Transition Metals and Organometallics as Catalysts for Olefin Polymerization

The "International Symposium on Transition Metals and Organometallics as Catalysts for Olefin Polymerization" held in Hamburg from September 21 - 24, 1987 gives an overview of today's research for olefin polymerization with metalorganic compounds. The goal of the symposium was to show direction for further development of catalysts, to find proper methods in the determination of the number of active centres, to investigate the kinetics and the overall mechanism of the catalysis with heterogeneous and homogeneous catalysts, to provide with synthetic pathways for new polyolefins and copolymers with different properties, and finally to develop tools and techniques for a comprehensive characterization of the polymers. More than 30 years after the discovery of transition metals and organometallics as catalysts for olefin polymerization these catalysts have not lost their fascination. New impulses for olefinpolymerizations have been brought about by the discovery of the very high cocatalytic activity of alumoxanes instead of aluminumalkyls together with the soluble transition metal compounds of titanocene, zirconocene and hafnocene. The 41 contributions printed in this volume are arranged in four sections: Studies of the Active Sites, and Kinetics and Mechanism in Heterogeneous Catalysts - New Aspects in the Heterogeneous Catalysts Polymerization of Olefins - Homogeneous Catalysts for Olefin Polymerization - The Influence of the Reactor Design, Polyolefin Characterization.

More than 30 years after the discovery of transition metals and organometal- lics as catalysts for olefin polymerization these catalysts did not have lost their fascination. Since 1953 when Karl Ziegler has discovered the catalytic polymerization of ethylene leading to plastically formable polymers which are mechanically stable up to temperatures of about 100C, synthetic polymers and rubbers have made their way right into private houses. This discovery has been a main impetus for the fast growing production of plastics. The stereoselective poly- merization of propylene and other long-chain a-olefins first detected by Giulio Natta leads to an even broadened field of applications. Another enforcing factor were the developments of Standard Oil of Indiana and Phillipps Petroleum Company who engaged in the polymerization of a-olefins supported molybdenum, cobalt and later on chromium catalysts which clearly indicates the wide variety of suitable systems. This kind of research acknowledged merit when in 1963 the Nobel prize of chemistry was awarded to Ziegler and Natta. Although to a great extent there is a technical application for these catalysts, up to now the nature of the active centres and many reaction mechanisms are not completely known.

Contents: Studies of the Active Sites, and Kinetics and Mechanism in Heterogeneous Catalysts.- New Aspects in the Heterogeneous Catalysts Polymerization of Olefins.- Homogeneous Catalysts for Olefin Polymerization.- The Influence of the Reactor Design, Polyolefin Characterization.