SYNTHESIS OF ZIEGLER-NATTA CATALYSTS SUPPORTED ON SOL-GEL MATERIAL AND ITS APPLICATION IN GAS-PHASE AND SLURRY POLYMERIZATION OF ETHYLENE 

Korach L.¹, Kovaleva N.Yu², Czaja K.¹

¹University of Opole, Institute of Chemistry

²Institute of Chemical Physics RAS

Organometallic catalysts for olefin polymerization have to be heterogenized before application in industrial gas-phase plants. Heterogenization allows regulating polymer morphology as well. Therefore many studies are focused on investigations of composition and methods of synthesis of organometallic systems supported on various carriers, mainly silica.

It is known that activity of supported catalytic system and properties of resulting polymers depend on physical and chemical properties of material used as a carrier. Most often used ways of support material modification is its calcination and/or modification with organoaluminium compound.

Our earlier results showed that new silica-type material obtained in sol-gel process may be successfully used as a support of organometallic catalysts for ethylene polymerization [1-4].

The present report deals with investigations on the influence of modification conditions of sol-gel silica carrier on:

-       its chemical and physical properties,

-       chemisorption process of Ziegler-Natta catalyst components (TiCl₄, VOCl₃ and AlEt₂Cl) on mentioned carrier,

-       activity of supported Ziegler-Natta catalysts in gas-phase and slurry polymerization.

1.     Czaja K., Korach L., Bialek M., Stręk W., Maruszewski K., Pol.Pat.Appl. P-328 541, (1998).

2.     Czaja K., Korach L., Bialek M., Polimery, 44, 426 (1999).

3.     Czaja K., Korach L., Pol.Pat.Appl. P-334 825, (1999).

4.     Korach L., Czaja K., Polym. Bull., 46, 67 (2001)