Polymerization of ethylene using a high-activity Ziegler-Natta catalyst. I. Kinetic studies

Factors affecting the particular shape of kinetic rate–time profiles in the polymerization of ethylene with a MgCl2‐supported TiCl4 catalyst activated by Al(C2H5)3 have been investigated. Examination of the dependence of the polymerization rate on the concentration of Al(C2H5)3 resulted in a Langmuir–Hinshelwood rate law. Analysis of the polymerization rate as a function of the polymerization temperature gave about 46 kJ mol−1 for the overall activation energy. Examination of the rapid decay of the polymerization rate with time showed that this decay is represented better by a first‐order decay law than by a second‐order one. © 1993 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.