A Ziegler‐Natta/metallocene hybrid catalyst was produced and utilized in the polymerization of ethylene with the aim of producing bimodal polyethylene. The MgCl2 adduct was prepared by a melt quenching method and Cp2ZrCl2 and TiCl4 catalysts were loaded, respectively, after treating the surface with TiBAl. The polymerization kinetics involved an induction period, followed by fragmentation and expansion of particles. SEM micrographs revealed that the spherical morphology was retained through the initial mild reaction conditions of induction period. The polymers produced showed bimodal molecular weight distribution patterns, suggesting that both components of the hybrid catalyst were active over the support.
In propylene polymerization with MgCl2‐supported Ziegler‐Natta catalysts, it is known that the reduction of TiCl4 with alkylaluminum generates Ti3+ active species, and at the same time, leads to the growth of TiClx aggregates. In this study, the aggregation states of the Ti species were controlled by altering the Ti content in a TiCl3/MgCl2 model catalyst prepared from a TiCl3 · 3C5H5N complex. It is discovered that all the Ti species become isolated mononuclear with a highly aspecific feature below 0.1 wt.‐% of the Ti content, and that the isolated aspecific Ti species are more efficiently converted into highly isospecific ones by the addition of donors than active sites in aggregated Ti species.
The RPPFM is employed to describe the gas‐phase catalytic polymerization of ethylene in the presence of supported or self‐supported Z‐N catalysts. Numerical simulations are carried out to analyze the effect of the catalyst type on the polymerization rate, particle overheating and the average molecular polymer properties of the polyolefin. It is shown that non‐porous, self‐supported Ziegler‐Natta catalysts exhibit higher particle growth rates and lower particle overheating. The average molecular weight of polyethylene produced by both catalysts is almost identical. Depending on particle size and polymer crystallinity, the average monomer solubility and the effective monomer diffusivity can significantly vary.
Deconvolution of the MWD of a polymer produced by multi‐site catalysts into independent Flory modes is the first step in modeling the polymerization process. A new deconvolution procedure for GPC data is developed that does not require an a priori assumption concerning the nature of the discrete distribution and can be used with a continuous distribution. The MWD measured via GPC is a linear function of the individual catalytic sites, but it is numerically ill‐conditioned, preventing direct inversion of the GPC data. Tikhonov regularization has been developed to uniquely invert the MWD. Applying the regularizing method to a polyethylene produced via a Ziegler‐Natta catalyst, seven discrete sites were found, and the kinetic constant ratios were determined for each of these sites.
The effect of prepolymerization on ethylene homopolymerization and ethylene/1‐hexene copolymerization with a commercial TiCl4/MgCl2 catalyst was investigated and the apparent homo‐ and copolymerization rate constants were estimated by varying polymerization temperature, pressure, time, and 1‐hexene/ethylene molar ratio during the prepolymerization. The apparent rate constants for activation, propagation, and deactivation depend on the prepolymerization conditions, showing that the prepolymerization stage strongly regulates the behavior of the catalyst in the main polymerization. Interestingly, the surface morphology of the prepolymer particles correlates to and explains these changes in polymerization kinetics behavior.
A simplified steady‐state model to predict MWDs of ethylene/butene and ethylene/hexene copolymers produced industrially using heterogeneous Z‐N catalysts is developed. Estimability analysis is used to guide model simplification and to determine which parameters can be estimated using the available data. Scaling of response variables and parameters using information about their uncertainties ensures that appropriate results are obtained from the estimability analysis. Parameter estimates are obtained to provide good predictions of the measured MWDs. Although the parameter values obtained are specific to the Z‐N catalyst of our industrial sponsor, the method should be useful for parameter estimation and model simplification in other catalytic polymerization systems.
Complete exfoliation of montmorillonite during Ti‐based Ziegler‐Natta polymerization of ethylene has been successfully carried out by using montmorillonite (MMT‐OH) modified with intercalation agents containing hydroxyl groups. Hydroxyl groups in intercalation agents offer facile reactive sites for anchoring catalysts in between silicate layers. Comparison of exfoliation characteristics between MMT‐OH and non‐intercalated montmorillonite showed that the feasibility of exfoliation during ethylene polymerization was highly dependent on the catalyst fixation method. 相似文献
Though preparation procedures of heterogeneous Ziegler‐Natta catalysts for propylene polymerization are sophisticated, it is uncertain whether the nature of the active sites is similar or different for different preparation procedures. In this study, the effects of preparation procedures on the nature of the active sites were investigated by stopped‐flow polymerization in combination with microstructure analysis of polymers. Both basic and advanced types of catalysts showed the same two kinds of isospecific active site, which indicated little influence of the preparation method on the active site structure. On the contrary, the ratios of the two kinds of isospecific sites were not the same, resulting in variation of average polymer properties.
Industrial ethylene‐hexene copolymer samples produced using a supported Ti‐based Ziegler‐Natta catalyst were deconvoluted into five Flory molecular weight distributions (MWDs). Relationships between reactor operating conditions and deconvolution parameters confirmed that temperature and hydrogen and hexene concentrations influenced the MWD. The two sites that produced low‐molecular‐weight polymer responded similarly to changes in reactor operating conditions, as did the three sites that produce high‐molecular‐weight polymer. Increasing hexene concentration resulted in relatively more polymer being produced at the two low‐molecular‐weight sites and less at the high‐molecular‐weight sites. The information obtained will be useful for making simplifying assumptions during kinetic model development.
Summary: A morphological investigation was carried out on different Ziegler‐Natta catalysts during the early stages of propylene homo‐ and propylene‐ethylene copolymerization. For similar polymerization conditions, but dependent on the nature of the catalysts, fragmentation occurs layer‐by‐layer or instantaneously into a large amount of small pieces. However, the incorporation of comonomer ethylene slows down the fragmentation progress. This is believed to be the result of the higher mobility of the just formed propylene‐ethylene copolymer molecules at the active sites.
SEM images of the cross‐sectional morphology of polymer particles from catalyst‐I. 相似文献
A simplified steady‐state model has been developed to predict molecular weight distributions and average compositions of ethylene‐hexene copolymers produced using heterogeneous Ziegler‐Natta catalysts in gas‐phase reactors. The model uses a simplified reaction scheme to limit the number of parameters that must be estimated. The number of parameters is further reduced by assuming that different types of active sites share common rate constants for some reactions. Estimates of kinetic parameters are obtained using deconvolution analysis of industrial copolymer samples produced using a variety of isothermal steady‐state operating conditions. The parameter estimates should prove useful as initial guesses for future parameter estimation in a non‐isothermal model.
A novel vanadium‐modified (SiO2/MgO/MgCl2)·TiClx Ziegler–Natta ethylene polymerization catalyst with much better catalytic performance is successfully developed. The catalyst is prepared by co‐impregnation of aqueous solution of water‐soluble magnesium and vanadium compounds on SiO2, and a supported thin layer of magnesium and vanadium oxides is formed over the surface of SiO2 after high temperature calcination in dry air, followed by further reaction with titanium tetrachloride to synthesize the magnesium dichloride carrier in situ and to support the titanium species simultaneously. By characterization of the catalysts and the polymers and investigation of the polymerization behaviors, it is found that compared with the original (SiO2/MgO/MgCl2)·TiClx ZN catalyst, the introduction of vanadium species induce improved catalytic performance with 27% higher activity, 48% higher hydrogen response, and 60% higher 1‐hexene incorporation ability with better short chain branch distribution.
Dinucleation of TiCl4 on the MgCl2 (100) surface has been conventionally believed as the origin of the stereospecificity of heterogeneous Ziegler‐Natta catalysts for propylene polymerization, while the MgCl2 (110) surface has been regarded as non‐stereoselective in the absence of organic donors. Based on periodic density functional calculations, we propose a new isospecific Ti dinuclear species on the MgCl2 (110) surface, which is formed as a result of reduction of Ti from 4+ to 3+. The new species closely resembles the dinuclear species on the (100) surface, but two Ti ions are obliquely stacked along the (110) surface through Cl bridges. The results address the importance of the reduction and re‐distribution of surface Ti species after contacting with cocatalysts in considering the origin of the stereospecificity.
In this study, the preparation of ultra‐high molecular weight polyethylene/graphene nanocomposite was carried out using single‐supported Ziegler‐Natta catalyst, and the operational conditions were optimized via response surface methodology. For this purpose, the effect of 3 parameters, monomer pressure, temperature, and molar ratio of [Al] respect to [Ti] on the catalyst productivity and molecular weight of the synthesized nanocomposite polymer, was investigated using the Box‐Behnken experimental design at 3 levels. Monomer pressure, temperature, and molar ratio of [Al] respect to [Ti] were considered as independent variables and catalyst productivity and molecular weight as dependent variables. The highest catalyst productivity and molecular weight were equal to 923 (grPE/mmolTi.h) and 2.04 (million gr/mol), respectively, which were obtained under optimal reaction conditions: temperature of 60°C, pressure of 8 bar, and molar ratio of 185. Finally, in order to investigate the morphology and nanoparticle dispersion in polymer matrix, scanning electron microscope and X‐ray diffraction were used. The results indicate the homogenous dispersion of graphene nanoparticles in polymer matrix. 相似文献
Experiments designed to prepare Ziegler‐Natta catalysts with controlled particle morphology are reported. Different dealcoholation processes are used on the adduct MgCl2 · nEtOH to prepare the catalysts: either thermal treatment or chemical dealcoholation employing different substances such as titanium tetrachloride, triethylaluminium, dichlorodimethylsilane, and chlorotrimethylsilane. In addition, dichlorodimethylsilane dealcoholation is also performed after thermal treatment. SEM analysis of adducts, supports, and catalysts is carried out. The obtained catalysts are characterized through impregnated titanium content evaluation. The polyethylenes and poly(propylene)s obtained employing the so prepared catalysts show spherical morphology when examined by optical microscopy.
A simplified kinetic scheme of eythylene/α‐olefin copolymerization has been developed by adding reactions responsible for the unusual kinetic behavior to a general mechanism. The estimation of rate constants has been simplified by making physically meaningful initial guesses. Rate constants affecting yield, MWD and comonomer content have been estimated separately. Experiments were designed to investigate the effects of each rate constant independently. The obtained rate constants show that the sites which are responsible for formation of short chains with higher 1‐butene content are more active at the beginning of polymerization, while the sites which are responsible for formation of longer chains with lower 1‐butene units are more active at the final stages of polymerization.
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