Polymerization of ethylene and ethylene/1-hexene over Ziegler-Natta/metallocene hybrid catalysts supported on MgCl2 prepared by a recrystallization method

MgCl2 for use as a catalyst support was prepared by dissolution in methanol and recrystallization in n-decane, followed by vacuum-drying at 2,000 rpm. The prepared support was modified by treatment with alkylaluminum compounds. The activity profile of ethylene over the supported catalysts persisted for periods up to 1 h during the polymerization. The prepared Ziegler-Natta/metallocene hybrid catalysts exhibited the characteristics of both metallocene and Ziegler-Natta catalysts. The polymer produced by the hybrid catalysts gave bimodal peaks in differential scanning calorimetry analysis for ethylene and ethylene/1-hexene polymerization, suggesting that the polymer was composed of two different lamellar structures that were polymerized by each catalyst. (C) 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.