Preparation of exfoliated isotactic polypropylene/alkyl-triphenylphosphonium-modified montmorillonite nanocomposites via in situ intercalative polymerization

Alkyltriphenylphosphonium-modified montmorillonite(PMMT) was used to prepare TiCl4/MgCl2/PMMT compound catalyst and exfoliated i-PP/PMMT nanocomposites were prepared by in situ intercalative polymerization of propylene with TiCl4/MgCl2/PMMT catalyst. The catalytic efficiency of the above catalyst under optimum polymerization condition could reach as high as 1300 kg/(molTi h) and the combining of PMMT with Z–N catalyst do not change the stereo-regulation catalytic properties of the Z–N catalyst. The synthesized PP possessed high isotacticity, melting point and molecular weight. Wide angle X-ray diffraction (XRD) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) examinations evidenced the nanocomposites obtained were exfoliated ones.