Ethylene/5-ethylidene-2-norbornene Copolymer Synthesized via Bis(2-PhInd)ZrCl2: II. Investigation via Response Surface Methodology

In the past decades, metallocene catalysts have been the center of olefin polymerization and nowadays their importance has increased tremendously due to their ability toproduce polymers with unique properties and enhanced performance characteristics compared to common generalpurposepolyolefins. Their high catalytic activity, excellent ability for comonomer incorporation, ability in tailoring the composition of polymers and producing polymers with narrowmolecular weight distribution and uniform comonomer distribution have caused the metallocene catalysts to beconsidered as a promising type of olefin polymerization catalysts.[1-2] In the present work the activity of bis(2-PhInd)ZrCl2 asmetallocene catalyst in the copolymerization of ethylene with5-ethylidene-2-norbornene (ENB) is investigated via response surface methodology