Ziegler Catalyst

Name:
Ziegler Catalyst
Detailed information:
A type of stereospecific catalyst, usually a chemical complex derived from a transition metal halide and a metal hydride or a metal alkyl. The transition metal may be any of those in groups IV to VIII of the periodic table; the hydride or alkyl metals are those of groups I, II, and III. Typically, titanium chloride is added to aluminum alkyl in a hydrocarbon solvent to form a dispersion or precipitate of the catalyst complex. These catalysts usually operate at atmospheric pressure and are used to convert ethylene to linear polyethylene and also in stereospecific polymerization of propylene to crystalline polypropylene (Ziegler process).See Natta Catalyst.