Latest Z-N catalyst offers greater yield

13 May 2002 00:00  [Source: ICB]

A spherical catalyst containing succinate

Basell has developed a new Ziegler-Natta (Z-N) catalyst family which it expects to be in commercial use by early 2003. The proprietary succinate Z-N catalysts have been demonstrated in Basell's polypropylene (PP) plants in Italy and the Netherlands.

Basell said these advanced fifth generation catalysts significantly expand the product properties of homopolymer and heterophasic copolymer PP materials by broadening the molecular weight distribution.

Basell said the catalysts offer a 40-50% yield advantage over standard fourth generation Z-N catalysts, which use phthalates as internal donors.

Fifth generation Z-N catalysts, introduced by Basell in 1999, use diethers as internal donors, which improve the catalysts' ability to control molecular weight distribution, isotacticity and oligomer content.

The new catalysts use succinate as the internal donor. Basell's discovery of diethers as an internal donor was a breakthrough which increased yield, improved hydrogen response, and expanded product capability through the production of high melt flow and narrow molecular weight distribution products needed for speciality fibre and thin wall injection molding grades.

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