Articles Formed from Nucleated Polyethylene

• US 20100081767A1
• Filed: 10/01/2008
• Published: 04/01/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/01/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Total American Services, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Fina Technology, Inc. (Totalenergies Se)
• Inventors: Guenthar, Gerhard, Curtis, Ruby, McLeod, Michael, Aguirre, Juan, Ashbaugh, John, Chevillard, Cyril, McBride, Raleigh, Hicks, Ben, Nguyen, Jay
• Granted Patent: US 8,026,305 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 525/192
• CPC Class Codes: C08K 5/0083 Nucleating agents promoting the crystallisation of the polymer matrix
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 23/06 Polyethene
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 23/0815 Copolymers of ethene with aliphatic 1-olefins

Abstract

Polymer articles and processes of forming the same are described herein. The processes generally include providing an ethylene based polymer, blending the ethylene based polymer with a modifier to form modified polyethylene and forming the modified polyethylene into a polymer article, wherein the polymer article exhibits a haze that is at least about 10% less than a polymer article prepared with a similarly modified polyethylene.

Claims

1. A process of forming a polymer article comprising:

providing an ethylene based polymer, wherein the ethylene based polymer exhibits a density of from about 0.920 g/cc to about 0.970 g/cc;

blending the ethylene based polymer with a modifier to form modified polyethylene;

forming the modified polyethylene into a polymer article, wherein the polymer article exhibits a haze that is at least about 10% less than a polymer article prepared with a similarly modified polyethylene.

2. The process of claim 1, wherein the modifier comprises a nucleator.

3. The process of claim 1, wherein the modified polyethylene comprises from about 50 ppm to about 3000 ppm modifier.

4. The process of claim 1, wherein the ethylene based polymer comprises at least about 90 wt. % polyethylene.

5. The process of claim 1, wherein the ethylene based polymer comprises at least about 98 wt. % polyethylene.

6. The process of claim 1, wherein the ethylene based polymer is formed from a single site catalyst.

7. The process of claim 1, wherein the ethylene based polymer is formed from a metallocene catalyst.

8. The process of claim 7, wherein the metallocene catalyst comprises tetra hydroindenyl ligands.

9. The process of claim 1, wherein the ethylene based polymer is formed from a Ziegler-Natta catalyst.

10. The process of claim 9, wherein the Ziegler-Natta catalyst is formed by contacting a magnesium dialkoxide compound with successively stronger chlorinating agents.

11. The process of claim 1, wherein the ethylene based polymer comprises a melt index (MI₂) of less than about 15 dg/min.

12. The process of claim 1, wherein the forming comprises solid state stretching.

13. The process of claim 1, wherein the forming comprises blowing the modified polyethylene into a film.

15. The process of claim 1, wherein the ethylene based polymer exhibits a density of from about 0.926 g/cc to about 0.940 g/cc.

16. The process of claim 1, wherein the ethylene based polymer exhibits a density of from about 0.940 g/cc to about 0.970 g/cc.

17. The process of claim 1, wherein the forming comprises casting the modified polyethylene into a film.

18. The process of claim 1, wherein the forming comprises blowing molding the modified polyethylene.

19. The process of claim 1, wherein the ethylene based polymer exhibits a molecular weight distribution of from about 1.5 to about 7.0.

20. A polymer article formed from the process of claim 1.

21. The polymer article of claim 20 comprising a blown film.

22. The polymer article of claim 20 comprising a cast film.

23. The polymer article of claim 20 comprising a blow molded article.

24. The process of claim 1, wherein the polymer article exhibits a haze that is at least about 35% less than a polymer article formed by a substantially identical process and polymer absent the modifier.

25. The process of claim 1, wherein the polymer article exhibits a gloss that is at least about 50% higher than a polymer article formed by a substantially identical process and polymer absent the modifier.

26. The process of claim 1, wherein the polymer article exhibits a water vapor transmission rate that is at least about 20% less than a polymer article formed by a substantially identical process and polymer absent the modifier.

27. The process of claim 1, wherein the polymer article exhibits a gloss that is at least about 10% higher than a polymer article prepared with a similarly modified polyethylene.

28. The process of claim 1, wherein the polymer article exhibits a water vapor transmission rate that is at least about 10% less than a polymer article prepared with a similarly modified polyethylene.

29. The process of claim 1 further comprising blending the modified polyethylene with a second ethylene based polymer.

14. (canceled)

30. A process of forming a polymer article comprising:

providing an ethylene based polymer having a density of from about 0.926 g/cc to about 0.97 g/cc and a molecular weight distribution of from about 1.5 to about 7;

blending the ethylene based polymer with a nucleater to form modified polyethylene;

forming the modified polyethylene into a polymer article, wherein the polymer article exhibits a haze that is at least about 10% less than a polymer article prepared with a similarly modified polyethylene.