Process for the production of polymer compositions with excellent processability

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12509537-B2
Application number	US-202017773571-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 16, 2020
Priority date	Dec 26, 2019
Publication date	Dec 30, 2025
Grant date	Dec 30, 2025

Abstract

A process to prepare an alpha composition comprising a first ethylene/alpha-olefin/interpolymer fraction and a second ethylene/alpha-olefin/interpolymer fraction; said process comprising polymerizing, in one reactor, a reaction mixture, comprising ethylene and an alpha-olefin, a biphenyl phenol metal complex selected from Structure 1, as described herein, and a biphenyl phenol metal complex selected from Structure 2, as described herein; and alpha compositions prepared therefrom.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1 . A process to prepare an alpha composition comprising a first ethylene/alpha-olefin/interpolymer fraction and a second ethylene/alpha-olefin/interpolymer fraction; said process comprising polymerizing, in one reactor, a reaction mixture, comprising ethylene, an alpha-olefin, a metal complex selected from a) below, and a metal complex selected from b) below:
a) a biphenyl phenol metal complex selected from the following Structures 1(a)-(c):

b) a biphenyl phenol metal complex selected from Structure 2:

 where
M is Zr or Hf, the metal being in a formal oxidation state of +2, +3, or +4;
n is 0, 1, or 2;
when n is 1, X is a monodentate ligand or a bidentate ligand;
when n is 2, each X is an independently chosen monodentate ligand;
the metal complex is overall charge-neutral;
each of —Z 1 — and —Z 2 — is independently selected from —O—, —S—, —N(R N )—, or —P(R P )—;
R 1 and R 8 are independently selected from the group consisting of —H, (C 1 -C 40 ) hydrocarbyl, (C 1-40 ) heterohydrocarbyl, —Si(R C ) 3 , —Ge(R C ) 3 ,—P(R P ) 2 , —N(R N ) 2 , —OR C , —SR C , —NO 2 , —CN, —CF 3 , R C S(O)—, R C S(O) 2 —, (R C ) 2 C═N—, R C C(O)O—, R C OC(O)—, R C C(O)N(R)—, (R C ) 2 NC(O)—, halogen, radicals having formula (I), radicals having formula
(II), and radicals having formula (III):

where each of R 31-35 , R 41-48 , and R 51-59 is independently selected from (C 1 -C 40 )hydrocarbyl, (C 1 -C 40 )heterohydrocarbyl, —Si(R C ) 3 , —Ge(R C ) 3 , —P(R P ) 2 , —N(R N ) 2 , —N═CHR C , —OR C , —SR C , —NO 2 , —CN, —CF 3 , R C S(O)—, R C S(O) 2 —, (R C ) 2 C═N—, R C C(O)O—, R C OC(O)—, R C C(O)N(R N )—, (R C ) 2 NC(O)—, halogen, or —H;
each of R 2-7 , R 9-16 is independently selected from (C 1 -C 40 ) hydrocarbyl, (C 1 -C 40 )hydrocarbyl, —Si(R C ) 3 , —Ge(R C ) 3 , —P(R P ) 2 , —N(R N ) 2 , —N═CHR C , —OR C , —SR C , —NO 2 , —CN, —CF 3 , R C S(O)—, R C S(O) 2 —, (R C ) 2 C═N—, R C C(O)O—, R C OC(O), R C C(O)N(R N )—, (R C ) 2 NC(O)—, halogen, or —H;
Y is either —(CH2)n-, where n=0 to 2; —CRaRb-, where Ra and Rb are each independently (C 1 -C 40 )hydrocarbyl, (C 1 -C 40 )heterohydrocarbyl, or —H; —Ge(R D ) 2 — or —Si(R D ) 2 —, where each R D is independently selected from the group consisting of —H, (C 1 -C 40 )hydrocarbyl, (C 1 -C 40 )heterohydrocarbyl, —Si(R C ) 3 , —Ge(R C ) 3 , —P(R P ) 2 , —N(R N ) 2 , —OR C , —SR C , —NO 2 , —CN, —CF3, R C S(O)—, R C S(O) 2 —, (R C ) 2 C═N—, R C C(O)O—, R C OC(O)—, R C C(O)N(R N )—, and (R N ) 2 NC(O)—; and
R C , R P , and R N in Structure 2 is independently a (C 1 -C 30 )hydrocarbyl, a (C 1 -C 30 )heterohydrocarbyl, or —H;
with the proviso that for Structure 2, R 12 and R 13 cannot both be halo, when R 1 and R 8 are each a radical having formula (II), where R 43 =R 46 =t-Bu, and R 41-42 =R 44-45 =R 47-48 =—H; and
with the proviso that when Structure 1 and Structure 2 have the same R groups, Z groups, X group(s), and linker group between Z 1 and Z 2 , these structures do not have the same metal (M), such that if M is Hf for one structure, the M is Zr for the other structure,
wherein the process has an overall catalyst efficiency ≥2.8×10 6 [(gram alpha composition) per (gram total catalyst metal)], at an alpha composition density from 0.855 to 0.890 g/cc.

2 . The process of claim 1 , wherein for Structure 2, R 1 and R 8 are identical, and selected from the group consisting of radicals having formula (I), radicals having formula (II), and radicals having formula (III).

3 . The process of claim 1 , wherein for Structure 2, Y is selected from the following:
i) —SiR c R d —, or —GeR c R d — where R c and R d are each, independently, a (C 1 -C 30 )hydrocarbyl or a (C 1 -C 30 )heterohydrocarbyl; ii) —(CH 2 ) n —, where n=0 to 2; or iii) —CR a R b —, where R a and R b are each, independently, a (C 1 -C 30 )hydrocarbyl, a (C 1 -C 30 )heterohydrocarbyl, or —H.

4 . The process of claim 1 , wherein Structure 2 is selected from the following structures 2a or 2b:

5 . The process of claim 1 , wherein the process has an overall catalyst efficiency ≥2.8×10 6 [(gram alpha composition) per (gram total catalyst metal)], at a reactor temperature ≥150° C.

6 . The process of claim 1 , wherein a mass flow ratio of hydrogen reactor feed to ethylene reactor feed is ≤6.00×10 −4 g/g.

7 . The process of claim 1 , wherein the process is run at a reactor temperature ≥150° C.

Assignees

• Dow Global Technologies Llc

Inventors

• Delorbe Johnathan E
• Ferrari Daniela
• Karjala Jr Thomas Wesley
• Vervoort Sylvie
• Munro Jeffrey C
• Madenjian Lisa S

Classifications

• C08F4/64193

  OOOO · CPC title

• C08F4/65904

  in combination with another component of C08F4/64 · CPC title

• C08F4/65912

  in combination with an organoaluminium compound · CPC title

• C08F4/65908

  in combination with an ionising compound other than alumoxane, e.g. (C6F5)4B-X+ · CPC title

• C08F4/659

  Component covered by group C08F4/64 containing a transition metal-carbon bond {(C08F4/64003 - C08F4/64196 take precedence)} · CPC title