Copolymerization of ethylene and 1-hexene with in-situ supported Et[Ind](2)ZrCl2

Copolymerization of ethylene and I-hexene was carried out with different ca talysts (homogeneous Et[Ind](2)ZrCl2 supported Et[Ind](2)ZrCl2 and in-situ supported Et[Ind](2)ZrCl2). The novel in-situ supported metallocene catalys t showed higher activity than the corresponding supported metallocene catal yst. C-13 NMR, gel permeation chromatography and crystallization analysis f ractionation studies showed that the microstructure of ethylene/1-hexene co polymers depends upon catalyst type. At the same polymerization conditions, the relative reactivity of l-hexene increases in the following order: supp orted metallocene approximate to insitu supported metallocene < homogeneous metallocene. The molecular weights of the produced copolymers with the thr ee different catalysts are similar, but: the molecular weight distribution of the copolymer made with the in-situ supported metallocene is broader tha n that of those made with the other catalysts. The short chain branching di stribution (SCBD) of the copolymer produced with the in-situ supported meta llocene catalyst is the broadest with a shoulder in the high crystallinity range, while the copolymers produced with the homogeneous and supported met allocene catalysts show unimodal SCBD. This may indicate that there are at least two different active species with the in-situ supported metallocene c atalyst in the copolymerization of ethylene and 1-hexene.