The goal of this work was to study the aging effects of the catalytic system neodymium versatate/diisobutylaluminium hydride/t-butyl chloride on 2-methyl, 1.3-butadiene (isoprene) polymerization. The catalytic activity, conversion and polymer characteristics (molar mass, molar mass distribution and microstructure) were evaluated. The macro and microstructural characteristics of poly-1.4-cis-isoprene along the polymerization were also studied. The aged catalysts have shorter times along the polymerization and a higher conversion than the non-aged catalyst. Together with the lower catalytic activity for aged catalysts, these results point to possible disabling of the most sensitive active sites. Aging of the catalyst did not affect the polymer microstructure. As the conversion progressed, the molar mass increased with a narrowing in the molecular weight distribution.
Neodymium; catalyst; isoprene; polymerization; aging
