Effect of titanium nanofiller on the productivity and crystallinity of ethylene and propylene copolymer

Bis(cyclopentadienyl) zirconium (IV) dichloride of empirical formula C₁₀ H₁₀ Cl₂ Zr was used as a catalyst. Doped titania with iron (TiO₂/Fe) nanofillers were used to study the effect of nanofillers on ethylene homopolymer and ethylene/propylene copolymer properties. Using titanium dioxide doped with iron (TiO₂/Fe) resulted in the increase in the molecular weight (M_w) of polyethylene and ethylene/propylene copolymer nanocomposites of up to 80% when compared to the neat polymer. The catalyst activity was increased by using TiO₂/Fe nanofiller for both ethylene polymerization and ethylene/propylene copolymerization. Besides the investigation of the catalyst activity and the molecular weight (M_w) of the obtained polymer, molecular weight distribution, copolymer composition, crystallinity and thermal characteristics of polyethylene and polyethylene/polypropylene nanocomposites were also studied. Non-isothermal crystallization kinetics of polyethylene and polyethylene/polypropylene nanocomposites fits well with the Avrami-Erofeev model.