Synthesis and properties of polyethylene/TiO₂ nanocomposites using a vanadium catalyst

Abstract

In this study, a vanadium (III) complex bearing a salicylaldiminato ligand of the general formula [RN=CH(2,4‐tBu2C6H2O)]VCl2(THF)2, where R = 2,6‐iPr2C6H3, was used as a catalyst. Titanium dioxide doped with iron nanofillers was synthesized by a sol‐gel process and used to investigate the effect of nanofillers on ethylene homopolymer and ethylene/propylene copolymer properties. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first time titanium dioxide doped with iron has been used as a nanofiller in ethylene polymerization and ethylene/propylene copolymerization using a vanadium complex with methyl aluminum dichloride as a cocatalyst. Besides catalyst activity, the molecular mass (Mw) of the obtained polymer, molecular mass distribution, copolymer composition, crystallinity, and thermal characteristics of polyethylene and polyethylene/polypropylene nanocomposites were investigated.

Research Trends in Carbon Chain Polymers and Their Derivatives: Highlighting the Decade‐Long Research

“…[47] The study of incorporating iron-doped TiO 2 filler on the synthesis and properties of polyethylene and ethylene/ propylene copolymer nanocomposites using a vanadium catalyst revealed that sol-gel-based iron doped TiO 2 filler strongly affected catalytic performance, polymer molecular weight and molecular weight distribution, crystallinity and composition of copolymer, and thermal properties of homo-(polyethylene) and co-polymer (polyethylene/polypropylene) nanocomposites. [51] For homo-polymer nanocomposites, the activity has a linear relationship with filler content varying from 5 to 15 mg. The chain propagation was largely responsible for the increase in activity with increase in filler content.…”