Catalytic systems containing TiCl₄ or TiCl₃, THF, organomagnesium (n-Bu₂Mg) and organoaluminum compounds capable of producing ultrahigh molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) were developed. The resulting polymers were characterized by a molecular weight in the range of (1.8–7.8) × 10⁶ Da and desirable morphology, suitable for modern methods of polymer processing—the solvent-free solid-state processing of superhigh-strength (tensile strength up to 2.1 GPa) and high-modulus (elastic modulus up to 125 GPa) oriented films and film tapes. The impacts of a THF additive, the oxidation state of the titanium atom, and the composition and nature of the nontransition organometallic compounds on the formation of catalytic systems for UHMWPE production were evaluated. The results indicate the suitability of individual titanium chloride tetrahydrofuran complex application for the formation of THF-containing catalytic systems. This approach also results in a significant increase in the system catalytic activity and mechanical properties of UHMWPE. The catalysts based on Ti(III) were inferior to systems containing Ti(IV) in productivity but were markedly superior in the mechanical properties of UHMWPE.

A correlation was established between, on the one hand, the values of the molecular weight of UHMWPE synthesized using postmetallocene bis-phenoxyimine catalysts and the bulk density of synthesized nascent reactor powders of UHMWPE, and, on the other hand, the values of the elastic modulus, breaking strength and breaking elongation of oriented tapes obtained from reactor powders of UHMWPE by the method of solid-state processing below the melting temperature of the polymer without the use of solvents. It has been established that the application of UHMWPE reactor powders with a bulk density of no higher than 0.09 g/cm³ and, at the same time, a polymer molecular weight of not less than 4.5 × 10⁶ g/mol allows one to obtain on their basis by a solid-state method, simultaneously, high-strength (breaking strength up to 3.6 GPa) and high-modulus (modulus of elasticity up to 150 GPa) materials, that is, having the maximum value of the deformation energy to break, which is important for practical applications. Reactor powders of UHMWPE with optimal for solid-state processing values of MM and bulk density, at the level of structural subunits of the nanometer size range had a morphology of the “stack of lamellas” type.

A series of bis(phenoxy-imine) (FI) titanium(IV) and zirconium(IV) complexes have been synthesized. The effect of the nature of the activator (MAO, combinations Et_nAlCl_3-n + Bu₂Mg and iBu₃Al + [Ph₃C]⁺[B(C₆F₅)₄]⁻) on the catalytic activity and properties of the resulting polymers was studied. It was found that Ti-Fi complexes, despite the nature of the outgoing ligands (Cl or iPrO) in the presence of Al/Mg activators, effectively catalyze the polymerization of ethylene (with the formation of UHMWPE); copolymerization of ethylene with 1-octene (with the formation of ultra-high molecular weight copolymers); and the ternary copolymerization of ethylene, propylene and 5-vinyl-2-norbornene (with the formation of polyolefin elastomers). It has been shown that Zr-FI complexes are not activated by these Al/Mg compositions. The resulting UHMWPE can be processed by a solventless method into high-strength and high-modulus oriented films; however, their mechanical characteristics do not exceed those obtained using MAO.

A series of ultrahigh molecular weight polyethylenes with viscosity-average molecular weights in the range of 1.6–5.6 × 10⁶ have been prepared by using a novel Ziegler–Natta-type catalytic system—TiCl₄/2,2′-dimethoxy-1,1′-binaphthalene/Et₃Al₂Cl₃/Bu₂Mg at different temperatures (T_poly) in the range between 10 and 70 °C in toluene. The morphology of the nascent reactor powders has been studied by scanning electron microscopy, wide-angle X-ray diffraction, and the DSC melting behavior. Polymers are suitable for the modern processing methods—the solvent-free solid-state formation of super high-strength (tensile strength over 1.8–2.5 GPa) and high-modulus (elastic modulus up to 136 GPa) oriented film tapes. With decrease of T_poly, the drawability of the reactor powders increased significantly.

In this work, the results of a complex investigation of structure and properties of nanodiamond soot (NDS) of detonation synthesis are presented. Size distribution of NDS particles, dispersed in different liquid media, was investigated using dynamic light scattering and laser diffraction analysis methods. The results of the investigation, as well as the results of zeta-potential measurements, allowed us to characterize the agglomeration process of the NDS particles as independent of the medium, making NDS a good model filler for research of composite-modified nanosized particles. Additional data obtained using scanning electron microscopy, scanning tunneling microscopy, atomic force microscopy, X-ray diffraction, and Raman spectroscopy, demonstrated that in NDS the spherical nanodiamond (ND) particles with diameter ~5 nm are densely packed into strong-coupled aggregates with diameter ~300 nm, surrounded by graphite nanoribbons. X-ray diffraction analysis estimated the volume fraction of NDs in NDS as ~45 vol.%, simultaneously showing that the graphite is not defective, which was confirmed with the electron diffraction method. It was demonstrated that this structure of NDS allows to efficiently use NDS as a filler for polymer composites to increase polymer characteristics such as electrical conductivity or tribological characteristics, similarly to conventionally applied fillers such as carbon black.