Vanadium‐Modified Bimetallic Phillips Catalyst With High Branching Ability for Ethylene Polymerization

In order to improve the branching ability of Phillips catalyst for ethylene polymerization, a new bimetallic Phillips catalyst was developed. In this work, a series of vanadium‐modified Phillips catalyst were prepared through co‐impregnation by varying the pH of the impregnation solution, the vanadium loading and the vanadium precursors. A method to prepare bimetallic Phillips catalyst having good catalytic performance was proposed. Catalyst characterization by diffuse reflectance UV‐Vis and X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopies clarified the key role of specific interaction between chromium and vanadium components for the improvements in branching ability and catalyst activity.

     

Synthesis and Application of FI Catalyst for Ethylene Polymerization

A FI (phenoxy-imine) Zr-based catalyst of bis[1-[(2,6-diisopropylphenyl)imino]methyl-3,6-ditertbutyl-2-naphtholato]zirconium(IV) dichloride was prepared by changing the ligand from salicylaldehyde imine ligand which is used for well known FI catalysts to 2-hydroxynaphthalene-1-carbaldehyde imine ligand and used for polymerization of ethylene. Replacement of the phenoxy-group by naphtholato-group does not provide any spatial difficulties in the ortho-position to oxygen, but introduction of the bulky alkyl substitution groups at the ortho position of the naphthoxy-oxygen and on phenyl ring on the N dramatically enhanced the activity of the catalyst, as well as viscosity average molecular weight (M_v) of the obtained polymer. The prepared catalyst could produce a high molecular weight polyethylene under the polymerization conditions used. The optimum activity of the catalyst was obtained at the reaction temperature of 40°C. Activity of the catalyst was continuously increased with increasing MAO concentration and monomer pressure and no optimum activity was observed in the range studied. Crystallinity and melting point of the obtained polymer were between 55–65% and 125–135°C, respectively. A molecular weight distribution of 1.55–2.75 was obtained under the polymerization condition used and the polydispersity was broadened with the time. The activity of the catalyst was not sensitive to the hydrogen concentration. However, higher amount of hydrogen could slightly increase the activity of the catalyst.     

Effect of Alkyl Aluminums on Ethylene Polymerization Reactions with a Cr‐V Bimetallic Catalyst

The effect of introducing various types of alkyl aluminums directly into the catalyst and/or in the polymerization process as cocatalyst on the efficiency of a Cr‐V bimetallic catalyst for ethylene polymerization is systematically investigated. Results indicate that polymerization activity, kinetic behavior, and polymer properties of the Cr‐V catalyst are strongly affected by using alkyl aluminums in different stages of polymerization, due to the different responses and sensitivities of the two metal centers to alkyl aluminum. When employed as cocatalyst, triisobutyl aluminum gives high activity and polyethylene with relatively low molecular weight, while diethylaluminum chloride cocatalyzes the production of ultra‐high molecular weight polyethylene but with very low activity. On the other hand, the pre‐reduction of the bimetallic catalyst by alkyl aluminums has a marked promotion effect on catalyst efficiency. It is suggested that the addition of alkyl aluminum to the catalyst and to the reactor as cocatalyst are more or less equivalent in their effects on the improvement of polymerization activity, but they behave in different ways to affect polymer properties.     

Influence of Metal-Alkyls on Early-Stage Ethylene Polymerization over a Cr/SiO2 Phillips Catalyst: A Bulk Characterization and X-ray Chemical Imaging Study

The Cr/SiO₂ Phillips catalyst has taken a central role in ethylene polymerization since its invention in 1953. The uniqueness of this catalyst is related to its ability to produce broad molecular weight distribution (MWD) PE materials as well as that no co-catalysts are required to attain activity. Nonetheless, co-catalysts in the form of metal-alkyls can be added for scavenging poisons, enhancing catalyst activity, reducing the induction period, and tailoring polymer characteristics. The activation mechanism and related polymerization mechanism remain elusive, despite extensive industrial and academic research. Here, we show that by varying the type and amount of metal-alkyl co-catalyst, we can tailor polymer properties around a single Cr/SiO₂ Phillips catalyst formulation. Furthermore, we show that these different polymer properties exist in the early stages of polymerization. We have used conventional polymer characterization techniques, such as size exclusion chromatography (SEC) and ¹³C NMR, for studying the metal-alkyl co-catalyst effect on short-chain branching (SCB), long-chain branching (LCB) and molecular weight distribution (MWD) at the bulk scale. In addition, scanning transmission X-ray microscopy (STXM) was used as a synchrotron technique to study the PE formation in the early stages: allowing us to investigate the produced type of early-stage PE within one particle cross-section with high energy resolution and nanometer scale spatial resolution.     

高分子化Si桥联茂金属催化剂的合成及其催化乙烯聚合反应

合成了硅桥上含乙烯基团的硅桥联茂金属催化剂[(CH_2=CH)CH_3Si(C_5H_4) _2]ZrCl_2 (3)，并通过IR, ~1H NMR对化合物进行了表征，3在AIBN的引发下与苯 乙烯共聚形成高分子化的茂金属催化剂4。研究了3和4对乙烯聚合的能力，考察了 n(Al)/n(Zr)'温度对催化剂活性的影响。     

CRYSTAF Analysis of Polyethylene Synthesized with Phillips Catalyst

Crystallization analysis fractionation (CRYSTAF) was used for the first time to investigate the solution crystallization behavior of ethylene homopolymers and copolymers made with Phillips CrO_x/SiO₂ catalyst. Interestingly, the crystallization peak temperatures (T_p) of copolymers of ethylene and cyclopentene increased with increasing cyclopentene molar fraction in the copolymer. Comparing two factors (short chain branches (SCBs) and cyclopentene incorporation), decreasing SCB frequency is proposed as the dominant factor to explain the increase of crystallization peak temperatures with increasing cyclopentene incorporation. In addition, SCB frequency and molecular weight might be the two significant factors determining the crystallization temperature of polyethylene made with Phillips CrO_x/SiO₂ catalyst with different cocatalysts (triethylaluminum and diethylaluminum ethoxide).     

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。     

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…     

The influence of porosity on the Phillips Cr/silica catalyst 2. Polyethylene elasticity

The Phillips Cr/silica catalyst produces low levels of long chain branching (LCB) in polyethylene, which have a powerful influence on industrial molding behavior. Although many catalyst and reactor variables determine the degree of LCB, perhaps the most significant of these is the morphology of the silica support. In this study many different types of silicas were converted into Cr/silica catalysts, which were tested in ethylene polymerization, and the resultant polymer elasticity was then determined. In some experiments, the surface area of the catalyst seemed to correlate quite well with polymer elasticity. In other tests, however, no connection with surface area was evident but the pore volume was quite influential. Together, all these studies suggest that it is the degree of structural reinforcement of the silica matrix, rather than any one physical measurement of porosity, that influences elasticity. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 47: 845–865, 2009     

Characteristics of Titanocene Catalyst Supported on Palygorskite for Ethylene Polymerization

Due to the technical problems observed for homogeneous metallocene catalysts, such as reactor fouling and requirement for large amount of expensive methylaluminoxane (MAO) as cocatalyst, the development of supported metallocene catalysts is very important…     

Phenoxy–Ether Ligated Ti Complexes for the Polymerization of Ethylene

Summary: Bis(phenoxy–ether) Ti complexes were investigated as ethylene polymerization catalysts. The complexes, combined with iBu₃Al/Ph₃CB(C₆F₅)₄ or methylaluminoxane (MAO) cocatalysts, can be highly active single‐site catalysts, which display activities ( turnover frequency, max. 2 065 min⁻¹) comparable with that of a highly active bis(phenoxy–imine) Ti complex/MAO system, and provide very high molecular weight polyethylenes ( 2 040 000–5 420 000) at 25 °C under atmospheric pressure.

Synthesis of polyethylene using bis(phenoxy–ether) Ti complexes, an example of which is shown.     

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.     

新型的乙烯聚合催化剂

简要介绍了新型的烯烃聚合催化剂－Ｎｉ（Ⅱ）、Ｐｄ（Ⅱ）、Ｆｅ（Ⅱ）、Ｃｏ（Ⅱ）类后过渡金属催化剂的发展,特点及催化乙烯聚合机理,并就它们的组成结构、聚合条件和配体体积对聚合产物结构,分子量等的影响根据配体不同分类进行了讨论。     

Ti－Mg系载体催化剂乙烯加氢预聚合对乙烯气相聚合的影响

Ｔｉ－Ｍｇ系载体催化剂乙烯加氢预聚合对乙烯气相聚合的影响李悦，林尚安（东莞理工学院应用化学系，东莞，５１１７００）（中山大学高分子研究所）关键词Ｚｉｅｇｌｅｒ－Ｎａｔｔａ催化剂．预聚合催化剂．乙烯气相聚合乙烯聚合特别是气相聚合十分注意聚合初活性的调节...     

Immobilization and Activation of a Single‐Site Chromium Catalyst for Ethylene Polymerization using MgCl2/AlRn(OEt)3 − n Supports

Summary: The effective immobilization and activation of a single‐site chromium catalyst for ethylene polymerization has been achieved using MgCl₂/AlR_n(OEt)_{3 − n} supports, without the use of methylaluminoxane (MAO) or a borate activator. High catalyst activity and a spherical polyethylene‐particle morphology is obtained. Furthermore, the single‐site characteristics of the catalyst are retained, the narrow molecular weight distribution of the polymers obtained are apparent from gel permeation chromatography (GPC) and confirmed by rheological characterization.

Shear frequency dependence of the storage modulus of (♦ and ▴) polyethylene ( = 1.8–1.9) prepared using an immobilized Cr catalyst, compared to (▪) a reference polymer having = 4.1.     

Performance of the Cr[CH(SiMe3)2]3/SiO2 catalyst for ethylene polymerization compared with the performance of the Phillips catalyst

The catalysis of a silica‐supported chromium system {Cr[CH(SiMe₃)₂]₃/SiO₂} was compared with a silica‐supported chromium oxide catalyst, the Phillips catalyst (CrO₃/SiO₂). This catalyst was prepared by the calcining of the typical silica support used for the Phillips catalyst at 600 °C and by the support of tris[bis(trimethylsilyl)methyl]chromium(III) {Cr[CH(SiMe₃)₂]₃} on the silica. In the slurry‐phase polymerization, this catalyst conducted the polymerization of ethylene at a high activity without organoaluminum compounds as cocatalysts or scavengers. The activity per Cr was about 6–7 times higher than that of the Phillips catalyst. Upon the introduction of hydrogen to the system, the molecular weight of polyethylene did not change with the Phillips catalyst, but it decreased with the Cr[CH(SiMe₃)₂]₃/SiO₂ catalyst. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 41: 413–419, 2003