Conformations of polyolefins on platinum catalysts control product distribution in plastics recycling
Mehdi Zare, Pavel A. Kots, Stavros Caratzoulas, Dionisios G. Vlachos
Abstract
the polymer-surface interaction. Branching profoundly impacts the conformations of long chains at the interface as the distributions of trains become less dispersed and more structured, localized around short trains, with the immediate implication of a wider carbon product distribution upon C-C bond cleavage. The degree of localization increases with the number and size of the side chains. Long chains can adsorb from the melt onto the Pt surface even in melt mixtures containing shorter polymer chains at high concentrations. We confirm experimentally key computational findings and demonstrate that blends may provide a strategy to reduce the selectivity for undesired light gases.