Systems and Methods for Real-Time Catalyst Particle Size Control in a Polymerization Reactor

A method of operating a polymerization reactor system, the method comprising:

• (i) reducing an average particle size of a first catalyst system component to produce a reduced catalyst system component having a reduced average particle size;
• (ii) introducing a transition metal-based catalyst system comprising the reduced catalyst system component and an olefin monomer into a polymerization reactor within the polymerization reactor system;
• (iii) contacting the transition metal-based catalyst system comprising the reduced catalyst system component with the olefin monomer under polymerization conditions to produce an olefin polymer;
• (iv) monitoring a process variable in the polymerization reactor system and/or a property of the olefin polymer, and
• (v) when the process variable and/or the property has/have reached a predetermined level, adjusting the reduced average particle size.