TY - JOUR
T1 - Determination of polymerization particle morphology using synchrotron computed microtomography
AU - Jones, K. W.
AU - Spanne, P.
AU - Lindquist, W. B.
AU - Conner, W. C.
AU - Ferrero, M.
N1 - Funding Information:
The polymerization of ethylene to produce polyethylene is accomplished using several types of supported catalysts . The initial size of the support particles is of the order of several hundred micrometers or more . These particles fragment during the production process and they finally constitute a small fraction of the finished product . Little is known about the details of the fragmentation process and the particle morphology even though the manufacturing process is affected in an important way . Initial investigations with synchrotron computed microtomography (CMT) have shown that a silica-supported catalyst used for the polymerization of ethylene in the gas phase may have silica fragments distributed around the periphery of the particle [l]. In another investigation [2] it has been shown that a MgC1 2-supported catalyst used for the polymerization of ethylene * Work supported in part by US Department of Energy Contract no. DE-AC02-76CH00016 (KWJ, PS), NSF Grant CTS 89-21381 (WCC, MF), and by Applied Mathematics Subprogram of the US DOE Contract no. DE-FG02-90ER25084 (BL) .
PY - 1992/5/2
Y1 - 1992/5/2
N2 - Polymerization of monomers over heterogeneous catalysts results in the fragmentation of the catalysts and subsequent transport in the polymer particles that are produced. Characterization of the process using nondestructive synchrotron computed microtomography techniques makes possible measurement of the distribution of the catalyst fragments in an individual particle and, in addition, gives an estimate of the particle porosity and surface area. The present experiment was carried out using the X-ray microscopy facility at the Brookhaven National Synchrotron Light Source (NSLS) X26 beam line. The tomographic sections were analyzed using autocorrelation techniques to determine porosity and surface area values. The results are compared to values obtained using conventional methods. This procedure makes possible the extraction of quantitative information about porosity and specific area from the tomograms.
AB - Polymerization of monomers over heterogeneous catalysts results in the fragmentation of the catalysts and subsequent transport in the polymer particles that are produced. Characterization of the process using nondestructive synchrotron computed microtomography techniques makes possible measurement of the distribution of the catalyst fragments in an individual particle and, in addition, gives an estimate of the particle porosity and surface area. The present experiment was carried out using the X-ray microscopy facility at the Brookhaven National Synchrotron Light Source (NSLS) X26 beam line. The tomographic sections were analyzed using autocorrelation techniques to determine porosity and surface area values. The results are compared to values obtained using conventional methods. This procedure makes possible the extraction of quantitative information about porosity and specific area from the tomograms.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=0004377504&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/0168-583X(92)96059-8
DO - 10.1016/0168-583X(92)96059-8
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:0004377504
SN - 0168-583X
VL - 68
SP - 105
EP - 110
JO - Nuclear Inst. and Methods in Physics Research, B
JF - Nuclear Inst. and Methods in Physics Research, B
IS - 1-4
ER -