what is metallocene catalyst technology?
Metallocene catalyst A transition-metal atom sandwiched between ring structures having a well-defined single catalytic site and well-understood molecular structure used to produce uniform polyolefins with unique structures and physical properties. See also Catalysis; Coordination chemistry; Coordination complexes; Metallocenes; Organometallic compound. In the early 1980s, W. Kaminsky discovered that an appropriate co-catalyst activated metallocene compounds of group 4 metals, that is, titanium, zirconium, and hafnium, for alpha-olefin polymerization, attracting industrial interest. This observation led to the synthesis of a great number of metallocene compounds for the production of polymers already made industrially, such as polyethylene and polypropylene, and new materials. Polymers produced with metallocene catalysts represent a small fraction of the entire polyolefin market, but experts agree that such a fraction will increase rapidly in the future. See also Polymer; Polymerization; Polyolefin resins.
