Microkinetic Videomicroscopic Analysis of Olefin Polymerization with a Supported Metallocene Catalyst

Abstract

Picture this: The simultaneous growth of many single grains of catalyst culminating in polymer particles can be observed by videomicroscopy, and single-grain kinetics can be studied. The gas-phase polymerization of ethylene on 40 particles was examined in an autoclave equipped with a glass window by automatic image processing. The picture shows the overlap of three different stages of the polymerization after 0 (blue), 60 (red), and 180 (yellow) minutes.