Copolymerization of ethylene and propylene catalyzed by magnesium chloride supported vanadium/titanium bimetallic Ziegler-Natta catalysts

Magnesium chloride supported vanadium/titanium bimetallic Ziegler-Natta catalysts with di-i-butyl phthalate as internal donor for copolymerization of ethylene and propylene were prepared.The effects of reaction temperature, ethylene/propylene molar ratio,aluminium/vanadium（Al/V）molar ratio and titanium/vanadium molar ratio on the catalytic activity were investigated.The molecular weight,molecular weight distribution,sequence composition and crystallinity of the products were measured by gel permeation chromatography,¹³C-NMR and differential scanning calorimetry analysis, respectively.In comparison to the vanadium and titanium catalysts,the bimetallic catalyst showed higher catalytic activity and better copolymerization performance.The obtained ethylene/propylene copolymers have high molecular weight （10⁵）,broad molecular weight distribution,high propylene content with random or short blocked sequence structures （r_Er_P=1.919）,low melting temperatures and low crystallinities（X_c<20%）.     

Copolymerization of propylene oxide and carbon disulfide with diethylzinc–electron-donor catalyst

Copolymerization of propylene oxide with carbon disulfide was studied by using a catalyst consisting of diethylzinc (ZnEt₂) and various electron donors. Tertiary amines, tertiary phosphines, and hexamethylphosphoric triamide were the effective donors for the copolymerization, but ZnEt₂–water, alcohol, and primary or secondary amines having high activities for the homopolymerization of propylene oxide were not effective for the copolymerization of propylene oxide and carbon disulfide. The copolymers obtained were of low molecular weight and had a monomer unit ratio (CS₂/PO) of 0.5–0.7. In addition, a considerable amount of 1,3-oxathioran-4-methyl-2-thion was isolated as a by-product.     

Electron spin resonance studies on Ziegler-Natta type catalyst systems

Electron spin resonance spectra of Ziegler-Natta type catalyst systems (titanium trichloride and alkyl aluminums) have been studied. When triethylaluminum was added to titanium trichloride, an absorption with a g value of 1.96 was observed from the solid phase of the system. The number of spins of this signal is equal to that of the active centers for propylene polymerization. The solid phase from the mixture of titanium trichloride and diethylaluminum chloride also gives the same signal, which suggests the identity of the action of two alkyl aluminums on titanium trichloride surface. The signals obtained from the liquid phase of the both systems are all ascribed to the reaction products of the reaction of alkyl aluminum with titanium tetrachloride occluded in solid.     

钛系Ziegler—Natta催化剂下的丙烯α—烯烃的共聚合

研究了ＴｉＣｌ４／ＭｇＣｌ２－三乙基铝高效载体催化体系下的丙烯／癸烯－１共聚及δ－ＴｉＣｌ３－氯二乙基铝催化体上的丙烯／辛烯－１共聚合的基本反应规律，考察了铝钛比、温度、共聚单浓度等对共聚合的影响，对比了两种催化体系的不同，利用非均相Ｚｉｅｇｌｅｒ－Ｎａｔｔｚ催化体系下共聚合的非稳态扩散动力学的观点，解释了观察到的共聚合催化效率增加，共聚物粒子增大等实验现象。     

Ethylene/1-Hexene Copolymerization with Modified Ziegler-Natta Catalyst

Siloxane compounds were treated with the compounds containing internal donors, such as aromatic ester, phosphate, or 1,3-diether compounds, and the resulting intermediates were further reacted with TiCl₄ to form the modified Ziegler-Natta catalysts for ethylene/1-hexene(E-H) copolymerization. Using the modified Ziegler-Natta catalysts, the effect of the internal donors and the molar ratio of alcohol to magnesium on the catalyst performance was investigated by the orthogonal experiments. The synthetic method of the catalysts was also optimized by choosing the proper way to mix the internal donors. The branch degree, sequence structure, molecular weight, and molecular weight distribution of the copolymer products were determined by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy(FTIR), carbon-13 nuclear magnetic resonance(¹³C NMR) spectrometry and gel permeation chromatography(GPC). Under the optimum conditions, the catalytic system with tetraethyl orthosilicate and 2,2-dimethoxypropane as the internal donors exhibited the best performance with an activity of 926.74 g copolymer/(g Cat·h^-1). The branch degree, 1-hexene content, and molecular weight distribution of the resulting copolymers reached up to 40 branches/1000C, 5.99% and 5.8, respectively.     

Chemical structure-stereospecificity relationship of internal donor in heterogeneous Ziegler-Natta catalyst for propylene polymerization by DFT and MM calculations

The effect of chemical structure of 2,2′-disubstituted 1,3-dimethoxypropane (so-called 1,3-diether) on the performance of Ziegler-Natta (ZN) catalyst was investigated by using density functional theory and molecular mechanics. Calculation of the energy barrier during insertion of propylene reveals that the isospecific active site created on the (1 0 0) surface of MgCl₂ is more active than the aspecific active site created on the (1 1 0) surface of MgCl₂ for propylene polymerization. When the adsorption energies of various 1,3-diethers are calculated and analyzed in terms of isotacticity, it is found that the isotacticity of polypropylene increases as 1,3-diether is adsorbed more preferentially on the (1 1 0) surface. Since analysis of energetics for insertion of propylene into the active site created on the (1 1 0) surface with 1,3-diether coordinated to Mg atom in the vicinity of the active site reveals that the coordination of 1,3-diether does not transform the aspecific active site on the (1 1 0) surface into isospecific one, it is concluded that the primary function of 1,3-diether is to prevent the formation of aspecific site on the (1 1 0) surface, without significant decrease in the number of the isospecific active site created on the (1 0 0) surface. A systematic analysis of various model compounds for 1,3-diether suggests that the substitution of highly branched hydrocarbon at the C₂ position of 1,3-diether results in better performance of ZN catalyst.     

Density functional study on the role of electron donors in propylene polymerization using Ziegler-Natta catalyst

The role of electron donors in propylene polymerization using Ziegler-Natta model catalyst [TiCl₂CH₃]⁺ has been investigated using density functional calculations at B3LYP/6-31G* level. Methyl benzoate (MBz) and para-methoxy methyl benzoate (p-OMe-MBz) are the electron donors considered in this study. We have found two major roles of these electron donors that match well with the corresponding experimental results. First, for both the catalysts having different electron donors, the propylene insertion in Ti-CH₃ bond in syn-fashion rather than anti-fashion has lower activation barriers (E_act). This indicates that the regioselectivity of propylene insertion is maintained in the presence of the electron donors. Secondly, co-ordination of electron donors is found to increase the activation barriers of propylene insertion, which explains the experimentally observed drop in catalytic activity of [TiCl₂Me]⁺ on adding electron donors.     

A qualitative model for polymerisation of propylene with a MgCl2-supported TiCl4 Ziegler-Natta catalyst

A qualitative model for polymerisation of propylene with a MgCl₂-supported TiCl₄ Ziegler-Natta catalyst is developed. A series of polymerisation with increasing external electron donor/Ti ratio is performed and the polymers are analysed with GPC, ¹³C NMR and DSC. The model explains the trends in isotacticity and isotactic sequence length based on an equilibrium reaction of the electron donor, which is either coordinated next to an active site or extracted to the solution by the cocatalyst AlR₃. Different rates for propagation and termination reactions when the donor is present or absent are used to explain the trends in activity and molar mass. The possibilities for a quantitative model and parameter estimation are discussed.     

The polymerization of ethylene with a highly active Ziegler-Natta catalyst

A soluble ethylene catalyst were obtained by mixing a methylene dichloride solution of dichlorobis(γ-cyclopentadienyl) titanium (Cp₂TiCl₂) with a heptane solution of ethylaluminium sesquichloride (Al₂Et₃Cl₃) or of diethylaluminium chloride (AlEt₂Cl). Ethylene was polymerized using these catalysts; the solution was examined by electron spin resonance technique before the polymerization and during the reaction. The catalyst activity remained constant for a long period, and the polymerization went on at the same rate for 6–8 hr. The mechanism of the reaction is discussed.     

Selective hydrogenation of butadiene-styrene copolymers using a Ziegler-Natta type catalyst 2. Thermal properties

Three types of butadiene-styrene copolymers, diblock, triblock and random, were partially hydrogenated in their elastomeric units in order to determine the influence of hydrogenation extent on their thermal properties. The hydrogenation reactions were carried out using a Ziegler-Natta type catalyst and the extent of hydrogenation was evaluated by FTIR spectroscopic technique. The percentage of crystallinity was determined by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), considering the low density polyethylene (LDPE) as reference since the saturation of elastomeric units with low content of 1,2-vinyl bonds gives a structure which resembles to LDPE, thus semi-crystalline polymers were obtained. On the other hand, the glass transition temperature (T_g) for the hydrogenated and non-hydrogenated copolymers as well as their heat of fusion, were also determined by DSC. An equation to evaluate the T_g of partially hydrogenated random copolymers is proposed considering both the saturated and unsaturated fractions. The thermo-oxidative behaviour of certain hydrogenated and non-hydrogenated copolymers was evaluated by thermogravimetric analyses (TGA). The results obtained by TGA suggest that a minimum saturation level is necessary in order to improve the thermo-oxidative resistance of the polymers.     

Copolymerization of propylene oxide with carbon dioxide catalyzed by zinc adipate

Copolymerization of carbon dioxide with propylene oxide in the presence of zinc adipate was studied. The effects of the temperature, nature of the solvent, and catalyst concentration on the molecular weight, molecular-weight distribution, and yields of the copolymer and propylene carbonate were examined. The structure of the polymer obtained was studied by ¹³N and ¹I NMR spectroscopy.     

二醚型 Ziegler-Natta 催化剂催化丙烯与极性单体共聚

 以三乙基铝 (TEA) 为保护剂, 研究了 TiCl4/MgCl2/芴二醚/Al(C2H5)3 体系催化丙烯与十一烯醇或十一烯酸的共聚反应. 结果表明, 在极性单体存在下, 聚合反应活性随极性单体加入量的增加而降低, 但可保持丙烯均聚活性的一半以上, 反应活性衰减较小. 同时, 随着极性单体加入量的增加, 极性单体在共聚物中的含量增加. 与十一烯酸相比, 十一烯醇共聚具有更高的共聚活性和共单体含量. 随着共聚物中极性单体含量的增加, 聚合物的熔点和结晶温度都有所降低. 反应温度对丙烯和十一烯醇共聚的反应活性和共单体含量影响较小.     

Copolymerization of glycidyl methacrylate with alkyl acrylate monomers

A newer approach to obtaining acrylic thermoset polymers with adequate hydrophilicity required for various specific end uses is reported. Glycidyl methacrylate (GMA) was copolymerized with n-butyl acrylate (n-BA), isobutyl acrylate (i-BA), and 2-ethylhexyl acrylate (2-EHA) in bulk at 60°C. with benzoyl peroxide as free radical initiator. The copolymer composition was determined from the estimation of epoxy group. Reactivity ratios were calculated by the Yezrielev, Brokhina, and Roskin method. For copolymerization of GMA (M₁) with n-BA (M₂) the reactivity ratios were r₁ = 2.15 ± 0.14, r₂ = 0.12 ± 0.03; with i-BA (M₂) they were r₁ = 1.27 ± 0.06, r₂ = 0.33 ± 0.031; and with 2-EHA (M₂) they were r₁ = 2.32 ± 0.14, r₂ = 0.13 ± 0.009. The reactivity ratios were the measure of distribution of monomer units in a copolymer chain; the values obtained are compared and discussed.     

Copolymerization of carbon dioxide and propylene oxide under inorganic oxide supported rare earth ternary catalyst

Recently, rare earth ternary coordination catalyst represented as Y(CCl₃OO)₃‐Glycerin‐ZnEt₂ has been used for producing poly(propylene carbonate) (PPC, an alternating copolymer of carbon dioxide and propylene oxide) in industry scale, but its catalytic activity needs further improvement. One reason for the relatively low catalytic activity lied in that only 11.7% of active center was efficient due to possible embedding of active center in the heterogeneous catalyst. In this report, supporting strategy was developed, where Y(CCl₃OO)₃‐Glycerin‐ZnEt₂ was supported on various inorganic oxides. Two supporting methods were carried out. One way was to mix Y(CCl₃OO)₃‐Glycerin with inorganic oxide first and then ZnEt₂ was dropped to form the supported catalyst, and the other was to make Y(CCl₃OO)₃‐Glycerin‐ZnEt₂ at first and then mixing with inorganic oxides. The former showed decreasing catalytic activity compared with corresponding unsupported rare earth ternary catalyst, while an improvement of 16–36% in catalytic activity was realized in the latter. PPC with an average number molecular weight (M_n) of over 100 kg/mol and carbonate unit (CU) content of higher than 96% was prepared by both supported catalysts. The catalytic activity of the supported catalyst depended significantly on the supports, which increased in the following order: α‐Al₂O₃ < MgO < ZnO ≈ SiO₂ <γ‐Al₂O₃. γ‐Al₂O₃ was the best support for rare earth ternary catalyst, which showed a remarkable 36% increase in catalytic activity, corresponding to the utilization of 17% of active center. Although MgO supported catalyst gave only an 8% increase in catalytic activity, the M_n and CU content of PPC were raised to about 143 kg/mol and 99%, whereas the PPC from common rare earth ternary catalyst was about 108 kg/mol and 97%, respectively. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem, 2011     

Syndioselective propylene polymerizations by ansa-zirconocenium catalyst

The effect of reaction conditions, including catalyst concentration, temperature, and immobilization on support, have been investigated for syndioselective propylene polymerization by the “bare” zirconocenium ion generated from 1,1-diphenyl-methylidene(1-η⁵-cyclopentadienyl)(9-η⁵-fluorenyl)zirconium-dichloride precursor (2). Neither variation of the catalyst concentration nor immobilization of 2 on silica support affect the syndiospecificity of polymerization. The stereoregularity of the syndiotactic polypropylene, as judged from the melting transition temperature and homosteric r-pentad population by ¹³C-NMR, were found to be proportional to polymer molecular weight. These behaviors are compared with a typical isoselective catalyst ethylenebis(4,5,6,7-tetrahydroindenyl) Zr precursor (4). They are in close resemblance in the case of the S-enantiomeric complex of 4, but the racemic mixture of 4 is markedly inferior. The origins of stereo- and regio-errors are discussed. © 1996 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Crystallization of a polypropylene terpolymer made by a Ziegler-Natta catalyst: formation of gamma-phase

The appearance of the gamma phase of a polypropylene-containing terpolymer prepared with a Ziegler-Natta catalyst was analyzed, and a novel strategy to make a polypropylene terpolymer which contains a high content of the gamma phase was experimentally sought. Wide-angle X-ray scattering and differential scanning calorimetry measurements have been conducted to investigate gamma-phase formation. Using a mixed flow of both elongational and shear components (a foaming process), we could introduce a lot of nuclei in the melt by flow-induced crystallization (FIC). The large number of nuclei accounting for the structural disorder during crystallite formation was ascribed to be the reason for gamma-phase formation in the terpolymer crystallization. A uniform distribution of defects in the melt crystallization was the key to obtaining a high content of the gamma phase.     

Crystal structures of Ziegler-Natta catalyst supports

The crystal structures of three MgCl(2)·nEtOH complexes with n=1.5, 2.8, and 3.3 have been fully determined. Such complexes are the fundamental precursors for Ziegler-Natta polymerization catalysts used to produce polyolefins on a multimillion-ton scale worldwide. The ab initio structure solution showed that the structure of MgCl(2)·nEtOH complexes with n=1.5 and 2.8 are based on ribbons of metal-centered octahedra, whereas for n=3.3 this chainlike arrangement breaks into a threadlike structure of isolated octahedra linked by hydrogen bonds. A clear correlation between catalyst performance and the crystal structure of precursors has been found, and reveals the fundamental role of the latter in determining catalyst properties. The direct knowledge of building blocks in the precursor structures will help to develop more accurate models for activated catalysts. These models will not require the arbitrary and oversimplified assumption of locating the catalyst active sites on selected cut surfaces of the α-MgCl(2) crystal lattice.     

Copolymerization of 2-hydroxypropyl methacrylate with alkyl acrylate monomers

2-Hydroxypropyl methacrylate has been copolymerized with methyl acrylate, ethyl acrylate, n-butyl acrylate, and methyl methacrylate in bulk at 60°C using benzoyl peroxide as initiator. The compositions of copolymers have been determined by the estimation of the hydroxyl group by acetylation process. The copolymerization parameters have been determined by conventional scheme of copolymerization.