POLYOLEFINS - SYNTHESES AND STRUCTURES

Commodity plastics, especially polyolefins are the most important grou p of plastic materials. Polyethylenes constitute about 60% of polyolef ins and will reach a capacity of about 60 million tons a year by the y ear 2000. New initiating systems are now being developed for an even m ore efficient production of polyolefins. For substituted polyolefins, like polypropylene, novel technology will allow the control of stereos pecificity of the polymer products, and more importantly, will allow u s to control molecular weights and molecular weight distributions. The se developments will allow for the control of morphological engineerin g of polyolefin properties by controlling, among other things, the nuc leation of polymer crystallization.