THE VAPOR PHASE POLYMERIZATION OF ETHYLENE ON AN ORGANOTITANIUM CATALYTIC SURFACE

Abstract

The polymerization of ethylene has been studied in the gas phase on a solid catalyst formed by the reaction of an organotitanium vapor with a solid crystalline titanium compound deposited on the walls of a reaction vessel.The rate of polymerization of ethylene was found to be, initially, of first order but as the reaction proceeded departure from the first-order case was observed.Experiments conducted under the condition of constant pressure as well as the usual constant-volume state enabled us, with the aid of an analogue computer, to devise a mathematical model which explained the experimental results in an unique fashion.A measure of the rate constant for catalyst decay was also obtained as well as the activation energy for the overall propagation step in the polymerization of ethylene.