An industrial process for the manufacture of high-density polyethene using catalysts of titanium(IV) chloride (TiCl4) and aluminium alkyls (e.g. triethylaluminium, Al(C2H5)3). The process was introduced in 1953 by the German chemist Karl Ziegler (1898–1973). It allowed the manufacture of polythene at lower temperatures (about 60°C) and pressures (about 1 atm.) than used in the original process. Moreover, the polyethene produced had more straight-chain molecules, giving the product more rigidity and a higher melting point than the earlier low-density polyethene. The reaction involves the formation of a titanium alkyl in which the titanium can coordinate directly to the pi bond in ethene.
In 1954 the process was developed further by the Italian chemist Giulio Natta (1903–79), who extended the use of Ziegler’s catalysts (and similar catalysts) to other alkenes. In particular he showed how to produce stereospecific polymers of propene.