Modified phosphinimine catalysts for olefin polymerization

• US 9,221,935 B2
• Filed: 08/19/2014
• Issued: 12/29/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 06/09/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NOVA Chemicals (International) S.A. (NOVA Chemicals Holding GmbH)
• Original Assignee: NOVA Chemicals (International) S.A. (NOVA Chemicals Holding GmbH)
• Inventors: Hoang, Peter Phung Minh, Ker, Victoria, Carter, Charles Ashton Garret, Guillen-Castellanos, Sergio Alejandro, Jiang, Yan
• Primary Examiner(s): LU, C CAIXIA
• Application Number:
  US14/462,996
• Publication Number:
  US 20140357818A1
• Time in Patent Office: 497 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: C08F 10/00 Homopolymers and copolymers of unsaturated aliphatic hydrocarbons having only one carbon-to-carbon double bond
• CPC Class Codes: C08F 10/02 Ethene
• CPC Class Codes: C08F 110/02 Ethene
• CPC Class Codes: C08F 2/34 Polymerisation in gaseous state
• CPC Class Codes: C08F 210/14 Monomers containing five or more carbon atoms
• CPC Class Codes: C08F 210/16 Copolymers of ethene with alpha-alkenes, e.g. EP rubbers
• CPC Class Codes: C08F 2410/01 Additive used together with the catalyst, excluding compounds containing Al or B
• CPC Class Codes: C08F 2420/04 Cp or analog not bridged to a non-Cp X ancillary anionic donor
• CPC Class Codes: C08F 2500/03 Narrow molecular weight distribution, i.e. Mw/Mn < 3
• CPC Class Codes: C08F 2500/10 Short chain branches
• CPC Class Codes: C08F 2500/12 Melt flow index or melt flow ratio
• CPC Class Codes: C08F 2500/26 Use as polymer for film forming
• CPC Class Codes: C08F 4/65912 in combination with an organoaluminium compound
• CPC Class Codes: C08F 4/65916 supported on a carrier, e.g. silica, MgCl2, polymer
• CPC Class Codes: C08F 4/6592 containing at least one cyclopentadienyl ring, condensed or not, e.g. an indenyl or a fluorenyl ring

Abstract

Olefin polymerization is carried out with a supported phosphinimine catalyst which has been treated with a long chain substituted amine compound.

Claims

1. A gas phase olefin polymerization process wherein the process comprises adding a seed bed to a gas phase reactor prior to performing a polymerization reaction, wherein the seed bed comprises a polyethylene polymer which is produced by polymerizing ethylene and optionally an alpha olefin in a reactor with an olefin polymerization catalyst comprising:

i) a phosphinimine catalyst;

ii) an inert support;

iii) a cocatalyst; and

iv) a catalyst modifier;

wherein the catalyst modifier is present in from 0.25 to 6.0 weight percent based on the weight of i), ii) and iii) of the polymerization catalyst and comprises a compound having the formula;

R¹R²_xN((CH₂)_nOH)_y where R¹ is a hydrocarbyl group having from 5 to 30 carbon atoms, R² is hydrogen or a hydrocarbyl group having from 1 to 30 carbon atoms, x is 1 or 0, y is 1 when x is 1, y is 2 when x is 0, each n is independently an integer from 1 to 30 when y is 2, and n is an integer from 1 to 30 when y is 1;

provided that the polyethylene polymer comprises at least 1 ppm of the catalyst modifier based on the weight of the polyethylene polymer which was originally present in the olefin polymerization catalyst.

2. The process of claim 1, wherein the catalyst modifier is present in from 1.0 to 4.5 weight percent based on the weight of i), ii) and iii) of the polymerization catalyst.

3. The process of claim 1, wherein the polyethylene polymer comprises from 1 to 25 ppm of the catalyst modifier based on the weight of the polyethylene polymer which was originally present in the olefin polymerization catalyst.

4. The process of claim 1, wherein the polyethylene polymer comprises from 3 to 25 ppm of the catalyst modifier based on the weight of the polyethylene polymer which was originally present in the olefin polymerization catalyst.

5. The process of claim 1, wherein the polyethylene polymer comprises from 3 to 15 ppm of the catalyst modifier based on the weight of the polyethylene polymer which was originally present in the olefin polymerization catalyst.

6. The process of claim 1 wherein the catalyst modifier comprises at least one compound represented by the formula:

R¹N((CH₂)_nOH)((CH₂)_mOH) where R¹ is a hydrocarbyl group having from 5 to 30 carbon atoms, and n and m are integers from 1 to 20.

7. The process of claim 1 wherein the catalyst modifier comprises at least one compound represented by the formula:

R¹N((CH₂)_nOH)₂ where R¹ is a hydrocarbyl group having from 6 to 30 carbon atoms, and n is independently an integer from 1-20.

8. The process of claim 1 wherein the catalyst modifier comprises at least one compound represented by the formula:

R¹N((CH₂)_nOH)₂ where R¹ is a hydrocarbyl group having from 6 to 30 carbon atoms, and n is 2 or 3.

9. The process of claim 1 wherein the catalyst modifier comprises at least one compound represented by the formula:

R¹N(CH₂CH₂OH)₂ where R¹ is a hydrocarbyl group having from 8 to 22 carbon atoms.

10. The process of claim 1 wherein the catalyst modifier comprises a compound represented by the formula:

C₁₈H₃₇N(CH₂CH₂OH)₂.

11. The process of claim 1 wherein the catalyst modifier comprises compounds represented by the formulas:

C₁₃H₂₇N(CH₂CH₂OH)₂ and C₁₅H₃₁N(CH₂CH₂OH)₂.

12. The process of claim 1 wherein the catalyst modifier is a mixture of compounds represented by the formula:

R¹N(CH₂CH₂OH)₂ where R¹ is a hydrocarbyl group having from 8 to 18 carbon atoms.

13. The process of claim 1 wherein the phosphinimine catalyst has the formula:

(L)(PI)MX₂, where M is Ti, Zr or Hf;

PI is a phosphinimine ligand having the formula R₃P═

N—

, where R is independently selected from hydrogen, halogen, and C₁-C₂₀ hydrocarbyl;

L is a ligand selected from cyclopentadienyl, substituted cyclopentadienyl, indenyl, substituted indenyl, fluorenyl, and substituted fluorenyl; and

X is an activatable ligand.

14. The process of claim 1 wherein the phosphinimine catalyst has the formula:

(L)((t-Bu)₃P═

N)TiX₂, where L is a cyclopentadienyl ligand, a substituted cyclopentadienyl ligand, an indenyl ligand, or a substituted indenyl ligand; and

X is an activatable ligand.

15. The process of claim 1 wherein the phosphinimine catalyst has the formula:

(L)((t-Bu)₃P═

N)TiX₂, where L is a substituted cyclopentadienyl ligand, or a substituted indenyl ligand; and

X is an activatable ligand.

16. The process of claim 1 wherein the cocatalyst is selected from ionic activators, alkylaluminoxanes and mixtures thereof.

17. The process of claim 1 wherein the inert support is silica.

18. The process of claim 1 wherein the process is carried out in a fluidized bed reactor.

19. The process of claim 1 wherein the process is catalyzed by an olefin polymerization catalyst comprising:

a phosphinimine catalyst, an inert support, a cocatalyst, and optionally a catalyst modifier.

20. The process of claim 1 wherein the polyethylene polymer is produced by polymerizing ethylene and optionally an alpha olefin in a gas phase reactor.

21. The process of claim 1 wherein the polyethylene polymer is produced by polymerizing ethylene and optionally an alpha olefin in a fluidized bed gas phase reactor.