Process for preparing polymers of cyclopentadiene and bicycloheptene mixtures

DETAILED DESCRIPTION The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows: 1.
A process for preparing polymers of a monomer mixture of cyclopentadiene and from about 5 to about 95% by weight, based on total polymer weight, of at least one bicycloheptene comprising polymerizing the monomer mixture in the presence of a catalyst mixture comprising (a) at least one organoaluminum halide of the formula RAlX.
sub.
2 or R.
sub.
3 Al.
sub.
2 X.
sub.
3 wherein R is an alkyl radical containing from 1 to about 12 carbon atoms, and X is a halogen, and (b) at least one tungsten or molybdenum salt, or a mixture of these salts.
2.
The process of claim 1 wherein the catalyst mixture comprising a mixture of an alkylaluminum sesquihalide and a tungsten salt.
3.
The process of claim 1 wherein the catalyst mixture comprises a mixture of an alkylaluminum sesquihalide and a molybdenum salt.
4.
The process of claim 1 wherein X is chlorine or iodine.
5.
The process of claim 2 wherein the sesquihalide is ethylaluminum sesquichloride.
6.
The process of claim 1 wherein the monomer mixture and catalysts are dissolved in a solvent.
7.
The process of claim 6 wherein the solvent for the monomer mixture is benzene.
8.
The process of claim 2 wherein the tungsten salt is a tungsten halide.
9.
The process of claim 8 wherein the tungsten halide is tungsten hexachloride.
10.
The process of claim 3 wherein the molybdenum salt is molybdenum pentachloride.
11.
The process of claim 1 wherein the bicycloheptene is a norbornene or dicyclopentadiene.
12.
The process for preparing copolymers of cyclopentadiene and at least one bicycloheptene comprising the steps of: (a) preparing a charge comprising cyclopentadiene and a catalyst comprising (i) a tungsten salt, a molybdenum salt or mixture thereof or (ii) an organoaluminum halide of the formula RAlX.
sub.
2 or R.
sub.
3 Al.
sub.
2 X.
sub.
3 wherein R is an alkyl radical containing from 1 to 12 carbon atoms and X is a halogen, or (iii) a mixture of (i) and (ii), (b) partially polymerizing the cyclopentadiene, (c) adding at least one bicycloheptene and catalyst (i) or (ii) when said catalyst is not included in the charge prepared in step (a) to the partially polymerized cyclopentadiene obtained in (b), and (d) copolymerizing the bicycloheptene with the partially polymerized cyclopentadiene to form the desired copolymer