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Organic/inorganic support for immobilizing ( n ‐BuCp) 2 ZrCl 2 /TiCl 3 hybrid catalyst for use in the preparation of polymer blends
Author(s) -
Li Wei,
Jiang Binbo,
Wang Jingdai,
Yang Yongrong
Publication year - 2011
Publication title -
polymer international
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.592
H-Index - 105
eISSN - 1097-0126
pISSN - 0959-8103
DOI - 10.1002/pi.3001
Subject(s) - polymerization , materials science , polyethylene , crystallinity , methylaluminoxane , polymer chemistry , catalysis , coordination polymerization , polymer , molar mass distribution , differential scanning calorimetry , solution polymerization , chemical engineering , chemistry , metallocene , composite material , organic chemistry , physics , engineering , thermodynamics
Reactor blends of ultrahigh‐molecular‐weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) and low‐molecular‐weight polyethylene (LMWPE) were synthesized by two‐step polymerization using a hybrid catalyst. To prepare the hybrid catalyst, styrene acrylic copolymer (PSA) was first coated onto SiO 2 /MgCl 2 ‐supported TiCl 3 ; then, ( n ‐BuCp) 2 ZrCl 2 was immobilized onto the exterior PSA. UHMWPE was produced in the first polymerization stage with the presence of 1‐hexene and modified methylaluminoxane (MMAO), and the LMWPE was prepared with the presence of hydrogen and triethylaluminium in the second polymerization stage. The activity of the hybrid catalyst was considerable (6.5 × 10 6 g PE (mol Zr) −1 h −1 ), and was maintained for longer than 8 h during the two‐step polymerization. The barrier property of PSA to the co‐catalyst was verified using ethylene polymerization experiments. The appearance of a lag phase in the kinetic curve during the first‐stage polymerization implied that the exterior catalyst (( n ‐BuCp) 2 ZrCl 2 ) could be activated prior to the interior catalyst (M‐1). Furthermore, the melting temperature, crystallinity, degree of branching, molecular weight and molecular‐weight distribution of polyethylene obtained at various polymerization times showed that the M‐1 catalyst began to be activated by MMAO after 40 min of the reaction. The activation of M‐1 catalyst led to a decrease in the molecular weight of UHMWPE. Finally, the thermal behaviors of polyethylene blends were investigated using differential scanning calorimetry. Copyright © 2011 Society of Chemical Industry