Catalysing way to better plastics
Plastic is considered one of the most important inventions of the twentieth century. Yet even today substantial effort and funding are devoted to creating new plastics with improved environmental and economic characteristics, durability, etc. Material scientists with Repsol YPF, a leading international gas and oil company, participated in a research project entitled POLYPROP that focused on polyolefins. Polyolefins, which derive from the polymerisation of olefins, a special type of hydrocarbon, comprise a significant portion of the overall plastics market. The work undertaken by Repsol YPF involved the development of several new metallocene catalysts, which are essential for olefin polymerisation. Data was collected in the laboratory regarding the catalysts themselves, kinetics and the resulting polyolefins and fed to computer models developed by other POLYPROP partners. This step aided in the selection of specific catalyst compounds and supports for further testing. Analysis of the subsequent polypropylene homopolymers provided insight into the polymerisation process and revealed significant improvement in catalyst performance in comparison to current industry standards. The next stage of development calls for pilot plant studies where the goal is to achieve production without modifying the existing plant infrastructure. The hope is to expand to a fully commercial plant in the near future.
