Magnesium Alkyls in Ziegler-Natta Catalysts

In the late 1960s, it was discovered that inorganic magnesium compounds, especially MgCljfsee section 3.5) are excellent supports for Ziegler-Natta polyolefin 

Using a variety of approaches (3), hydrocarbon-soluble R Mg were discovered, including the so-called unsymmetrical dialkylmagnesium compounds (RMgR, where R and R are to n-C alkyl groups). In fact, RMgR compounds are today the most important of the commercially available dialkylmagnesiums used in manufacture of polyethylene  

In a 1985 review article, it was declared that dialkylmagnesium compounds are of limited practical importance (2). Though this statement may have been accurate at that time, it is certainly not true today. In the early 2P century, the value of polyethylene produced from R Mg-derived Ziegler-Natta catalysts contributes substantially to the practical importance of these materials. Globally, millions of tons of polyethylene are manufactured each year using such catalysts. Dialkylmagnesium compounds are used in Ziegler-Natta catalyst synthesis in two fundamentally different ways discussed in sections 4.3.2 and 4.3.3 below. 

BOM and DBM are offered in slightly different formulations by several producers in the US and Europe. These companies supply RjMg formulations to polyolefin producers worldwide. However, no manufacturer offers all products. Major suppliers are  

Chemtura (formerly Crompton, Witco and Schering) EMC (formerly Lithium Corp. of America) 

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