THE PRODUCTION OF ETHENE PROPENE/5-ETHYLIDENE-2-NORBORNENE TERPOLYMERS USING METALLOCENE CATALYSTS - POLYMERIZATION, CHARACTERIZATION AND PROPERTIES OF THE METALLOCENE EPDM/

Metallocene catalysts Et(Ind)(2)ZrCl2/MAO and Et(Ind)(2)HfCl2/MAO were used in ethene/propene copolymerization and in ethene/propene/5-ethyl idene-2-norbornene (E/P/ENB) terpolymerization. The copolymerization a ctivity of the Et(Ind)(2)ZrCl2/MAO system was 20 x 10(3) kg(polym)/mol (Mt)h, the Et(Ind)(2)HfCl2/MAO yielding 5 x 10(3) kg(polym)/mol(Mt)*h . The polymerization activity decreased with diene addition, but this effect was significant only at very large diene feeds. The catalysts i ncorporated diene readily. Materials with an ethene content of 55 to 7 0 mol % and an ENB content of 2 to 16 mol % were produced. Et(Ind)(2)H fCl2 produced a considerably higher molar mass material than the Et(In d)(2)ZrCl2 catalyst. The molar mass distributions were narrow. Copolym ers and terpolymers with up to 3 mol % ENB content had some crystallin ity. Copolymer T(g)s were between -59 degrees C and -55 degrees C. The terpolymer glass transition temperature rose 1.5 degrees C per wt % o f ENB in the polymer. Polymer characteristics reported include composi tion, molar mass distribution, melt flow rate, density, and thermal be havior. The dynamic mechanical and rheological properties of the mater ials in comparison with commercial E/P/ENB terpolymers are discussed. (C) 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.