NEW COORDINATION CATALYSTS BASED ON RARE-EARTH COMPOUNDS FOR POLYMERIZATION OF 1-OCTENE

The study of rare earth coordination catalysts for polymerization of 1-octene has been successfully carried out for the first time. Some features and kinetic behavior of polymerization of 1-octene by Nd(naph)3-AlEt3 catalyst system in tetrachloro-methane are described. The overall polymerization activation energy E(a) measured was 74.5 kJ/mol and the rate equation could be expressed as R(p) = k(p) [Nd] [M] (k(p) = 3.21 X 10(-3) L/mol s, at 50-degrees-C). The catalytic activity of various rare earth elements in Ln (naph)3 and ligands in NdL3 for the polymerization was compared. A 1-octene oligomer with double bonds was obtained. It is either a white or pale yellow waxy semi-solid. Its number-average molecular weight is about 10(3) and the molecular weight distribution is less than 2.