Metallocene catalysts kinetic models

Based on these kinetic and microscopic observations, olefin polymerization by supported catalysts can be described by a shell by shell fragmentation, which progresses concentrically from the outside to the centre of the support particles, each of which can thus be considered as a discrete microreactor. A comprehensive mathematical model for this complex polymerization process, which includes rate constants for all relevant activation, propagation, transfer and termination steps, serves as the basis for an adequate control of large-scale industrial polymerizations with Si02-supported metallocene catalysts [A. Alex-iadis, C. Andes, D. Ferrari, F. Korber, K. Hauschild, M. Bochmann, G. Fink, Macromol. Mater. Eng. 2004, 289, 457]. 

A kinetic model has been proposed based on microstructural analysis, including both chain-epimerization and site-epimerization reactions in both C2- and C.-symmctric metallocenes, and rationalizing the observed pseudo-second-order kinetics of propylene polymerization promoted by C2-symmetric metallocene catalysts. This point has been extended to co-polymers.298 A thorough study of propylene polymerization with the Me2C(Cp)(9-Flu)ZrCl2 system in the presence of a large series of different counterions that rationalized the correlation between the nature of ion pair and the microstructure of the resulting PPs has been performed.104... 

The first kinetic model for propagation in homogeneous systems was proposed by Ewen [47], assuming that the propagation took place as shown in Fig. 9.18. This scheme, shown for Cp2Ti(IV) polymerization of propylene, is representative of the kinetics for dl of the polymerizations with Group IVB metallocenes. In the scheme, species 1 and 4 represent coordinatively unsaturated Ti(IV) complexes that are-formally 16-electron pseudo-tetrahedral species, species 2 represents the interacting catalyst/cocatalyst combination, while intermediate 3 is shown with the monomer coordinated... 

What did we learn We have to confess that we still do not understand all details in order to be able to predict the exact properties of a designed metallocene catalyst. Too many parameters are involved that determine the kinetics of the polymerization. Tiny changes at the metallocene complex can have a drastic effect on the activity of the catalyst and the properties of the polymers. Even molecular modeling cannot answer all the questions it only can confirm trends. Nevertheless, the presented empirical trends should be helpful to prepare more or less tailored metallocene catalysts for application. 

To date, besides the above kinetic model, a number of other approaches have been proposed in the literature to explain the deviation from a linear law of olefin polymerization rate with changing monomer concentration. Most recent studies have been carried out on metallocene catalysts. 

The chemistries utilized in gas-phase technologies employ the same Ziegler-Natta (314,315) and single-site (metallocene) catalysts (313) described in the processes included below. In gas-phase systems, however, the catalysts are generally solid-supported, but produce the same range of polybutadiene microstructures inherent to the nonsupported catalyst. Several patents also include anionic polymerization systems as useful in gas-phase processes (378). Kinetic modeling work has also been done to better predict the gas-phase polymerization behavior of 1,3-butadiene (379). 

The purpose of deriving these models was to show that the microstructures observed with the sPP polymers with metallocene catalysts are consistent with site stereochemical control and to derive the kinetics supporting the proposed chemical reactions responsible for the m placements. 

Keywords polymerization kinetics, polymerization reactors, mathematical modelling, molecular weight distribution (MWD), chemical composition distribution (CCD), Ziegler-Natta catalysts, metallocenes, microstructure, isotacticity distribution, mass transfer resistances, heat transfer resistances, effects of multiple site types. 

Metallocene/MAO and other single-site catalysts allow the synthesis of tailored polyolefin structures in a way that was impossible in previous years. The known dependence of the kind of metallocene-based polymer on the catalyst structure allows the modeling of the reaction kinetics and the polymerization process... 

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