Cube-Cell Models for the Analysis of Metallocene-Catalyzed Polyethylene Synthesis: Diffusion and Kinetics Effects

DIANA ESTENOZ; MARIO CHIOVETTA

Los Cocos (Argentina)

Simposio; III Simposio Binacional Argentino-Chileno - ARCHIPOL 2005; 2005

When commercial-production systems are considered, the analysis of the catalytic process leading to the synthesis of polyolefins using metallocene active sites supported on a solid matrix is of economic interest. The ability to process laboratory and pilot-plant data via mathematical models designed to predict the behavior of the full-scale reactors becomes of major importance. In what follows, a mathematical model based on a cube-cell representation of the support-catalyst morphology is used to analyze the impact of several supported metallocene catalyst activities and reactor conditions on the production efficiency. Zirconocene-based catalysts of the ansa rac-Et[Ind]2ZrCl2/MAO type with various activities, supported on silica matrices, in a toluene slurry are studied using a deterministic mathematical scheme. The model has proved to be an interesting and useful tool to represent the real conditions in a reactor for specific catalysts.