Titanium Dioxide Nanoparticles Show Promise in Nanotechnology Field

Strategic Insights -

Researchers at PetroChina Company Ltd. in Lanzhou, People's Republic of China, have made a significant breakthrough in the field of nanotechnology by incorporating titanium dioxide nanoparticles into porous organic polymers (POPs). This advancement has led to the development of highly flowable and efficient metallocene catalysts, which have shown remarkable ethylene polymerization activity and productivity.

Key Takeaways:

  • The research demonstrates that porous organic polymers (POPs) can be used as an efficient support in the olefin polymerization catalyst field.
  • The incorporation of titanium dioxide nanoparticles into POPs resulted in a specific surface area of 100-300 m^2/g, a bulk density of 0.26-0.35 g/mL, and flowability.
  • The addition of 37.5% titanium dioxide and a 3:1 DVB/HEMA (molar ratio) resulted in highly flowable TiO/POP composites with a narrow particle size distribution of 0.717 and an average particle size of 24.1 μm.
  • The immobilized (n-BuCp)ZrCl/MAO@POP-7 catalyst exhibited the highest ethylene polymerization activity of 4794 kg PE/mol Zr.h and productivity of 389 g PE/g cat.
  • The prepared TiO/POP catalyst showed no obvious Zr active sites decay during ethylene polymerization, allowing for higher catalyst productivity and bulk density of the produced PE.

Statistics:

  • Specific surface area of the prepared TiO/POP supports: 100-300 m^2/g
  • Bulk density of the prepared TiO/POP supports: 0.26-0.35 g/mL
  • Average particle size of the TiO/POP particles: 24.1 μm
  • Specific surface area of the immobilized (n-BuCp)ZrCl/MAO@POP-7 catalyst: 279 m^2/g
  • Bulk density of the produced PE: 0.36 g/mL
  • Ethylene polymerization activity of the immobilized (n-BuCp)ZrCl/MAO@POP-7 catalyst: 4794 kg PE/mol Zr.h
  • Productivity of the immobilized (n-BuCp)ZrCl/MAO@POP-7 catalyst: 389 g PE/g cat

Sources:

  • Highly Flowable Nano TiO2/Porous Organic Polymer (POP) Supports for Efficient Metallocene Catalysts. Nanomaterials, 2020;11(1):60.
  • PetroChina Company Ltd., Lanzhou Petrochemical Research Center, Petrochemical Research Institute, PetroChina Company Ltd., Lanzhou 730060, People's Republic of China.