Polymerization of 1,3-Butadiene with NiCl2 in Combination with Methylaluminoxane

Abstract

The polymerization of 1,3-butadiene (Bd) with NiCl2/methylaluminoxane (MAO) catalyst was investigated. The reaction mixture of NiCl2 and MAO was separated into soluble and insoluble part. Both parts initiated the polymerization of Bd to give a high cis-1,4-poly(Bd). The activity for the polymerization of the soluble part was higher than that of the insoluble part. The Mw/Mn of the polymer obtained with the soluble part was around 2.0, but that obtained with the insoluble part was 4.5. The polymerization of Bd with NiCl2 in combination with MAO depended on a particle size, i.e., surface area of NiCl2, and the activity for the polymerization with a small particle size of NiCl2 was higher than that with a large particle.