KINETIC INVESTIGATION OF PARAMETERS GOVERNING THE HIGH-TEMPERATURE POLYMERIZATION OF ETHYLENE INITIATED BY SUPPORTED VCL3 CATALYTIC-SYSTEMS

This study examines the kinetics of the high-temperature ethylene poly merization initiated by vanadium trichloride alone and vanadium trichl oride supported on CrCl3 and AlCl3. The productivity of the various sy stems as well as the rate vs time profiles depend strongly on the natu re and proportion of the support but also on the nature of alkylalumin ium used as a cocatalyst. A kinetic model involving an adsorption proc ess of both the monomer and the cocatalyst on the active sites was use d to investigate the characteristics of the various VCl3-based catalyt ic systems. The influence of the vanadium environment on the initial n umber of active sites and on their deactivation rate are discussed. Co pyright (C) 1996 Elsevier Science Ltd