Ziegler-Natta polymers

Section 14 15 Coordination polymerization of ethylene and propene has the biggest eco nomic impact of any organic chemical process Ziegler-Natta polymer ization IS carried out using catalysts derived from transition metals such as titanium and zirconium tt Bonded and ct bonded organometallic com pounds are intermediates m coordination polymerization... 

Ziegler-Natta polymers are linear and have practically no chain branching. 

Ziegler-Natta polymers are stereochemically controllable. Isotactic, syndiotactic, and atactic forms can all be produced, depending on the catalyst system used. 

Another method for preparing functional Ziegler-Natta polymers is to use an organoborane mediated synthesis. This method has been extensively studied and reviewed by Chung . The success of this technique results from these factors (a) trialkyl boranes are Lewis acids, which are stable to Z-N catalysts, (b) they are soluble in Z-N (hydrocarbon) solvents, (c) they are remarkably versatile synthons for a variety of functional groups. In this case, borane functional alpha olefin monomers (31) are polymerized to polyboranes which can be hydrolyzed to a variety of functional groups. 

First-order Markov processes are therefore defined by two independent addition probabilities. Although the propagation steps shown above depict free radical polymerisation, the statistical models are equally applicable to other types of chain growth as found, for example, in ionic and Ziegler-Natta polymers (see section 2.3.4). 

For both types of polymerization the structure of the resulting polymers was studied by x-ray diffraction analysis, F-NMR, and infrared analysis [534]. In the case of the trialkylborane systems the chain defects were given to be 3.2%, which is higher than the imperfections found for Ziegler-Natta polymers (2.7%). However, remarkable differences in the F-NMR of the two polymers were observed. That of the polymer initiated with boronalkyl/oxygen was similar to the spectrum of conventional PVF2. However, the... 

These results are consistent with a random distribution of the various units. The probability of a random sequence of r similar units (e.g. 1,2- units) is given by p (l-p) where p is the fraction of such units in the total. For the Ziegler-Natta polymers described by Yakubchik p = c. 0 05 so that the molar ratio of butane tricarboxylic acid to hexane tetracarboxylic acid should be about 20 1 whilst for the rubidium-catalyzed polymers which had a 1,2- content of about 50% the ratio should be about 2 1 (experimental results c. 1 7 1). 

Before the development of the Ziegler-Natta catalyst systems (Section 6 21) polymer ization of propene was not a reaction of much value The reason for this has a stereo chemical basis Consider a section of polypropylene... 

The stereoregulating capability of Ziegler-Natta catalysts is believed to depend on a coordination mechanism in which both the growing polymer chain and the monomer coordinate with the catalyst. The addition then occurs by insertion of the monomer between the growing chain and the catalyst by a concerted mechanism [XIX] ... 

The weight percent propylene in ethylene-propylene copolymers for different Ziegler-Natta catalysts was measuredt for the initial polymer produced from identical feedstocks. The following results were obtained ... 

Catalysts. Iodine and its compounds ate very active catalysts for many reactions (133). The principal use is in the production of synthetic mbber via Ziegler-Natta catalysts systems. Also, iodine and certain iodides, eg, titanium tetraiodide [7720-83-4], are employed for producing stereospecific polymers, such as polybutadiene mbber (134) about 75% of the iodine consumed in catalysts is assumed to be used for polybutadiene and polyisoprene polymeri2a tion (66) (see RUBBER CHEMICALS). Hydrogen iodide is used as a catalyst in the manufacture of acetic acid from methanol (66). A 99% yield as acetic acid has been reported. In the heat stabiH2ation of nylon suitable for tire cordage, iodine is used in a system involving copper acetate or borate, and potassium iodide (66) (see Tire cords). 

A weU-known feature of olefin polymerisation with Ziegler-Natta catalysts is the repHcation phenomenon ia which the growing polymer particle mimics the shape of the catalyst (101). This phenomenon allows morphological control of the polymer particle, particularly sise, shape, sise distribution, and compactness, which greatiy influences the polymerisation processes (102). In one example, the polymer particle has the same spherical shape as the catalyst particle, but with a diameter approximately 40 times larger (96). 

Olig omerization and Polymerization. Siace an aHyl radical is stable, linear a-olefins are not readily polymerized by free-radical processes such as those employed ia the polymerization of styrene. However, ia the presence of Ziegler-Natta catalysts, these a-olefins can be smoothly converted to copolymers of various descriptions. Addition of higher olefins during polymerization of ethylene is commonly practiced to yield finished polymers with improved physical characteristics. 

Polypropylene. One of the most important appHcations of propylene is as a monomer for the production of polypropylene. Propylene is polymerized by Ziegler-Natta coordination catalysts (92,93). Polymerization is carried out either in the Hquid phase where the polymer forms a slurry of particles, or in the gas phase where the polymer forms dry soHd particles. Propylene polymerization is an exothermic reaction (94). 

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