HIGH-PRESSURE POLYMERIZATION OF ETHYLENE WITH A HOMOGENEOUS METALLOCENE CATALYST

Soluble metallocene catalysts can be easily metered into high pressure polymerization reactors. The performance of a homogeneous zirconocene catalyst for the polymerization of ethylene under high pressures was tested at 1500 bar and temperatures between 80 and 260 degrees C in th e presence of methyl aluminoxane as cocatalyst. Besides the productivi ty of the catalyst and the overall rate of polymerization, the most im portant properties of the prepared polymers were determined. The resul ts were compared with those found earlier with a heterogeneous titaniu m catalyst supported on magnesium dichloride.