MICROSCOPY STUDY OF ZIEGLER-NATTA CATALYST: A TEST OF TEM (TRANSMISSION ELECTRON MICROSCOPY)

Planar Ziegler-Natta model catalysts are used to establish a preparation which resembles the industrial counterpart and to be active towards ethylene and propylene polymerization and most prominently to contribute in elucidation of MgCl2 crystal structure. We set a high value on the planar model catalyst as the latter offers the unique possibility of applying the spincoat-impregnation followed by highly favorable opportunities for surface characterization and imaging. In this context, construction of a special TEM grid has enabled TEM analysis on flat silicon/silica wafers. The silica TEM substrate is composed of a silica window suspended in a silicon framework. The silica window permits the transmission of the electron beam. In other words TEM grids not only facilitate imaging on a flat model catalyst but they can serve as a catalytic support as well. The aim is to image by TEM, MgCl2 crystals produced by Ostwald method on a TEM grid and compared them with the other planar model i.e. silica surface (no grids included on the flat surface).