Preparation of polypropylene‐based nanocomposites using nanosized MCM‐41 as support and in situ polymerization |
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Authors: | Darío M González Raúl Quijada Mehrdad Yazdani‐Pedram Joao Paulo Lourenço M Rosario Ribeiro |
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Affiliation: | 1. Departamento de Ingeniería Química y Biotecnología, Facultad de Ciencias Físicas y Matemáticas, Universidad de Chile, Santiago, Chile;2. Facultad de Ciencias Químicas y Farmacéuticas, Universidad de Chile, Santiago, Chile;3. Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia, CIQA, Universidade do Algarve, Av. Rovisco pais, Lisboa;4. Centro de Química Estrutural (CQE) and Department of Chemical Engineering, Instituto Superior Técnico, University of Lisbon, Lisbon, Portugal |
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Abstract: | MCM‐41 nanoparticles were used for preparing nanocomposites through the in situ polymerization of propylene. The performance of the catalytic system and the final properties of the materials obtained are highly dependent on the methodology used for impregnation of the catalyst onto the support particles, and therefore an optimization study for the impregnation methodology of the catalyst (Me2Si(Ind)2ZrCl2) was carried out. Two different methodologies were used; the results in terms of catalytic activity and polymer molecular masses indicated that the most promising one involved the pre‐activation of the catalyst with the cocatalyst, methylaluminoxane, followed by impregnation onto the MCM‐41 nanoparticles. Thus, an optimized route for the preparation of polypropylene nanocomposites achieving significant improvements in catalyst activity was developed. The nanocomposite materials were characterized by GPC, TGA and DSC. The dispersion state and the size of the nanoparticles incorporated in the polypropylene matrix were investigated by transmission electron microcopy. Additionally, this methodology allows simultaneous control of the desired amount of support and the concentration of catalyst to be used in the in situ polymerization. © 2015 Society of Chemical Industry |
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Keywords: | MCM‐41 nanoparticles supported catalyst metallocene catalyst polypropylene nanocomposites |
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