OLEFIN COPOLYMERIZATION WITH METALLOCENE CATALYSTS .3. SUPPORTED METALLOCENE METHYLALUMINOXANE CATALYST FOR OLEFIN COPOLYMERIZATION

Supported catalyst for fluidized bed polymerization processes has been prepared by reacting macroporous SiO2 first with MAO (methylaluminoxane) and then with Et [Ind]2ZrCl2. It contains 0.60 wt % of Zr and an [Al]/[Zr] ratio of 50. This catalyst produces homogeneous E/P (ethylene/propylene) copolymers with truly random copolymerization behaviors and requires a total [Al]/[Zr] of only 670. Several times larger amount of MAO would be required to achieve the same copolymerization activity for the Et[Ind]2ZrCl2/MAO catalyst in solution. This random copolymerization is independent of catalyst concentration and composition. Activation of the supported catalyst with i-butylaluminoxane, tri-i-butylaluminum, or trimethylaluminum resulted in lower activity and copolymers having high ethylene content and crystallinity.