Kinetics-based differences in the early stage fragmentation of two structurally analogous silica-supported hafnocene- and zirconocene-based catalysts were observed during gas-phase ethylene polymerization at low pressures. A combination of focused ion beam-scanning electron microscopy (FIB-SEM) and nanoscale infrared photoinduced force microscopy (IR PiFM) revealed notable differences in the distribution of the support, polymer, and composite phases between the two catalyst materials. By means of time-resolved probe molecule infrared spectroscopy, correlations between this divergence in morphology and the kinetic behavior of the catalysts' active sites were established. The rate of polymer formation, a property that is inherently related to a catalyst's kinetics and the applied reaction conditions, ultimately governs mass transfer and thus the degree of homogeneity achieved during support fragmentation. In the absence of strong mass transfer limitations, a layer-by-layer mechanism dominates at the level of the individual catalyst support domains under the given experimental conditions.

Correlating the Morphological Evolution of Individual Catalyst Particles to the Kinetic Behavior of Metallocene-Based Ethylene Polymerization Catalysts

Zarupski, Jelena
Co-first
;
Piovano, Alessandro;Groppo, Elena
;
2021-01-01

Abstract

Kinetics-based differences in the early stage fragmentation of two structurally analogous silica-supported hafnocene- and zirconocene-based catalysts were observed during gas-phase ethylene polymerization at low pressures. A combination of focused ion beam-scanning electron microscopy (FIB-SEM) and nanoscale infrared photoinduced force microscopy (IR PiFM) revealed notable differences in the distribution of the support, polymer, and composite phases between the two catalyst materials. By means of time-resolved probe molecule infrared spectroscopy, correlations between this divergence in morphology and the kinetic behavior of the catalysts' active sites were established. The rate of polymer formation, a property that is inherently related to a catalyst's kinetics and the applied reaction conditions, ultimately governs mass transfer and thus the degree of homogeneity achieved during support fragmentation. In the absence of strong mass transfer limitations, a layer-by-layer mechanism dominates at the level of the individual catalyst support domains under the given experimental conditions.
2021
1
11
1996
2008
FIB-SEM; fragmentation; kinetics; mass transfer limitations; metallocenes; PiFM; polymerization; probe molecules
Werny, Maximilian J.; Zarupski, Jelena; ten Have, Iris C.; Piovano, Alessandro; Hendriksen, Coen; Friederichs, Nicolaas H.; Meirer, Florian; Groppo, Elena; Weckhuysen, Bert M.
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Utilizza questo identificativo per citare o creare un link a questo documento: https://hdl.handle.net/2318/1838422
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