POLYMERIZATION OF 2-ALLYLNORBORNANE USING ZIEGLER-NATTA CATALYSTS - COPOLYMERIZATION WITH ETHYLENE

The copolymerization of ethylene with 2-allylnorbornane (2-ANB) was st udied using Ziegler-Natta and homogeneous metallocene catalysts. The c opolymers were characterized by IR, NMR, XRD, GPC, and thermal methods . It was found that the copolymers obtained using the TiCl4/TIBAL cata lyst were heterogeneous and blocky in nature while those obtained usin g Cp(2)ZrCl(2)/methylaluminoxane (MAO) were homogeneous and random in nature. A comparison between ethylene-2-ANB (norbornyl pendant) and et hylene-4-methyl-1-pentene (isopropyl pendant) copolymers led to the co nclusion that both the isopropyl and norbornyl pendant give rise to a similar lowering in the values of Delta H-f and T-m.