The metal-catalyzed polymerization of simple olefins, such as ethylene and propylene, has been one of the transformational discoveries in chemistry of the 20th century. It is difficult to imagine today’s civilization without ubiquitous plastics, such as polyethylene and related polymers. Although often attributed to Karl Ziegler and Giulio Natta, the winners of the 1963 Nobel Prize in Chemistry...

Polymers can be prepared using chemical and/or electrochemical methods of polymerization (see Chap. 2), although most redox polymers have been synthesized by chemical polymerization. Electrochemically active groups are either incorporated into the polymer structure inside the chain or included as a pendant group (prefunctionalized polymers), added to the polymer phase during polymerization, or ...

The present research focuses on investigation of the catalytic behaviors of MgCl₂-SiO₂/TiCl₄/THF Ziegler-Natta (ZN) catalysts with fumed SiO₂ variously treated with silane compounds. The non-treated silica (NTS) and other silicas treated with dimethylsilicone fluid (TSDMSF), dimethyldichlorosilane (TSDMDCS), and hexamethyl-disilazane (TSHMDS) were employed. It was found that the Cat-TSDMDCS and...

A two-dimensional (2D) single particle model for the copolymerization of propylene-ethylene with heterogeneous Ziegler-Natta catalyst is developed. The model accounts for the effects of the initial shape of the catalyst and carck/ pore patterns on the copolymer composition, polymerization rate and the average molecular weight properties. The spherical and oblate ellipsoidal shapes of catalyst p...