COPOLYMERIZATION OF ETHYLENE AND 1-BUTENE WITH HIGHLY-ACTIVE TICL4 THF/MGCL2, TICL4/THF/MGCL2/SIO2, AND TICL(3)(.)1/3ALCL(3) CATALYSTS/

Highly active catalysts for copolymerization have been prepared by the precipitation of MgCl2/TiCl4, complex with or without high surface ar ea silica. Copolymerization of ethylene and 1-butene has been tested b y using the prepared catalysts at various concentrations of 1-butene. The catalytic activities are 20-80 kg/g Ti h. The rate of copolymeriza tion is strongly affected by the addition of l-butene. The decay rate of copolymerization is first order with respect to time. Analyses of c opolymers with solvent extraction, DSC, IR, XRD, and NMR were performe d. Ethylene reactivity ratio (k(11)) for TiCl4/MgCl2/THF catalyst is c alculated to be about 26 by NMR spectrum. (C) 1994 John Wiley and Sons , Inc.