Ethylene polymerization using diatomite as support for zirconocene dichloride/modified methylaluminoxane

In this paper, we report on a zirconocene dichloride/modified methylaluminoxane catalyst system supported on a natural diatomite in order to provide ethylene polymerization catalysts for gas phase or slurry processes. Such natural diatomite support exhibited similar properties of silica-based molecular sieve because of their similar chemical composition and porous structure. The supported catalysts were shown to be highly active and to form flocculent and fibrous polyethylene as proven by scanning electron microscopy. Graphic abstract A natural resource diatomite was successfully applied as a support for zirconocene by us. Such catalyst system performed as a silica-based molecular sieve supported zirconocene in the ethylene polymerization. Polyethylene with flocculent and fibrous structure was obtained.