| abstract |
A catalytic composition for the selective oligomerization of ethylene and a process for preparing light linear (α-olefins, especially 1-hexene and 1-octene, starting from ethylene, using this composition, said composition comprising the following components: (A) a compound of a transition metal M of Group 4 of the periodic table; (B) an organic compound containing the sulfonic group (>SO 2 ) bonded to two carbon atoms; (C) a hydrocarbyl organometallic compound of a metal M′ selected from elements of Groups 1, 2, 12, 13 or 14 of the periodic table; components (A), (B) and (C) being in such a quantity that the atomic ratios respectively of the metal M in (A), of the sulfur S in the sulfonic group of (B) and of the metal M′ in (C), respect the following proportions: S/M=(from 0 to 20)/1 and M′/M=(from 2 to 2000)/1, on the condition that when the compound of the metal M in component (A) is not a sulfonic complex of M, the S/M ratio is greater than 0.5, preferably greater than 1. |