ISSN:
0021-8995
Keywords:
Chemistry
;
Polymer and Materials Science
Source:
Wiley InterScience Backfile Collection 1832-2000
Topics:
Chemistry and Pharmacology
,
Mechanical Engineering, Materials Science, Production Engineering, Mining and Metallurgy, Traffic Engineering, Precision Mechanics
,
Physics
Notes:
The morphologies of the as-produced polyethylenes obtained by slurry polymerization process of ethylene in n-heptane, using heterogeneous conventional and supported Ziegler-Natta catalysts, were investigated. The ability of four different catalytic systems in controlling the size and shape of the nascent polymer particles were tested. The catalytic systems employed were: the original Ziegler type catalyst produced by reduction of TiCl4 with Et2AlCl, the Natta type catalyst TiCl3-AA, the reduced TiCl4 with the metal carbonyls [Mo(CO)6 and Mn2(CO)10], and the supported TiCl4 on three commercial silicas having different surface areas: Davison 951, 952, and also the Dart 1000. It was found that the carriers affect the catalytic activity of the final catalyst and also its kinetic behavior. The supported Ziegler-Natta catalysts control more easily the nascent polymer particles (size, shape, and porosity) than the conventional ones. In addition the morphology of the catalysts and the subsequent polymer particles are closely related to the parent morphology of the silicas used as carriers. Furthermore, the nascent morphology of the polyethylenes obtained with the conventional TiCl4-Et2AlCl catalytic system can be modified by using different |Al|/|Ti| ratios, resulting in more dense, spherical, and bigger polymer particles by increasing this ratio. On the other hand, detailed studies on the texture or arrangement of the polymer particles reveal the existence of mainly two fine morphologies (globular and wormlike), which are the result of the order of the primary or elementary catalyst particles (microspheres and platelets), the force linking them together, and the activity of the polymerization centers placed on their surface.
Additional Material:
10 Ill.
Type of Medium:
Electronic Resource
URL:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/app.1984.070290415
