(630h) Influence of LDH on the Crystallization Kinetics and Degradation Kinetics of the Ethylene-Propylene-1-Hexene Copolymer

This work reports on the in-situ polymerization of ethylene-propylene-1-hexene in the presence of ZnAl-layered double hydroxide (LDH). The exfoliation of LDH was carried out by ultrasonication of the reaction mixture prior to polymerization which led to an enhanced interaction between the monomer and metallocene catalyst, thus improved the catalytic activity. Moreover, the resulting polymer was characterized for its microstructural characteristics and crystallization kinetics by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). Furthermore, the thermal stability of the resulting polymer was assessed by thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). The presence of LDH improved the thermal stability of the produced copolymer by nearly 30 °C. The degradation kinetics were also studied by using iso-conversional methodology.