NOVEL POLYOLEFIN MATERIALS VIA CATALYSIS AND REACTIVE PROCESSING

Recent advances in transition metal catalyzed olefin polymerization an d melt processing stimulate the production of new polymers derived fro m old monomers. Modern polyolefin processes do not require polymer pur ification and give excellent control of molecular and supermolecular p olyclefin architectures. Progress in catalyst design and preparation o f tailor-made homo-and copolymers is highlighted for isotactic, syndio tactic, atactic and stereo-block polypropylene (PP), novel 1-olefin co polymers, and ethylene copolymers with polar monomers, e.g., CO and ac rylics. Today polyethylene short-and long-chain-branching is controlle d either by uniform ethylene copolymerization with 1-olefins using ''s ingle-site'' metallocene catalysts, or by migratory polyinsertion of e thylene, respectively. Stiff cycloaliphatic polymers expand the fronti ers of polyolefins into engineering applications. New families of poly ethylenes and EPM with pendent polypropylene chains are obtained via c opolymerization of PP macromonomers or polymer-analoguous coupling of functionalized PP during melt processing.