New Kinetic Model of Ethene Polymerization with Cp2ZrCl2 /MAO Catalyst

The kinetics of ethene polymerization catalyzed by Cp₂ZrCl₂ /MAO is studied. A detailed look is taken at the different kinetic models used to describe the polymerization process. Also, a new model was developed on the basis of previous work. The new model takes both the active‐sites mechanism and the reactivation effect of MAO into account. Better agreement between the experimental data and the fitting profile was achieved by applying the new model, when compared with the results from older models. A plausible mechanism of polymerization is outlined.     

Carbon Nanotubes as a Ligand in Cp2ZrCl2‐Based Ethylene Polymerization

Summary: We report a simple method for tuning catalytic property of a metallocene‐based catalyst, Cp₂ZrCl₂, for ethylene polymerization by the direct adsorption of Cp₂ZrCl₂ onto multi‐walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs). The direct interactions between MWCNTs and the Cp rings of Cp₂ZrCl₂ controlled the polymerization behaviors, and we could generate polyethylene with an extremely high molecular weight ( = 1 000 000) at 30 °C and under 1 atm of ethylene gas.

Preparation of Cp₂ZrCl₂‐MWCNT.     

Ethylene polymerization with porous polystyrene spheres supported Cp2ZrCl2 catalyst

A catalyst with porous polystyrene beads supported Cp₂ZrCl₂ was prepared and tested for ethylene polymerization with methylaluminoxane as a cocatalyst. By comparison, the porous supported catalyst maintained higher activity and produced polyethylene with better morphology than its corresponding solid supported catalyst. The differences between activities of the catalysts and morphologies of the products were reasonably explained by the fragmentation processes of support as frequently observed with the inorganic supported Ziegler–Natta catalysts. Investigation into the distribution of polystyrene in the polyethylene revealed the fact that the porous polystyrene supported catalyst had undergone fragmentation during polymerization. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 41: 3313–3319, 2003     

Modeling of Ethylene Polymerization Kinetics over Supported Chromium Oxide Catalysts

Summary: Silica supported chromium oxide catalysts have been used for many years to manufacture polyethylene and they still account for more than 50% of world production of high‐density polyethylene. Along with its commercial success, the catalytic mechanism and polymerization kinetics of silica supported chromium oxide catalysts have been the subject of intense research. However, there is a lack of modeling effort for the quantitative prediction of polymerization rate and polymer molecular weight properties. The chromium oxide catalyzed ethylene polymerization is often characterized by the presence of an induction period followed by a steady increase in polymerization rate. The molecular weight distribution is also quite broad. In this paper, a two‐site kinetic model is developed for the modeling of ethylene polymerization over supported chromium oxide catalyst. To model the induction period, it is proposed that divalent chromium sites are deactivated by catalyst poison and the reactivation of the deactivated chromium sites is slow and rate controlling. To model the molecular weight distribution broadening, each active chromium site is assumed to have different monomer chain transfer ability. The experimental data of semibatch liquid slurry polymerization of ethylene is compared with the model simulations and a quite satisfactory agreement has been obtained for the polymerization conditions employed.

Polymerization rates at different reaction temperatures: symbols – data, lines – model simulations.     

Ziegler‐Natta/Metallocene Hybrid Catalyst for Ethylene Polymerization

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.

     

Copolymerization of Ethylene and Propylene Using Silicon Tetrachloride‐Modified Silica/MAO with Et[Ind]2ZrCl2 Metallocene Catalyst

For the copolymerization of ethylene with propylene or a higher α‐olefin, using Et[Ind]₂ZrCl₂ metallocene catalyst, modification of silica with silicon tetrachloride prior to MAO adsorption can increase the activity, which is more pronounced for ethylene/1‐hexene copolymerization at higher pressure and temperature. The molecular weight of the copolymer produced was lower and the polydispersity tends to be decreased. No significant effect of SiCl₄ addition on the microstructure and the chemical composition distribution of the copolymer produced was observed.     

Relative reactivity enhancement of (Me5Cp)2ZrCl2 in mixture with (1,2,4-Me3Cp)2ZrCl2 during ethene/1-hexene copolymerization

Dual-site ethene/1-hexene copolymerizations with MAO-activated (1,2,4-Me₃Cp)₂ZrCl₂ and (Me₅Cp)₂ZrCl₂ catalysts were performed. Copolymers with narrow molecular weight distributions and bimodal short chain branching distributions could be produced. The combined catalyst system demonstrates a number of discrepancies from an expected average behavior of the individual sites. Dual-site (1,2,4-Me₃Cp)₂ZrCl₂/(Me₅Cp)₂ZrCl₂ systems produce copolymers with lower incorporation than expected. Clear evidences for relative activity enhancement of the (Me₅Cp)₂ZrCl₂ catalyst in the mixture were observed in melting endotherms and Crystaf profiles. Molecular weights obtained by the mixture were higher than for any of the individual catalysts. A similar effect is observed for a dual-site system of the (1,2,4-Me₃Cp)₂ZrCl₂ catalyst together with the Me₄Si₂(Me₄Cp)₂ZrCl₂ catalyst as an alternative to (Me₅Cp)₂ZrCl₂.     

Morphology and Thermal Characteristics of Polyethylene Nanocomposites Made Using Montmorillonite‐Supported Cp2ZrCl2 and Ni‐Diimine Precatalysts

Bis(cyclopentadienyl)‐zirconium dichloride (Cp₂ZrCl₂) and (1,4‐bis(2,6‐diisopropylphenyl)‐acenaphthenediimine) dichloronickel (Ni‐diimine) were supported on montmorillonite (MMT) pretreated with triisobutylaluminum and 10‐undecence‐1‐ol to produce in situ polyethylene–clay nanocomposites in a gas‐phase reactor. The development of the nanocomposite morphology was investigated with transmission electron microscopy (TEM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and X‐ray diffraction (XRD) analysis. During polymerization, the MMT layers were partially exfoliated by the growing polymer chains, starting from the openings of the clay galleries, but intercalation and exfoliation occurred only to a certain extent. The thermal properties of the nanocomposites we also analyzed by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC).

     

新型聚合物载体茂金属催化剂

均相茂金属催化剂虽然有许多优点和特点,但也存在着某些不足之处,例如,不适于现在通用的气相和淤浆聚合工艺;要想达到足够的聚合活性需大量价格昂贵的MAO;相当多的均相茂金属催化剂不适于高温聚合（活性降低,分子极低）,不能很好地控制聚合物的形态,为了在工业上得到实际应用,必须将它们载体（非均相）化。通常采用的载体都是无机物,如SiO2、MgCl2、Al2O3等。由于无机载体表面具有酸性,负载茂金属催化剂活性有所降低,用聚合和作茂金属催化剂的载体很少有报道,我们研制了一种新型的聚合物载体茂金属催化剂,即可保持均相茂金属催化特点和优点,又能克服其缺点。其合成路线如下。     

双（环戊二烯基）二氯化锆载体催化剂催化乙烯／α—烯烃共聚合

合成了３种Ｚｒ／甲基铝氧烷（ＭＡＯ）／ＳｉＯ２型载体催化剂，考察了不同ＭＡＯ投料量对载锆反应及催化活性的影响，研究了乙烯聚合及乙烯／α－烯烃共聚合，结果表明，该催化剂对己烯和辛烯有很强的共聚作用，而对癸烯的共聚能力较弱，解释了α－烯烃碳链增长对乙烯／α－烯烃共聚催化活性的影响，ＳＥＭ分析表明，α－烯烃的加入有利于聚合物形态原改善。     

Cp2ZrCl2/异丁基铝氧烷催化乙烯聚合动力学

均相茂金属催化烯烃聚合体系大多采用甲基铝氧烷(MAO)为助催化剂,但对MAO的作用机理尚不清楚。据文献报道,乙基铝氧烷(EAO)和异丁基铝氧烷(BAO)也有类似的助催化作用,但聚合活性远低于MAO体系。     

负载双核茂金属催化剂催化乙烯聚合反应动力学研究

以SiO2为载体,制备了负载的双核茂金属[（η5-C5H5）Zr Cl2]2[μ,μ-（SiMe2）2（η5-allyl C5H2）2]/MAO/SiO2催化剂,以己烷为溶剂进行了淤浆条件下乙烯聚合反应,研究了扩散因素、乙烯聚合压力和聚合温度对乙烯淤浆聚合动力学参数的影响,测定了聚合反应级数和表观活化能,采用动力学和相对分子质量法计算了负载催化剂的活性中心浓度,并对链增长速率常数等动力学参数进行了计算.结果表明,以负载双核茂金属催化剂催化乙烯淤浆聚合反应速率对单体浓度呈1.11级依赖,反应活化能Ea为72.47 kJ/mol,活性中心浓度C＊为0.33 mol/mol,链增长速率常数Kp为1.06×106L.（mol.h）-1.     

Simulation of Molecular‐Weight Distribution Using a New Kinetic Model of Ethene Polymerization Catalyzed by Cp2ZrCl2‐MAO

The kinetics of ethene polymerization catalyzed by Cp₂ZrCl₂‐methylaluminoxane (MAO) is studied by applying a new kinetic model. Important kinetic parameters of polymerization were estimated. In addition a method of calculating the molecular‐weight distribution (MWD) of the resultant polyethene was established by developing this new model. The final product is expected to comprise three components, which are produced by different active‐site types, and the MWD of one of the components is less than 2. Good agreement between the estimated value and the variation of polydispersity was achieved.     

A New Type of Polymer-Supported Metallocene Catalyst for Ethylene Polymerization

Although homogeneous metallocene catalysts show some specific characteristics, such as single site, extremely high catalytic activity, high ability to incorporate monomers, narrow molecular weight and comonomer distribution, and excellent control of stereoregularity, but they also suffer some drawbacks, a very large amount of MAO requirement, inability to be used in slurry or gas phase processes, and poor control of polymer morphology. Therefore, it is necessary to modify the catalysts for the…     

Shape and diffusion of the monomer‐controlled copolymerization of ethylene and α‐olefins over Cp2ZrCl2 confined in the nanospace of the supercage of NaY

Cp₂ZrCl₂ confined inside the supercage of NaY zeolites [NaY/methylaluminoxane (MAO)/Cp₂ZrCl₂] exhibited the shape and diffusion of a monomer‐controlled copolymerization mechanism that strongly depended on the molecular structure of the monomer and its size. For the ethylene–propylene copolymerization, NaY/MAO/Cp₂ZrCl₂ showed the effect of the comonomer on the increase in the polymerization rate in the presence of propylene, whereas the ethylene/1‐hexene copolymerization showed little comonomer effect, and the ethylene/1‐octene copolymerization instead showed a comonomer depression effect on the polymerization rate. Isobutylene, having a larger kinetic diameter, had little influence on the copolymerization behaviors with NaY/MAO/Cp₂ZrCl₂ for the ethylene–isobutylene copolymerization, which showed evidence of the shape and diffusion of a monomer‐controlled mechanism. The content of the comonomer in the copolymer chain prepared with NaY/MAO/Cp₂ZrCl₂ decreased by about one‐half in comparison with that of Cp₂ZrCl₂. A differential scanning calorimetry study on the melting endotherms after the successive annealing of the copolymers showed that the copolymers of NaY/MAO/Cp₂ZrCl₂ had narrow comonomer distributions, whereas those of homogeneous Cp₂ZrCl₂ were broad. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 41: 2171–2179, 2003     

甲基铝氧烷的改性及其对乙烯聚合催化活性的影响

用BCl3为修饰剂制备了改性甲基铝氧烷(BMAO) 以二氯二茂锆为主催化剂、BMAO为助催化剂,考察了影响乙烯聚合活性的各种因素及其聚合动力学行为 与常用的甲基铝氧烷(MAO)相比,BMAO用于催化体系显著提高了乙烯聚合的催化活性.     

第三组分Et2Mg对二茂锆/铝氧烷体系催化乙烯聚合反应的影响

研究发现在二茂锆-铝氧烷催化体系中添加少量Et2Mg能够明显促进在低Al/Zr摩尔比条件下乙烯高聚.以MAO作为助催化剂,Al/Zr/Mg摩尔比为1012时,得到高聚物,粘均分子量(Mv)为1.37×105,催化活性为2.83×104g聚合物/mol(Zr)h.而在同样的反应条件下,Cp2ZrCl2-MAO和-EAO二组份催化体系在如此低的Al/Zr摩尔比条件下无催化活性或以很低的催化活性生成低碳烯烃.对于这类三组份烯烃高聚催化体系的研究目前仍在进行中,以期得到有效的低Al/Zr比乙烯高聚茂金属催化体系.     

Influence of Metallocene Type on the Order of Ethylene Polymerization and Catalyst Deactivation Rate in a Solution Reactor

The solution polymerization of ethylene using rac-Et(Ind)₂ZrCl₂/MAO and (Dimethylsilyl(tert-butylamido)(tetramethyl- cyclopentadienyl)titanium Dichloride)(CGC-Ti)/MAO was studied in a semi-batch reactor at 120 °C under different monomer pressures and catalyst concentrations. The kinetics of ethylene polymerization with rac-Et(Ind)₂ZrCl₂/MAO can be described with first order reactions for polymerization and catalyst deactivation. When (CGC-Ti)/MAO is used, however, second order kinetics are observed for catalyst decay and the order of polymerization changes from 2 to 1 with increasing ethylene pressure.