Effect of Novel Ether and Conventional Silane External Donors on the 4th Generation of Ziegler-Natta Catalysts for Propylene Polymerization

In this research, five etheric compounds with different numbers of methoxy groups were synthesized by Williamson reaction. These ether compounds were characterized by 1HNMR, 13CNMR, and FTIR techniques and then were employed as external electron donors for the polymerization of propylene with Ziegler-Natta catalyst for comparison with cyclohexylmethyldimethoxysilane (C-Donor) and dicyclopentyldimethoxy silan (D-Donor). Polymerization of propylene was carried out using MgCl2-supported Ziegler–Natta catalyst (MgCl2/ID/TiCl4) containing a phthalate type internal electron donor in the presence of trimethylaluminum cocatalyst and hydrogen with external donors, to compare the influence of ether and silane compounds in properties of polypropylene. The role of these etheric compounds and industrial alkoxysilanes on the properties of polypropylene were studied by using O-xylene solubility method, Melt Flow Index (MFI) and Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC). The productivity, crystallinity, and isotacticity of the obtained polypropylene were influenced by external electron donors. Also, the morphology of the industrial Ziegler-Natta catalyst and polypropylenes produced using these catalysts in the presence of different external donors were determined by Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM).