Polypropylene compositions for a layer element

• US 10,934,422 B2
• Filed: 07/29/2016
• Issued: 03/02/2021
• Est. Priority Date: 10/28/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Borealis AG (Government of ABU Dhabi)
• Original Assignee: Borealis AG (Government of ABU Dhabi)
• Inventors: Sandholzer, Martina, Broeders, Bert, Krumlacher, Werner, Muckenhuber, Harald, Plank, Michaela, Schenk, Verena, Bernreitner, Klaus
• Primary Examiner(s): Nutter, Nathan M
• Application Number:
  US15/771,910
• Publication Number:
  US 20190382567A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,677 Days
• CPC Class Codes: C08K 3/013 Fillers, pigments or reinforcing additives
• CPC Class Codes: C08K 3/22 of metals
• CPC Class Codes: C08K 3/24 Acids; Salts thereof C08K3/16 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C08K 3/34 Silicon-containing compounds
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 2201/56 Non-aqueous solutions or dispersions
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 2203/206 use in coating or encapsulating of electronic parts
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 2205/025 containing two or more polymers of the same hierarchy C08L, and differing only in parameters such as density, comonomer content, molecular weight, structure
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 2205/22 Mixtures comprising a continuous polymer matrix in which are dispersed crosslinked particles of another polymer
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 2207/02 Heterophasic composition
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 2207/04 Thermoplastic elastomer
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 23/0815 Copolymers of ethene with aliphatic 1-olefins
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 23/12 Polypropene
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 23/14 Copolymers of propene C08L23/16 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 23/16 Elastomeric ethene-propene or ethene-propene-diene copolymers, e.g. EPR and EPDM rubbers
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 51/06 grafted on to homopolymers or copolymers of aliphatic hydrocarbons containing only one carbon-to-carbon double bond
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/0481 characterised by the composition of the encapsulation material
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/049 Protective back sheets
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/50 Photovoltaic [PV] energy

Abstract

The present invention relates to a polymer composition for a layer element, to a use of the polypropylene composition for producing at least one layer of a layer element, preferably of a layer element of an article, preferably of a photovoltaic module, to a layer element, preferably a layer element of an article, preferably of a photovoltaic module, wherein said layer element comprises at least one layer comprising the polymer composition, as well as to an article, which is preferably a photovoltaic module.

Claims

1. A layer element comprising at least one layer that includes a polypropylene composition (CA), the polypropylene composition (CA) comprising:

5 to 50 wt % of a heterophasic copolymer of propylene (A) which has a Melting temperature (Tm) of at least 145°

C. (DSC), and a Vicat softening temperature (Vicat A) of at least 90°

C. (according to ASTM D 1525, method A, 50°

C./h, 10N), and which comprises

a polypropylene matrix component (a1) and

an elastomeric propylene copolymer component (a2) which is dispersed in said polypropylene matrix (a1), and

20 to 60 wt % of a heterophasic copolymer of propylene (B) which has a Melting temperature (Tm) of at least 145°

C. (DSC), and a Vicat softening temperature (Vicat A) of at least 90°

C. (according to ASTM D 1525, method A, 50°

C./h, 10N), and which comprises;

a polypropylene matrix component (b1) and

an elastomeric propylene copolymer component (b2) which is dispersed in said polypropylene matrix (b1),

10 to 40 wt % of an inorganic filler,

0 to 30 wt % of an plastomer, and

0.3 to 5 wt % of an additive(s) other than the inorganic filler,

based on the total amount (100 wt %) of the polypropylene composition;

wherein the XCS of heterophasic copolymer of propylene (B) is higher than the XCS of heterophasic copolymer of propylene (A).

2. The layer element according to claim 1, wherein the polypropylene composition (CA) has one or more, in any order, of the following features:

a Tensile modulus of at least 900 MPa,

an MFR₂ of 1.0 to 25.0, g/10 min, when measured according to ISO 1133 (at 230°

C. with 2.16 kg load),

a Vicat softening temperature (Vicat A) of 100 to 200°

C.

3. The layer element according to claim 1, wherein the polypropylene composition (CA) comprises:

5 to 50 wt % of the heterophasic copolymer of propylene (A),

25 to 45 wt % of the heterophasic copolymer of propylene (B),

10 to 40 wt % of the inorganic filler,

0 to 30 wt % of a plastomer, and

0.3 to 5 wt % of additives;

based on the total amount (100 wt %) of the polypropylene composition.

4. The layer element according to claim 1, wherein the heterophasic copolymer of propylene (A) of the polypropylene composition (CA) in any order of the following properties:

MFR₂ of 0.2 to 15.0 g/10 min when measured according to ISO 1133 (at 230°

C. and 2.16 kg load),

Xylene cold soluble (XCS) fraction in amount of 3 to 30 wt,

Comonomer content of 0.5 to 20 wt %

Melting temperature, Tm, of 158 to 170°

C.,

Flexural modulus of at least 900 MPa,

Density of 900 to 910 kg/m³, and/or

Vicat softening temperature (Vicat A) of at least 100°

C.

5. The layer element according to claim 1, wherein the heterophasic copolymer of propylene (B) of the polypropylene composition (CA) has one or more, in any order of the following properties:

MFR₂ of 3.0 to 25.0 g/10 min, when measured according to ISO 1133 (at 230°

C. and 2.16 kg load),

Xylene cold soluble (XCS) fraction in amount of 10 to 60 wt %,

Comonomer content of 5.0 to 35 wt %,

Melting temperature, Tm, of 158 to 170°

C.,

Flexural modulus of less than 1000 Mpa,

Density of 900 to 910 kg/m³, and/or

Vicat softening temperature (Vicat A) of at least 90°

C.

6. The layer element according to claim 1, wherein the layer element, comprises at least one layer which comprises the polypropylene composition (CA);

and optionally, at least another layer which comprises the polypropylene composition (CB), which comprises;

0 to 60 wt % of a heterophasic copolymer of propylene (A) which has a Melting temperature (Tm) of at least 145°

C. (DSC), and a Vicat softening temperature (Vicat A) of at least 90°

C. (according to ASTM D 1525, method A, 50°

C./h, 10N), and which comprises;

a polypropylene matrix component (a1) and

an elastomeric propylene copolymer component (a2) which is dispersed in said polypropylene matrix (a1), and

15 to 85 wt % of a heterophasic copolymer of propylene (B) which has a Melting temperature (Tm) of at least 145°

C. (DSC), and a Vicat softening temperature (Vicat A) of at least 90°

C. (according to ASTM D 1525, method A, 50°

C./h, 10N), and which comprises

a polypropylene matrix component (b1) and

an elastomeric propylene copolymer component (b2) which is dispersed in said polypropylene matrix (b1),

15 to 45 wt % of an inorganic filler,

0 to 30 wt % of an adhesive polymer,

0 to 30 wt % of a plastomer, and

0.3 to 5.0 wt % of an additive(s) other than the inorganic filler;

based on the total amount (100 wt %) of the polypropylene composition;

wherein, if the heterophasic copolymer of propylene (A) is present, then the XCS of heterophasic copolymer of propylene (B) is higher than the XCS of heterophasic copolymer of propylene (A).

7. The layer element according to claim 6, wherein the layer element is a multilayer element comprising, in the given order, at least first layer/second layer/third layer, wherein at least the first layer comprise(s) the polypropylene composition (CB), and the second layer comprises the polypropylene composition (CA).

8. The layer element according to claim 6, which is a layer element of an article, comprising, in the given order, at least first layer/second layer/third layer.

9. The layer element according to claim 6, wherein the polypropylene composition (CB) has one or more, in any order, of the following features:

a Tensile modulus of at least 900 MPa,

an MFR₂ of 1.0 to 25.0, g/10 min, when measured according to ISO 1133 (at 230°

C. with 2.16 kg load),

a Vicat softening temperature (Vicat A) of 100 to 200°

C.

10. The layer element according to claim 6, wherein the polypropylene composition (CB) comprises:

0 to 60 wt % of the heterophasic copolymer of propylene (A),

15 to 60 wt % of the heterophasic copolymer of propylene (B),

15 to 45 wt % of the inorganic filler,

0 to 30 wt % of an adhesive polymer,

0 to 30 wt % of a plastomer, and

0.3 to 5.0 wt % of additives;

based on the total amount (100 wt %) of the polypropylene composition.

11. The layer element according to claim 6, wherein the heterophasic copolymer (A) of the polypropylene composition (CB) has one or more, in any order, of the following features:

MFR₂ of 0.2 to 15.0 g/10 min when measured according to ISO 1133 (at 230°

C. and 2.16 kg load),

Xylene cold soluble (XCS) fraction in amount of 3 to 30 wt,

Comonomer content of 0.5 to 20 wt %

Melting temperature, Tm, of 158 to 170°

C.,

Flexural modulus of at least 900 MPa,

Density of 900 to 910 kg/m³, and/or

Vicat softening temperature (Vicat A) of at least 100°

C.

12. The layer element according to claim 6, wherein the heterophasic copolymer (B) of the polypropylene composition (CB) has one or more, in any order, of the following properties:

MFR₂ of 3.0 to 25.0 g/10 min, when measured according to ISO 1133 (at 230°

C. and 2.16 kg load),

Xylene cold soluble (XCS) fraction in amount of 10 to 60 wt %,

Comonomer content of 5.0 to 35 wt %,

Melting temperature, Tm, of 158 to 170°

C.,

Flexural modulus of less than 1000 Mpa,

Density of 900 to 910 kg/m³, and/or

Vicat softening temperature (Vicat A) of at least 90°

C.