Metallocene Catalysts: Disruption and Patent Rights

A great article on the rise of metallocene catalysts and patent aactivity in this area is "POLYMERIZATION CATALYSTS PAST, PRESENT, AND FUTURE" at Thomspon Scientific. Metallocene catalysts initially were worse than the dominant catalysts used in polymer production, Ziegler-Natta catalysts, but have since proven valuable for many applications, including tough polyolefins and elastomers. Interesting note from the article: Ziegler-Natta catalysts were actually invented by Banks and Hogan (US Patent 2,642,467, 16 June 1953, "Production of high-octane fuel components"). Perhaps they should be called Banks-Hogan catalysts.