Blow moldable propylene polymer compositions

• US 6,784,252 B2
• Filed: 09/03/2002
• Issued: 08/31/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 10/01/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Dow Global Technologies, Inc. (Dow, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Dow Global Technologies, Inc. (Dow, Inc.)
• Inventors: Traugott, Thomas D., Novak, Leo R., Finlayson, Malcolm F., Ramanathan, Ravi
• Primary Examiner(s): Wu, David W.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Lee, Rip A.
• Application Number:
  US10/233,981
• Publication Number:
  US 20030069362A1
• Time in Patent Office: 728 Days
• Field of Search: 525/240, 525/333.9, 525/242, 524/451
• US Class Current: 525/240
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 2023/44 Coupling; Molecular weight increase
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 2207/07 Long chain branching
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 23/02 not modified by chemical after-treatment
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 23/0815 Copolymers of ethene with aliphatic 1-olefins
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 23/10 Homopolymers or copolymers of propene
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 2314/06 Metallocene or single site catalysts
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 2666/04 Macromolecular compounds according to groups C08L7/00 - C08L49/00, or C08L55/00 - C08L57/00; Derivatives thereof
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 2666/06 Homopolymers or copolymers of unsaturated hydrocarbons; Derivatives thereof

Abstract

Disclosed are blow molded automotive articles comprising a coupled propylene polymer composition.

Claims

1. A blow molded automotive article comprising a coupled propylene polymer composition comprising a coupled propylene polymer, a substantially linear ethylene polymer and/or a linear ethylene polymer and optionally a thermoplastic polymer and/or a filler.

2. The article of claim 1, wherein the coupled propylene polymer is formed by a reaction of a coupling agent with a propylene polymer.

3. The article of claim 2 wherein the coupling agent is a sulfonyl azide.

4. The article of claim 3 wherein the sulfonyl azide is 4,4′

-diphenyl ether bis(sulfonyl azide).

5. The article of claim 2 wherein the propylene polymer is an impact propylene copolymer.

6. The article of claim 1 or 5 wherein the coupled propylene polymer composition further comprises a thermoplastic polymer.

7. The article of claim 6 wherein the thermoplastic polymer is high crystalline polypropylene homopolymer, polyethylene, ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer, ethylene-ethyl acetate copolymer or ethylene acrylic acid.

8. The article of claim 1 or 5 wherein the coupled propylene polymer composition further comprises a filler.

9. The article of claim 8 wherein the filler is talc.

10. The article of claim 5 wherein the coupled propylene polymer composition further comprises a thermoplastic polymer and a filler.

11. The article of claim 10 wherein the thermoplastic polymer is a high crystalline polypropylene homopolymer and the filler is talc.

12. The article of claim 1, 5 or 10 is a seat back, a head rest, a knee bolster, glove box door, an instrument panel, a bumper fascia, a bumper beam, a center console, an intake manifold, a spoiler, a side molding, a pillar, a door trim, an airbag cover, a HVAC duct, a spare tire cover, a fluid reservoir, a rear window shelf, a resonator, a trunk board or an arm rest.

13. A process for blow molding a coupled propylene polymer composition into an automotive article comprising the steps of:

i extruding a coupled propylene polymer comprising a coupled propylene polymer, a substantially linear ethylene polymer and/or a linear ethylene polymer and optionally a thermoplastic polymer and/or a filler in an extruder through a die,

ii forming a molten tube-shaped parison,

iii holding the parison within a shaping mold,

iv blowing a gas into the mold so as to shape the parison according to the profile of the mold and

v yielding a blow molded automotive article.

14. The process of claim 13 wherein the propylene polymer coupling reaction takes place in the same extruder that produces the article.

15. The process of claim 13 or 14 wherein the article is a seat back, a head rest, a knee bolster, glove box door, an instrument panel, a bumper fascia, a bumper beam, a center console, an intake manifold, a spoiler, a side molding, a pillar, a door trim, an airbag cover, a HVAC duct, a spare tire cover, a fluid reservoir, a rear window shelf, a resonator, a trunk board or an arm rest.