Simultaneous Control of 1,4-cis Selectivity and Molecular Weight of Polymer in Polymerization of Butadiene with Co(acac)3/MAO Catalyst

Abstract

Abstract Simultaneous control of 1,4-cis selective polymerization and molecular weight of polymer in the polymerization of butadiene (BD) with Co(acac)3/MAO catalyst was investigated. The polymerization of BD with the Co(acac)3/MAO catalyst strongly depended on catalyst preparation, and the polymerization rate of BD with Co(acac)3 activated by MAO in the presence of BD was faster than that with previous reported results that the Co(acac)3 activated by MAO in the absence of BD. From a kinetic study, linear relation between ln[BD]0/[BD]t and polymerization time and no induction period for the polymerization were observed in the polymerization of BD with Co(acac)3 activated by MAO in the presence of BD. This indicates that the active site for the polymerization kept constant throughout polymerization. The molecular weights of the polymers increased linearly with polymer yields, and the line passed through the original point. The Mw/Mn of the polymers kept constant during reaction time. The polymerization of BD performed at 0 °C in the Co(acac)3/MAO catalyst gave high molecular weight 1,4-cis poly(BD) (1,4-cis content > 95) and narrow polydispersity (Mw/Mn=1.36). On the basis of these results, it is clear that simultaneous 1,4-cis selective and molecular weight control is possible in the polymerization of BD with the Co(acac)3/MAO catalyst.