Process for producing modified olefin polymer in an extruder

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10105908-B2
Application number	US-201615544204-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 3, 2016
Priority date	Feb 4, 2015
Publication date	Oct 23, 2018
Grant date	Oct 23, 2018

Abstract

The present invention is directed to a process for producing a modified olefin polymer in an extruder having a feed zone, a melting zone, optionally a mixing zone and optionally a die zone, (A) introducing a stream of an olefin polymer into the feed zone of the extruder; (B) introducing a stream of a free radical generator directly into the feed zone or the melting zone or the mixing zone, if present, of the extruder; (C) introducing a stream of a functionally unsaturated compound directly into the feed zone or the melting zone or the mixing zone, if present, of the extruder; (D) extruding the mixture in the extruder at a temperature which is greater than the decomposition temperature of the free radical generator and the melting temperature of the olefin polymer but less than the decomposition temperature of the olefin polymer thereby producing the modified olefin polymer in the extruder; and, optionally, (G) passing the melt of the modified olefin polymer through the die zone to a pelletiser.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A process for producing a modified olefin polymer in an extruder having a feed zone, a melting zone, optionally a mixing zone and optionally a die zone,
(A) introducing a stream of an olefin polymer which is a homopolymer of propylene or a copolymer of propylene having a melt flow rate, measured according to ISO 1133 under a load of 2.16 kg and at a temperature of 230 ° C., of 0.1 to 50 g/10 min into the feed zone of the extruder;
(B) introducing a stream of a free radical generator directly into the feed zone or the melting zone or the mixing zone, if present, of the extruder;
(C) introducing a stream of a functionally unsaturated compound chosen from
(i) a bifunctionally unsaturated monomer selected from the group consisting of divinyl compounds, allyl compounds, dienes, aromatic or aliphatic bis (maleimide), aromatic or aliphatic bis (citraconimide) and mixtures thereof or polymer; or
(ii) a bifunctionally or multifunctionally unsaturated polymer directly into the feed zone or the melting zone or the mixing zone, if present, of the extruder;

(D) extruding the mixture in the extruder at a temperature which is greater than the decomposition temperature of the free radical generator and the melting temperature of the olefin polymer but less than the decomposition temperature of the olefin polymer thereby producing the modified olefin polymer in the extruder;
and, optionally,

(G) passing the melt of the modified olefin polymer through the die zone to a pelletiser whereby the modified olefin polymer has
a F 30 melt strength of at least 3.4 cN and
a melt extensibility of at least 170 mm/s.

2. The process according to claim 1 wherein at least one of the streams of the free radical generator or the functionally unsaturated compound is introduced directly into the feed zone of the extruder.

3. The process according to claim 1 wherein at least one of the streams of the free radical generator and the functionally unsaturated compound is introduced directly into the melting zone or the mixing zone, if present, of the extruder.

4. The process according to claim 3 wherein the stream of the functionally unsaturated compound is introduced directly into the melting zone or the mixing zone, if present, of the extruder.

5. The process according to claim 1 wherein both of the streams of the free radical generator and the functionally unsaturated compound are introduced directly into melting zone or the mixing zone, if present, of the extruder.

6. The process according to claim 5 wherein the stream of the functionally unsaturated compound is introduced downstream of the stream of the free radical generator.

7. The process according to claim 1 wherein the homopolymer of propylene or copolymer of propylene is selected from the group consisting of homopolymers of propylene; copolymers of propylene with one or more comonomers selected from ethylene and alpha-olefins having from 4 to 10 carbon atoms; and mixtures thereof.

8. The process according to claim 7 wherein the temperature in the melting zone of the extruder is within the range of from 165 to 300 ° C.

9. The process according to claim 1 wherein the free radical generator is selected from the group consisting of acyl peroxides, alkyl peroxides, hydroperoxides, peresters, peroxycarbonates and mixtures thereof.

10. The process according to claim 9 wherein the free radical generator is selected from the group consisting of benzoyl peroxide, 4-chlorobenzoyl peroxide, 3-methoxybenzoyl peroxide, methyl benzoyl peroxide,): allyl t-butyl peroxide, 2,2-bis(t-butylperoxybutane), 1,1-bis(t-butylperoxy)-3,3,5-trimethylcyclohexane, n-butyl-4,4-bis(t-butylperoxy) valerate, diisopropylaminomethyl-t-amyl peroxide, dimethylaminomethyl-t-amyl peroxide, diethylaminomethyl-t-butyl peroxide, dimethylaminomethyl-t-butyl peroxide, 1,1-di-(t-amylperoxy)cyclohexane, t-amyl peroxide, t-butylcumyl peroxide, t-butyl peroxide, 1-hydroxybutyl n-butyl peroxide, butyl peracetate, cumyl peracetate, cumyl perpropionate, cyclohexyl peracetate, di-t-butyl peradipate, di-t-butyl perazelate, di-t-butyl perglutarate, di-t-butyl perthalate, di-t-butyl persebacate, 4-nitrocumyl perpropionate, 1-phenylethyl perbenzoate, phenylethyl nitro-perbenzoate, t-butylbicyclo-(2,2,1)heptane percarboxylate, t-butyl-4-carbomethoxy perbutyrate, t-butylcyclobutane percarboxylate, t-butylcyclohexyl peroxycarboxylate, t-butylcyclopentyl percarboxylate, t-butylcyclopropane percarboxylate, t-butyldimethyl percinnamate, t-butyl-2-(2,2-diphenylvinyl) perbenzoate, t-butyl-4-methoxy perbenzoate, t-butylperbenzoate, t-butylcarboxycyclohexane, t-butyl pernaphthoate, t-butylperoxy isopropyl carbonate, t-butyl pertoluate, t-butyl-1-phenylcyclopropyl percarboxylate, t-butyl-2-propylperpentene-2-oate, t-butyl-1-methylcyclopropyl percarboxylate, t-butyl-4-nitrophenyl peracetate, t-butylnitrophenyl peroxycarbamate, t-butyl-N-succiimido percarboxylate, t-butyl percrotonate, t-butyl permaleic acid, t-butyl permethacrylate, t-butyl peroctoate, t-butyl peroxyisopropylcarbonate, t-butyl perisobutyrate, t-butyl peracrylate, t-butyl perpropionate and mixtures thereof.

11. The process according to claim 1 wherein the bifunctionally unsaturated monomer is selected from the group consisting of divinylaniline, m-divinylbenzene, p-divinylbenzene, divinylpentane, divinylpropane, allyl acrylate, allyl methacrylate, allyl methyl maleate, allyl vinyl ether, 1,3 butadiene, chloroprene, cyclohexadiene, cyclopentadiene, 2,3 dimethylbutadiene, heptadiene, hexadiene, isoprene, 1,4 pentadiene and mixtures thereof.

12. The process according to claim 1 wherein the multifunctionally unsaturated polymer is selected from the group consisting of polybutadienes, copolymers of butadiene and styrene and mixtures thereof.

13. The process according to claim 1 further comprising the step of (E) withdrawing volatile components from the melt of the modified olefin polymer.

14. The process according to claim 13 comprising the step of (G) passing the melt of the modified olefin polymer to a downstream extruder; and wherein the step of withdrawing volatile components from the melt of the modified olefin polymer is conducted in the downstream extruder.

15. The process according to claim 14 further comprising the step of passing the melt of the modified olefin polymer from the downstream extruder through the die zone to the pelletiser.

16. The process according to claim 7 wherein the temperature in the melting zone of the extruder is within the range of from 170 to 280 ° C.

17. The process according to claim 7 wherein the temperature in the melting zone of the extruder is within the range of from 170 to 240 ° C.

Assignees

• Borealis Ag

Inventors

• Bergman Nicke
• Muster Udo
• Reichelt Norbert
• Gierlinger Wolfgang

Classifications

• B29C48/345

  Extrusion nozzles comprising two or more adjacently arranged ports, for simultaneously extruding multiple strands, e.g. for pelletising · CPC title

• B29C48/762

  Vapour stripping · CPC title

• C08J2323/14

  Copolymers of propene (C08J2323/16 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B29B9/06

  in the form of filamentary material, e.g. combined with extrusion · CPC title

• B29B7/845

  Venting, degassing or removing evaporated components in devices with rotary stirrers · CPC title