Ethylene/alpha-olefins block interpolymers

• US 20060199930A1
• Filed: 03/15/2006
• Published: 09/07/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 03/17/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dow Global Technologies LLC (Dow, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Dow Global Technologies, Inc. (Dow, Inc.)
• Inventors: Qui, Xiaohua, Hustad, Phillip D., Hazlitt, Lonnie G., Carnahan, Edmund M., Kuhlman, Roger L., Taha, Angela N., Poon, Benjamin C., Cheung, Yunwa W., Li Pi Shan, Colin
• Granted Patent: US 7,608,668 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 526/346
• CPC Class Codes: C08F 212/08 Styrene

Abstract

Embodiments of the invention provide a class of ethylene/α-olefin block interpolymers. The ethylene/α-olefin interpolymers are characterized by an average block index, ABI, which is greater than zero and up to about 1.0 and a molecular weight distribution, M_w/M_n, greater than about 1.3. Preferably, the block index is from about 0.2 to about 1. In addition or alternatively, the block ethylene/α-olefin interpolymer is characterized by having at least one fraction obtained by Temperature Rising Elution Fractionation (“TREF”), wherein the fraction has a block index greater than about 0.3 and up to about 1.0 and the ethylene/α-olefin interpolymer has a molecular weight distribution, M_w/M_n, greater than about 1.3.

Claims

1. An ethylene/α

-olefin interpolymer comprising polymerized units of ethylene and α

-olefin, wherein the interpolymer is characterized by an average block index greater than zero and up to about 1.0 and a molecular weight distribution, M_w/M_n, greater than about 1.3.

3. The ethylene/α

-olefin interpolymer of claim 1, wherein the average block index is in the range from about 0.1 to about 0.3.

4. The ethylene/α

-olefin interpolymer of claim 1, wherein the average block index is in the range from about 0.4 to about 1.0.

5. The ethylene/α

-olefin interpolymer of claim 1, wherein the average block index is in the range from about 0.3 to about 0.7.

6. The ethylene/α

-olefin interpolymer of claim 1, wherein the average block index is in the range from about 0.6 to about 0.9.

7. The ethylene/α

-olefin interpolymer of claim 1, wherein the average block index is in the range from about 0.5 to about 0.7.

8. The ethylene/α

-olefin interpolymer of claim 1, wherein the interpolymer has a density of less than about 0.91 g/cc.

9. The ethylene/α

-olefin interpolymer of claim 1, wherein the interpolymer has a density in the range from about 0.86 g/cc to about 0.91 g/cc.

10. The ethylene/α

-olefin interpolymer of claim 1, wherein the α

-olefin is styrene, propylene, 1-butene, 1-hexene, 1-octene, 4-methyl-1-pentene, norbornene, 1-decene, 1,5-hexadiene, or a combination thereof.

11. The ethylene/α

-olefin interpolymer of claim 1, wherein the α

-olefin is 1-butene.

12. The ethylene/α

-olefin interpolymer of claim 1, wherein the α

-olefin is 1-octene.

13. The ethylene/α

-olefin interpolymer of claim 1, wherein the Mw/Mn is greater than about 1.5.

14. The ethylene/α

-olefin interpolymer of claim 1, wherein the Mw/Mn is greater than about 2.0.

15. The ethylene/α

-olefin interpolymer of claim 1, wherein the Mw/Mn is from about 2.0 to about 8

16. The ethylene/α

-olefin interpolymer of claim 1, wherein the Mw/Mn is from about 1.7 to about 3.5

17. The ethylene/α

-olefin interpolymer of claim 1, wherein the ethylene/α

-olefin interpolymer is characterized by at least one melting point, Tm, in degrees Celsius, and a density, d, in grams/cubic centimeter, wherein the numerical values of Tm and d correspond to the relationship;

T_m>

−

2002.9+4538.5(d)−

2422.2(d)²

18. The ethylene/α

-olefin interpolymer of claim 1, wherein the ethylene/α

-olefin interpolymer is characterized by an elastic recovery, Re, in percent at 300 percent strain and 1 cycle measured with a compression-molded film of the ethylene/α

-olefin interpolymer, and a density, d, in grams/cubic centimeter, wherein the numerical values of Re and d satisfy the following relationship when ethylene/α

-olefin interpolymer is substantially free of a cross-linked phase;

Re>

1481-1629(d)

27. The ethylene/α

-olefin interpolymer of claim 1, wherein the ethylene content is greater than 50 mole percent.

28. The ethylene/α

-olefin interpolymer of claim 1, wherein the interpolymer comprises one or more hard segments and one or more soft segments.

29. The ethylene/α

-olefin interpolymer of claim 1, wherein the hard segments are present in an amount from about 5% to about 85% by weight of the interpolymer.

30. The ethylene/α

-olefin interpolymer of claim 1, wherein the hard segments comprise at least 98% of ethylene by weight.

31. The ethylene/α

-olefin interpolymer of claim 1, wherein the soft segments comprise less than 90% of ethylene by weight.

32. The ethylene/α

-olefin interpolymer of claim 1, wherein the soft segments comprise less than 50% of ethylene by weight.

33. The ethylene/α

-olefin interpolymer of claim 1, wherein the interpolymer comprises at least 10 hard and soft segments connected in a linear fashion to form a linear chain.

34. The ethylene/α

-olefin interpolymer of claim 33, wherein the hard segments and soft segments are randomly distributed along the chain.

35. The ethylene/α

-olefin interpolymer of claim 1, wherein the soft segments do not include a tip segment.

36. The ethylene/α

-olefin interpolymer of claim 1, wherein the hard segments do not include a tip segment.

2. An ethylene/α

-olefin interpolymer comprising polymerized units of ethylene and α

-olefin, wherein the average block index is greater than 0 but less than about 0.4 and a molecular weight distribution, M_w/M_n, greater than about 1.3.

37. The ethylene/α

-olefin interpolymer of claim 2, wherein the average block index is in the range from about 0.1 to about 0.3.

38. The ethylene/α

-olefin interpolymer of claim 2, wherein the interpolymer has a density of less than about 0.91 g/cc.

39. The ethylene/α

-olefin interpolymer of claim 2, wherein the interpolymer has a density in the range from about 0.86 g/cc to about 0.91 g/cc.

40. The ethylene/α

-olefin interpolymer of claim 2, wherein the Mw/Mn is greater than about 1.5.

41. The ethylene/α

-olefin interpolymer of claim 2, wherein the Mw/Mn is greater than about 2.0.

42. The ethylene/α

-olefin interpolymer of claim 2, wherein the Mw/Mn is from about 2.0 to about 8

43. The ethylene/α

-olefin interpolymer of claim 2, wherein the ethylene/α

-olefin interpolymer is characterized by at least one melting point, Tm, in degrees Celsius, and a density, d, in grams/cubic centimeter, wherein the numerical values of Tm and d correspond to the relationship;

T_m>

−

2002.9+4538.5(d)−

2422.2(d)²

44. The ethylene/α

-olefin interpolymer of claim 2, wherein the ethylene/α

-olefin interpolymer is characterized by an elastic recovery, Re, in percent at 300 percent strain and 1 cycle measured with a compression-molded film of the ethylene/α

-olefin interpolymer, and a density, d, in grams/cubic centimeter, wherein the numerical values of Re and d satisfy the following relationship when ethylene/α

-olefin interpolymer is substantially free of a cross-linked phase;

Re>

1481-1629(d).

19. An ethylene/α

-olefin interpolymer comprising polymerized units of ethylene and α

-olefin, the interpolymer characterized by having at least one fraction obtained by Temperature Rising Elution Fractionation (“

TREF”

), wherein the fraction has a block index greater than about 0.3 and up to about 1.0 and the ethylene/α

-olefin interpolymer has a molecular weight distribution, M_w/M_n, greater than about 1.3.

21. The ethylene/α

-olefin interpolymer of claim 19, wherein the block index of the fraction is greater than about 0.4.

22. The ethylene/α

-olefin interpolymer of claim 19, wherein the block index of the fraction is greater than about 0.5.

23. The ethylene/α

-olefin interpolymer of claim 19, wherein the block index of the fraction is greater than about 0.6.

24. The ethylene/α

-olefin interpolymer of claim 19, wherein the block index of the fraction is greater than about 0.7.

25. The ethylene/α

-olefin interpolymer of claim 19, wherein the block index of the fraction is greater than about 0.8.

26. The ethylene/α

-olefin interpolymer of claim 19, wherein the block index of the fraction is greater than about 0.9.

20. An ethylene/α

-olefin interpolymer comprising polymerized units of ethylene and α

-olefin, the interpolymer characterized by having at least one fraction obtained by TREF, wherein the fraction has a block index greater than about 0 and up to about 0.4 and the ethylene/α

-olefin interpolymer has a molecular weight distribution, M_w/M_n, greater than about 1.3.