Early stages of propylene bulk phase polymerization with supported metallocene catalysts

For the initial steps of propylene bulk phase polymerization with a silica-supported metallocene/MAO-catalyst the processes of polymer growth, particle expansion and carrier fragmentation are investigated. Gravimetric analysis of the kinetics is given. Light optical examination of the particles shows a significant particle expansion during the first minutes of polymerization, which is not comparable to known observation from the slurry process. Electron microscopic investigation on cross sections of the polymer particles allows a detailed insight into the process of polymer growth, carrier fragmentation and particle expansion. The results are compared with the polymer growth and particle expansion model developed with slurry polymerizations under mild model conditions. In bulk phase polymerization particle expansion and carrier fragmentation are much faster due to more drastic reaction conditions. Nevertheless, it is still possible to observe a shell-by-shell degradation of the carrier material. Varying start up behaviors of single catalyst grains are observed. We are able to correlate the initial polymerization activity of individual grains with the cocatalyst loading and distribution on the catalyst carrier by means of microanalytical techniques. The results explain the varying start up behaviors of single grains. It becomes clear why different states of fragmentation are mixed up in the observed polymer samples.