Polymerization of olefins through heterogeneous catalysis. VIII. Monomer sorption effects

In solid catalyzed olefin polymerization, equilibrium sorption plays a key role in determining the local monomer concentration (s) in the semicrystalline polymer shell which surrounds the active sites of the catalyst surface. Modelling based on polymer solution thermodynamics indicates that crystallinity and reactor environment have a major effect on this local monomer concentration. The model is used to explain well known experimental trends seen in the literature, such as observed differences in gas phase and diluent slurry polymerization rates, and enhanced α‐olefin incorporation in gas phase copolymerization.