Polydentate phosphine oxides as external electron donors for titanium-magnesium catalysts for propylene polymerization

Abstract

The possibility of using R n P(O)(CH2OR′)3—n (R = alkyl, R′ = methyl or acyl, n = 0–2) polydentate phosphine oxides as external electron donors for the titanium-magnesium catalysts for isotactic polypropylene synthesis is demonstrated for the first time. The kinetics of propylene polymerization in liquid monomer at 70°C and the isotacticity and molecular-weight characteristics of the resulting polypropylene are studied as functions of the nature of the substituents at the phosphorus atoms in the external donor and the molar ratio of the cocatalyst AlEt3 to the external electron donor. Among the compounds examined, isoamyldi(methoxymethyl)phosphine oxide (R = iso-Am, R′ = Me, n = 1) is the most efficient. The isotacticity index of the polypropylene (PP) synthesized on the titanium-magnesium catalyst with this external donor is as high as 94–95%, and the activity of the catalyst (Cat) in the absence of hydrogen is 5.0–6.5 (kg PP) (g Cat)−1 h−1. With the optimum combination, the activity of this catalyst is ≈5 (kg PP) (g Cat)−1 h−1 and the isotacticity index is 94%. These parameters are close to those obtained for propylene polymerization in the absence of hydrogen on the same titanium-magnesium catalyst with phenyltriethoxysilane (external donor used in the industrial synthesis of PP): the activity is 5.6 (kg PP) (g Cat)−1 h−1, and the isotacticity index is 95%. The introduction of hydrogen into the reaction zone makes it possible to efficiently control the molecular weight of PP, increases the catalyst activity by a factor of 1.5–2.5, and somewhat decreases the isotacticity index (from 94 to 91–92%).