Probing into morphology evolution of magnesium ethoxide particles as precursor of Ziegler-Natta catalysts

Mg(OEt)2 with spherical morphology is one of the most important precursors for the preparation of industrial Ziegler-Natta catalysts. In the present article, morphology evolution of Mg(OEt)2 particles is studied in the course of the synthesis. The morphology of Mg(OEt)2 particles is observed throughout the process by SEM. The results show that Mg(OEt)2 particles are formed through i) seed generation on Mg surfaces, ii) seed growth and isolation as independent particles, and iii) further growth and shaping into smoother and more spherical particles. The size of Mg sources greatly affects the rates of these processes to different extents. A larger size of Mg leads to slower seed formation and growth, and detachment of clustered seeds, making the final particles larger and less spherical, respectively. The crystal growth of Mg(OEt)2 is also affected by the size of Mg sources, which in turn differentiates the pore size distribution to affect the catalyst composition and performance.