Metallocene polyethylene wax synthesis

Solid polymethylaluminoxane (sMAO) supported ansa-bridged permethylindenyl zirconocenes Me2SB(CpR,I*)ZrX2 ({(η5-C9Me6)Me2Si(η5-C5H3R)}ZrX2; R = H, Me, and nBu; X = Cl, Br, Me, and CH2Ph) have been investigated as catalysts for the slurry-phase polymerization of ethylene in the pr...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Lamb, JV, Buffet, J-C, Turner, ZR, Khamnaen, T, O'Hare, D
Format: Journal article
Language:English
Published: American Chemical Society 2020
Description
Summary:Solid polymethylaluminoxane (sMAO) supported ansa-bridged permethylindenyl zirconocenes Me2SB(CpR,I*)ZrX2 ({(η5-C9Me6)Me2Si(η5-C5H3R)}ZrX2; R = H, Me, and nBu; X = Cl, Br, Me, and CH2Ph) have been investigated as catalysts for the slurry-phase polymerization of ethylene in the presence of H2. The catalysts demonstrated remarkable stability to H2 both in a high-throughput screening system and in a 2 L batch reactor, with an almost constant ethylene uptake maintained throughout the polymerization runs. The catalysts demonstrated very high ethylene polymerization activities, almost 3 times higher than sMAO-(CpnBu)2ZrCl2 (industrial standard zirconocene catalyst) under the same conditions. The presence of small quantities of H2 (<1%) led to significant decreases in polymer molecular weights to produce commercially desirable polyethylene waxes (Mn < 10 kg mol-1) in a batch reactor.