Polymer-supported heterogeneous titanium-based Ziegler-Natta catalyst for ethylene polymerization

• Published in: Journal of applied polymer science Vol. 125; no. 4; pp. 2539 - 2548
• Main Authors: Kalita, A., Kamrupi, I. R., Pokhrel, B., Dolui, S. K.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Hoboken Wiley Subscription Services, Inc., A Wiley Company 15.08.2012; Wiley; Wiley Subscription Services, Inc
• Subjects: Applied sciences; Catalysis; catalyst activity and catalyst storability; Catalysts; Ethylene; Exact sciences and technology; Materials science; Organic polymers; Physicochemistry of polymers; polymer-supported catalysts; Polymerization; Polymers; polystyrene; Polystyrene resins; Preparation, kinetics, thermodynamics, mechanism and catalysts; Scanning electron microscopy; slurry ethylene polymerization; Titanium; Ziegler-Natta; Ziegler-Natta catalysts; Polyethylene; Ziegler Natta catalyst; polystyrene; Complex catalyst polymerization; Experimental study; polymer-supported catalysts; Supported catalyst; Thermal stability; Titanium IV Chlorides; Thermal properties; Free radical polymerization; catalyst activity and catalyst storability; Emulsion polymerization; Morphology; Preparation; Olefin polymer; Styrene polymer; Ziegler-Natta; Aqueous solution; slurry ethylene polymerization; Catalyst activity; Catalyst support
• ISSN: 0021-8995; 1097-4628
• DOI: 10.1002/app.36347

Reported here in, is the synthesis of polystyrene (PS)‐supported Ziegler–Natta catalyst (PS‐TiCl4) by the reaction of PS and titanium tetrachloride (TiCl4). PS was synthesized by emulsion polymerization using super critical CO2 (sc‐CO2) as a medium. Three catalysts were synthesized by varying the TiCl4/PS weight ratio in hexane medium. The resulting catalysts were characterized by Fourier transformed‐infrared spectroscopy, UV–visible spectroscopy, scanning electron microscope and energy dispersive X‐ray detector, X‐ray diffraction analysis. The acidity of the catalysts in an acetone/water solution was measured by pH meter. The thermogravimetric analysis reveals that catalysts are stable upto 150–180°C. Due to their higher degree of thermal stability these catalysts may potentially be used as a support in conventional Ziegler–Natta catalyst for ethylene polymerization. These catalysts also showed good storability and its overall catalytic productivity are found to be 3720 g PE/g Ti. The productivity of the catalysts also depended on the titanium concentration in the polymer matrix. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2012