Microstructure-controlled copolymers of ethylene and C3-C10 alpha-olefins

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10221267-B2
Application number	US-201615377152-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 13, 2016
Priority date	Dec 13, 2016
Publication date	Mar 5, 2019
Grant date	Mar 5, 2019

Abstract

A copolymer including ethylene units and units of one or more C3-10 alpha-olefins. The copolymer has a number average molecular weight of less than 5,000 g/mol, as measured by GPC. The ethylene content of the copolymer is less than 80 mol %. At least 70% of molecules of the copolymer have an unsaturated group, and at least 70% of said unsaturated groups are located in a terminal vinylidene group or a tri-substituted isomer of a terminal vinylidene group. The copolymer has a crossover temperature of −20° C. or lower and/or a certain ethylene run length. Also disclosed are a method for making the copolymer and polyolefins plasticized with 1-40 wt % of the copolymer.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A copolymer comprising ethylene units and propylene units,
wherein the copolymer has a number average molecular weight of less than 4,000 g/mol as measured by GPC;
wherein the ethylene content of the copolymer is less than 70 mol %;
at least 70% of molecules of the copolymer have an unsaturated group, and at least 70% of said unsaturated groups are located in a terminal vinylidene group or a tri-substituted isomer of a terminal vinylidene group;
wherein the copolymer has an average ethylene unit run length (n C2 ) which is 2.64 or less, as determined by 13 C NMR spectroscopy, and satisfies the relationship shown by the expression below:

n

C
⁢

⁢
2

<

(

EEE
+
EEA
+
AEA

)

(

AEA
+

0.5
⁢
EEA

)

wherein

EEE
=

(

x

C
⁢

⁢
2

)

3

,

⁢

EEA
=

2
⁢

(

x

C
⁢

⁢
2

)

2

⁢

(

1
-

x

C
⁢

⁢
2

)

,

⁢

AEA
=

x

C
⁢

⁢
2

⁡

(

1
-

x

C
⁢

⁢
2

)

2

,

x C2 being the mole fraction of ethylene incorporated in the polymer as measured by 1 H-NMR spectroscopy, E representing an ethylene unit, and A representing propylene unit.

2. The copolymer of claim 1 , wherein the copolymer has a crossover temperature of −20° C. or lower.

3. The copolymer of claim 1 , wherein the copolymer has an average ethylene unit run length of less than 2.6.

4. The copolymer of claim 1 , wherein the ethylene content of the copolymer is less than 55 mol %.

5. The copolymer of claim 1 , wherein the ethylene content of the copolymer is at least 30 mol % and less than 65 mol %.

6. The copolymer of claim 1 , wherein the ethylene content of the copolymer is at least 40 mol % and less than 60 mol %.

7. The copolymer of claim 1 , wherein the propylene content of the copolymer is at least 40 mol %.

8. The copolymer of claim 1 , wherein at least 85 mol % of the copolymer terminates in the terminal vinylidene group or the tri-substituted isomer of the terminal vinylidene group.

9. The copolymer of claim 1 , wherein the copolymer has an average ethylene unit run length of less than 2.4.

10. The copolymer of claim 1 , wherein the copolymer has an average ethylene unit run length of less than 2.

11. The copolymer of claim 1 , wherein the crossover temperature of the copolymer is −35° C. or lower.

12. The copolymer of claim 1 , wherein the crossover temperature of the copolymer is −40° C. or lower.

13. The copolymer of claim 1 , wherein the copolymer has a polydispersity index of less than or equal to 4.

14. The copolymer of claim 1 , wherein the copolymer has a polydispersity index of less than or equal to 3.

15. The copolymer of claim 1 , wherein the number average molecular weight of the copolymer is between 800 and 3,000 g/mol, as measured by GPC.

16. The copolymer of claim 1 , wherein less than 20% of unit triads in the copolymer are ethylene-ethylene-ethylene triads.

17. The copolymer of claim 1 , wherein the copolymer has a number average molecular weight of less than 2,000 g/mol, as measured by GPC.

18. The copolymer of claim 17 , wherein the ethylene content of the copolymer is at least 40 mol % and less than 60 mol %.

19. The copolymer of claim 18 , wherein the copolymer has a polydispersity index of less than or equal to 4.

20. The copolymer of claim 19 , wherein the crossover temperature of the copolymer is −35° C. or lower.

21. The copolymer of claim 20 , wherein less than 20% of unit triads in the copolymer are ethylene-ethylene-ethylene triads.

22. The copolymer of claim 21 , wherein the crossover temperature of the copolymer is −40° C. or lower.

Assignees

• Afton Chemical Corp

Inventors

• Cain Nathaniel
• Loper John
• Cunningham Lawrence
• Roos Joseph W

Classifications

• C08F110/00 Primary

  Homopolymers of unsaturated aliphatic hydrocarbons having only one carbon-to-carbon double bond · CPC title

• C08K2003/2244

  of zirconium · CPC title

• C08F2800/10

  as molar percentages · CPC title

• C08K2003/2227

  of aluminium · CPC title

• C08F210/16 Primary

  Copolymers of ethene with alpha-alkenes, e.g. EP rubbers · CPC title