Insertion Polymerization

Catalytic olefin insertion polymerization has undergone dramatic changes in recent years, from both scientific and commercial points of view. The boundaries originally determined by Karl Ziegler have finally been exceeded and insertion polymerization is now a commercially attractive process and environmentally sound. On September 28 and 29, 2000, BASF AG hosted the Conference on Insertion Polymerization in Ludwigshafen, Germany. Experts from around the world gathered to present and discuss the state-of-the-art in insertion polymerization, with special emphasis on recent scientific breakthroughs, industrial applications and future prospects. This volume of Macromolecular Symposia contains many of the papers presented and provides an overview of the current state and predicted directions of insertion polymerization research and technology.

Table of Contents:
Preface (G. Schweier). The Polyolefin Challenges: Catalyst and Process Design, Tailor--Made Materials, High--Throughput Development and Data Mining (A. Tuchbreiter and R. Mulhaupt). Advances in Propene Polymerization Using MgC1 2 --Supported Catalysts. Fundamental Aspects and the Role of Electron Donors (J. Chadwick). The CrO x /SiO 2 /Si(100) Catalyst--A Surface Science Approach to Supported Olefin Polymerization Catalysis (P. Thune, et al.). High Mileage Ziegler--Catalysts: Excellent Tools for Polyethylene Production (L. Bohm). From the Lab Bench to the Plant: How to Commercialize a Metallocene Catalyst (H. Alt)? The Particle--Forming Process of SiO 2 --Supported Metallocene Catalysts (G. Fink, et al.). Metallocene Catalysts for the Polymerization and Copolymerization of alpha--Olefins: A Research Collaboration Project Report (G. Schweier and H. Brintzinger). Olefin Polymerization and Deactivation Pathways of Titanium--Phosphinimide Catalysts (D. Stephan). Steric Control of the Chromium--Catalyzed Oligomerization of Ethylene (A. Dohring, et al.). New Highly Active and Selective Ethylene Oligomerization Catalysts Based on Catatonic Diamide Zirconimu Complexes (A. Horton, et al.). Car--Parrinello Molecular Dynamics Investigation of Active Surfaces and Ti Catalytic Sites in Ziegler--Natta Heterogeneous Catalysis (H. Weiss, et al.). Progress in Describing Particle Growth for Polyolefins: A Look at Particle Morphology (T. McKenna and V. Mattioli). Exploring the Activation of Olefin Polymerisation Catalysts with Density Functional Theory (K. Vanka, et al.). Production of Polyolefins with Controlled Long Chain Branching and Molecular Weight Distributions Using Mixed Metallocene Catalysts (D. Beigzadeh). Polypropene Product Innovation by Reactor Granule Technology (G. Cecchin, et al.). Copolymerisation Properties of Siloxy--Substituted bis(Indenyl)--zirconocene Catalysts: Modified Rheological Behaviour (J. Seppala, et al.). Future Trends in Polyolefin Materials (K. Sinclair).