Storage time effect on dynamic structure of MgCl2.nEtOH adducts in heterogeneous Ziegler-Natta catalysts

Primary MgCl2.3.3EtOH adduct (PCT1) was prepared by melt quenching method and then submitted into a programmed thermal dealcoholation project using a fluidized bed reactor. During thermal dealcoholation program, different MgCl2.nEtOH support samples with n= 3.0, 2.7, 2.4, and 2.1 were selected and named as PCT2 to PCT5, respectively. Structural analysis of the support samples showed a significant increase in the surface area, from 7.4 m2/g to 12.8 m2/g, together with the decrease in peaks height at 2θ≈ 8.9 and 9.7˚ by moving from PCT1 to PCT5. After characterization of support samples, final catalysts were prepared by reacting these samples with TiCl4 and examined in slurry phase propylene polymerization. Prepared catalysts showed similar stereospecifities but different activities in the polymerization experiments, so that, with proceeding dealcoholation from PCT1 to PCT2 catalyst activity was reached a maximum amount of 2.9 kgPP/g Cat.h, and then by further dealcoholation, from PCT2 to PCT5, catalyst activity decreased gradually. In the last section, effect of time interval between thermal dealcoholation and catalyst preparation, which is called storage time, on the crystal and morphological characteristics of the two of the best adduct samples, namely MgCl2.2.4EtOH and MgCl2.3.0EtOH, was studied, as well. Storage time greatly affected the characteristics of the adducts together with resulted catalysts, and the best catalyst activity was achieved for the ones prepared immediately after adduct preparation.