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Reactivation of a Poisoned Metallocene Catalyst by Irradiation with Visible Light
Author(s) -
Kallio Kalle,
Wartmann Anette,
Reichert KarlHeinz
Publication year - 2002
Publication title -
macromolecular rapid communications
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.348
H-Index - 154
eISSN - 1521-3927
pISSN - 1022-1336
DOI - 10.1002/1521-3927(20020201)23:3<187::aid-marc187>3.0.co;2-y
Subject(s) - catalysis , polyethylene , polymerization , molar mass distribution , ethylene , metallocene , carbon dioxide , polymer chemistry , photochemistry , chemistry , post metallocene catalyst , irradiation , oxygen , visible spectrum , materials science , organic chemistry , polymer , physics , nuclear physics , optoelectronics
Both oxygen and carbon dioxide are efficient catalyst poisons, remarkably reducing the ethylene polymerisation rate, increasing the molecular weight of the resulting polyethylene, and broadening its molecular weight distribution (MWD). By introducing visible light into the contaminated polymerisation system, the catalyst activity was totally recovered. The molecular weight and MWD became similar to those of a non‐poisoned system, supporting the formation of new active sites during poisoning that are responsible for the lower activity and broader MWD.