In this work a laboratory scale process was studied for the production of polybutadiene with high content of cis-1,4 repeating units utilizing a three-component Ziegler-Natta catalyst system of neodymium versatate (Nd)/tert-butyl chloride (Cl)/aluminum alkyl compound (Al) in n-hexane. The influence of the aluminium alkyl type, Al/Nd and Cl/Nd molar ratios on the catalyst activity, polybutadiene molecular weight characteristics and polybutadiene microstructure (cis 1,4 content) was studied. The polymers were characterized by infrared spectroscopy and size exclusion chromatography. A polymer with 99.8% of 1,4-cis units was produced. The molecular weight varied from 1.4 to 9.7 x 10(5), and maximum catalyst activity was achieved when triisobutylaluminium (TIBA) was used as cocatalyst.
High cis-1,4 polybutadiene; 1,3-butadiene polymerization; three-component neodymium catalyst system
