Process for the Preparation of an Ethylene Copolymer in a Tubular Reactor

• US 20080242809A1
• Filed: 02/27/2006
• Published: 10/02/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 03/09/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Saudi Basic Industries Corporation (Government of Saudi Arabia)
• Original Assignee: Saudi Basic Industries Corporation (Government of Saudi Arabia)
• Inventors: Neuteboom, Peter, Tacx, Jacobus Christinus Josephus Franciscus, Neilen, Marcellinus Guilliame Marie, Bonte, Geert Imelda Valerie
• Granted Patent: US 7,820,776 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 526/64
• CPC Class Codes: C08F 2/00 Processes of polymerisation
• CPC Class Codes: C08F 210/02 Ethene
• CPC Class Codes: C08F 222/102 of dialcohols, e.g. ethylene glycol di(meth)acrylate or 1,4-butanediol dimethacrylate
• CPC Class Codes: C08J 2323/08 Copolymers of ethene C08J2323/16 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C08J 5/18 Manufacture of films or sheets

Abstract

The invention relates to a process for the preparation of a copolymer of ethylene and a monomer copolymerisable therewith.

The polymerisation takes place in a tubular reactor at a peak temperature between 290° C. and 350° C., the co monomer is a di- or higher functional (meth)acrylate and the co monomer is applied in an amount between 0.008 mol % and 0.200 mol % relative to the amount of ethylene copolymer.

Claims

1. A process for the preparation of a copolymer comprising copolymerizing ethylene and a monomer copolymerizable therewith in a tubular reactor at a peak temperature between 290°

C. and 350°

C., wherein the monomer copolymerisable therewith is a di-or higher functional (meth)acrylate and is applied in an amount between 0.008 mol % and 0.200 mol % relative to the amount of ethylene copolymer.

2. The process according to claim 1 wherein the (meth)acrylate is one or more selected from the group consisting of 1,4-butanedioldimethacrylate, hexanediol dimethacrylate, 1,3-butylene glycoldimethacrylate, ethylene glycol dimethacrylate and dodecanediol dimethacrylate.

3. The process according to claim 2 wherein the (meth)acrylate is 1,4-butanedioldimethacrylate.

4. The process according to claim 1 wherein the peak temperature is between 300°

C. and 340°

C.

5. The process according to claim 4 wherein the peak temperature is between 310°

C. and 330°

C.

6. The process according to claim 1 wherein the monomer copolymerisable therewith is applied in an amount between 0.010 mol % and 0.100 mol % relative to the amount of ethylene copolymer.

7. The process according to claim 1 further comprising a reactor inlet pressure between 100 MPa and 350 MPa.

8. The process according to claim 1 wherein the tubular reactor comprises one or more reactor tubes and the monomer copolymerisable therewith is added at different injection points downstream in the axial direction of the reactor tube.

9. An ethylene copolymer comprising units of ethylene monomer and units of a difunctional (meth)acrylate obtained by copolymerizing ethylene and a monomer copolymerizable therewith in a tubular reactor at a peak temperature between 290°

C. and 350°

C., wherein the monomer copolymerisable therewith is a di-or higher functional (meth)acrylate and is applied in an amount between 0.008 mol % and 0.200 mol % relative to the amount of ethylene copolymer and wherein the copolymer has the following film properties after applying an extrusion coating process;

the web stability is between 0 and 3.10<sup>−

3</sup> m the neck in is between 0 and 120.10<sup>−

3</sup> m and the draw down is higher than 300 m/min.

10. An ethylene copolymer comprising units of ethylene monomer and units of a difunctional (meth)acrylate obtained by copolymerizing ethylene and a monomer copolymerizable therewith in a tubular reactor at a peak temperature between 290°

C. and 350°

C., wherein the monomer copolymerisable therewith is a di-or higher functional (meth)acrylate and is applied in an amount between 0.008 mol % and 0.200 mol % relative to the amount of ethylene copolymer and wherein the copolymer has a gel count is less than 5 particles per m 2 larger than 600.10<sup>−

6</sup> m after applying an extrusion coating process.

11. An extrusion coating composition comprising an ethylene copolymer obtained by copolymerizing ethylene and a monomer copolymerizable therewith in a tubular reactor at a peak temperature between 290°

C. and 350°

C., wherein the monomer copolymerisable therewith is a di-or higher functional (meth)acrylate and is applied in an amount between 0.008 mol % and 0.200 mol % relative to the amount of ethylene copolymer.

13. The extrusion coating composition of claim 11 wherein the copolymer has the following film properties after applying an extrusion coating process:

the web stability is between 0 and 3.10<sup>−

3</sup> m the neck in is between 0 and 120.10<sup>−

3</sup> m and the draw down is higher than 300 m/min.

14. The extrusion coating composition of claim 11 wherein the copolymer has a gel count is less than 5 particles per m 2 larger than 600.10⁻

6 m after applying an extrusion coating process.

12. A film comprising an ethylene copolymer obtained by copolymerizing ethylene and a monomer copolymerizable therewith in a tubular reactor at a peak temperature between 290°

C. and 350°

C., wherein the monomer copolymerisable therewith is a di-or higher functional (meth)acrylate.

15. The film of claim 12 the copolymer has the following film properties after applying an extrusion coating process:

the web stability is between 0 and 3.10<sup>−

3</sup> m the neck in is between 0 and 120.10<sup>−

3</sup> m and the draw down is higher than 300 m/min.

16. The film of claim 12 wherein the copolymer has a gel count is less than 5 particles per m 2 larger than 600.10⁻

6 m after applying an extrusion coating process.