Highly branched, low molecular weight polyolefins and methods for their production

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11242421-B2
Application number	US-201916963731-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 6, 2019
Priority date	Feb 6, 2018
Publication date	Feb 8, 2022
Grant date	Feb 8, 2022

Abstract

Low molecular weight, highly branched polyolefins are provided. Also provided are catalyst-mediated methods of making the low molecular weight, highly branched polyolefins and a catalyst system for carrying out the methods. The catalyst system is a homogeneous catalytic system that includes a single-site organozirconium complex and hydrocarbon-soluble perfluoroarylborate co-catalyst that is highly active for the oligomerization of olefin monomers in non-polar media.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A branched polyolefin having a number average molecular weight of no greater than 2100 g/mol and a branch density of at least 40 branches/1000 C, wherein the branches comprise ethyl branches and butyl branches, less than 30% of the branches are odd-numbered branches, and at least 60% of the end groups on the branches are vinylidene groups, and further wherein internal double bonds make up no greater than 10% of the total polyolefin unsaturation.

2. The branched polyolefin of claim 1 , wherein the polyolefin is a polyethylene homopolymer.

3. The branched polyolefin of claim 1 , wherein the polyolefin is a polyethylene copolymer.

4. The branched polyolefin of claim 3 , wherein the polyolefin is a copolymer of ethylene and an a-olefin co-monomer.

5. The branched polyolefin of claim 4 , wherein the copolymer is an ethylene-1-hexene copolymer.

6. The branched polyolefin of claim 1 , wherein the branches further comprise alkyl branches comprising at least 6 carbon atoms in an alkyl chain.

7. The branched polyolefin of claim 1 , wherein at least 20% of the branches comprise alkyl branches comprising at least 6 carbon atoms.

8. The branched polyolefin of claim 1 , wherein less than 15% of the branches are odd-numbered branches.

9. The branched polyolefin of claim 1 , wherein less than 5% of the branches are odd-numbered branches.

10. The branched polyolefin of claim 1 , wherein none of the branches are odd-numbered branches.

11. The branched polyolefin of claim 1 , wherein at least 70% of the end groups on the branches are vinylidene groups.

12. The branched polyolefin of claim 11 , wherein no greater than 25% of the end groups on the branches are vinyl groups.

13. The branched polyolefin of claim 1 having a number average molecular weight of no greater than 1200 g/mol and a branch density of at least 60 branches/1000 C.

14. The branched polyolefin of claim 13 having a number average molecular weight in the range from 400 to 1200 g/mol and a branch density in the range from 60 to 100 branches/1000 C.

15. A branched polyethylene homopolymer having a number average molecular weight of no greater than 1000 g/mol and a branch density of at least 50 branches/1000 C, wherein the branches comprise a combination of ethyl branches, n-butyl branches, and alkyl branches comprising at least 6 carbon atoms in an alkyl chain, and further wherein at least 70% of the end groups of the branches are vinyl groups, vinylidene groups, or a combination thereof.

16. A branched copolymer of ethylene and 1-hexene having a number average molecular weight of no greater than 1000 g/mol and a branch density of at least 70 branches/1000 C, wherein the branches comprise a combination of ethyl branches, n-butyl branches, and alkyl branches comprising at least 6 carbon atoms in an alkyl chain.

Assignees

• Univ Northwestern

Inventors

• Marks Tobin J
• Gao Yanshan
• Lohr Tracy L
• Wang Qian
• Chung Yip-Wah
• Pickens Iii David B

Classifications

• C10M2205/0285

  used as base material · CPC title

• C10M2205/0225

  used as base material · CPC title

• C10M107/10

  containing aliphatic monomer having more than 4 carbon atoms · CPC title

• C10M107/04

  Polyethylene · CPC title

• C08F2420/02

  Cp or analog bridged to a non-Cp X anionic donor · CPC title