a palladium compound, a bisphosphine of the general formula R1R2P-R-PR3R4 (I) wherein each of R1, R2, R3 and R4 independently represents an aromatic hydrocarbyl group which is substituted with an alkoxy group and R represents a bivalent bridging group containing at least two carbon atoms in the bridge, and a lower alcohol as solvent, and (b) admixing the obtained combination after a generation period G, during which a temperature T in the range of 0 DEG -70 DEG C. is maintained, with an acid having a pKa of less than 2, whereby the said generation period G is selected such that the value for G (in hours) and the temperature T (in DEG C.) are related as <IMAGE> |