ETHYLENE / 1-HEXENE COPOLYMERIZATION USING SUPPORTED METALLOCENE CATALYST SYSTEM

This work involves the use of a new catalyst which was recently patented by SABIC.Two catalysts based on bis cyclopentadienyl titanium dichloride (Cp2TiCl2) supported on PVC cat-E and cat-B weresynthesized according to the patent teachings. Both catalysts were prepared in the same manner and contained the sameamount of titanium (iv) alkoxy, However, titanium (iv) ethoxide were used for cat-E whereas titanium (iv) n-butoxidewere used for cat-B.The aim of this paper is to investigate the prepared metallocene supported catalyst on ethylene and 1-hexenecopolymerization. Also will attempt to investigate the influence of the titanium (iv) alkoxy on the kinetic result of thecopolymerization, the incorporation of 1-hexene in the copolymer and the molecular weight of the produced copolymerwill also be studied.This work shows that the presence of an a-olefin such as 1-hexene was found to cause a rate enhancement for ethyleneconsumption during the copolymerization reaction when using both catalysts cat-E and cat-B. Cat-E showed higheractivity in comparison to cat-B in the copolymerization of ethylene and 1-hexene. The SEM micrographs show that agreat reduction in polymer particles took place with the use of 1-hexene in the polymerization as comonomer.For both catalysts it was found that an increase in the concentration of 1-hexene causes a decrease in the copolymermolecular weight Mw, accompanied with an increase in the copolymer content of 1-hexene.