Abstract

Styrene was polymerized using various combined systems including diphenylzinc, Ph 2Zn, bis(indenyl)zirconium dichloride, Ind 2ZrCl 2, and methylaluminoxane, MAO. Conversion to polystyrene depends on the combination used: Ph 2Zn-Ind 2ZrCl 2-MAO, Ph 2Zn-Ind 2ZrCl 2, Ind 2ZrCl 2-MAO or Ph 2Zn/H 2O-Ind 2ZrCl 2. Furthermore, for Ph 2Zn-Ind 2ZrCl 2-MAO the maximum conversion to polymer was reached for molar ratio Ph 2Zn/Ind 2ZrCl 2 equal unity. Polymers were predominantly atactic. A 5 to 10% fraction of insoluble in boiling butanone polymer was separated from the crude polystyrene. The amount of such fraction depends on the molar ratio Ph 2Zn/Ind 2ZrCl 2 used.