Phase Behaviour of the System Propene/Polypropene at High Pressure

Abstract

The phase behaviour of mixtures of supercritical propene and a number of polypropenes, which have a similar density but significantly different molecular weights and tacticities, was investigated in a broad range of polymer weight fractions and temperatures at high pressures. The cloud-point pressures were measured optically, using a view cell which was equipped with two windows made of synthetic sapphire and a metal bellows to accurately adjust the pressure. The cloud-point pressures were found in the range from 29 to 37 MPa decreasing with increasing polymer weight fraction and increasing with increasing temperature and polymer molecular weight. The critical weight fraction was found below 2 to 6 wt.-%. Whereas the cloud-point pressures of atactic and syndiotactic samples were high and very similar, the isotactic species exhibit distinctly lower values. The results, extrapolated to lower temperatures, show good agreement with the literature data.