Process for producing modified poly(propene), the modified poly(propene) and the use thereof, and the polymer blend

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016355644-A1
Application number	US-201414913620-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Aug 25, 2014
Priority date	Aug 23, 2013
Publication date	Dec 8, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

The present application refers to a process for the modification of polypropylene, wherein amount, size and configuration of the branches are controlled, the process comprising the steps of (A) preparing a bis(sulphonazide) (BSA) masterbatch by dispersing BSA in polyolefin; (B) adding (i) at least one fatty acid salt with metal cation having valence of 1 + to 3 + ; and (ii) the BSA masterbatch prepared in step (A) to the polypropylene to be modified. Said modified polypropylene of the present invention possesses properties suitable for use in foaming, blowing, thermoforming, recoating, film extrusion, BOPP, spinning processes and other processes and applications, and it is also suitable to be in contact with food products.

First claim

1 . Process for the production of a modified polypropylene, characterized in that it comprises the following steps of:
(A) preparing a bis(sulfonazide) (BSA) masterbatch by dispersing BSA in polyolefin; and (B) adding (i) at least one fatty acid salt with a metal cation of valence 1 + to 3 + , and (ii) the BSA masterbatch prepared in step (A) in the polypropylene to be modified.

2 . Process, in accordance with claim 1 , characterized in that steps (A) and (B) occur by extrusion.

3 . Process, in accordance with claim 2 , characterized in that the extruder screw is selected from single, double or planetary screw, interpenetrating or non-interpenetrating and counter-rotating or co-rotating screw.

4 . Process, in accordance with claim 3 , characterized in that in step (A) the screw L/D is higher than 20 and in step (B) the extruder is selected from an industrial extruder having a diameter higher than 250 mm and L/D higher than 10, or the compounding extruder with a diameter of 20 to 250 mm and L/D higher than 25.

5 . Process, in accordance with claim 2 , characterized in that the residence time of step (A) is lower than 40 s and residence time of step (B) is lower than 30 s.

6 . Process, in accordance with claim 2 characterized in that the extrusion temperature of step (A) is lower than 190° C., preferably lower than 180° C., and the extrusion temperature of step (B) is lower than 270° C., preferably lower than 250° C.

7 . Process, in accordance with claim 1 , characterized in that steps (A) and (B) occur integrally or independently.

8 . Process, in accordance with claim 1 , characterized in that BSA is selected from the group comprising sulphonyl azides, poly(sulfonyl azides), phosphazene azides, poly(phosphazene azides), silyl azides, poly(silyl azides), formyl azides, poly(formyl azides), azides, poly(azides), N-chlorosulfonamides salts, N, N-dichlorosulfonamides, inner salts of 2-trialkyl-1-sulfonylhydrazides, diazo alkanes, poly(diazo alkanes), geminally-substituted methylene groups, ketenes, metallocarbenes, and mixtures thereof.

9 . Process, in accordance with claim 1 , characterized in that BSA is 4,4′-diphenyl ether bis(sulphonazide).

10 . Process, in accordance with claim 1 , characterized in that BSA can be in a liquid, suspension and solid form, in physical mixtures with polymers and/or in molecular melt form.

11 . Process, in accordance with claim 1 , characterized in that in step (A) the amount of BSA in the masterbatch is lower than 7.5%.

12 . Process, in accordance with claim 1 or 10 , characterized in that in that the amount of molecular melt in the masterbatch is up to 80%, preferably between 5% and 35% in the masterbatch composition.

13 . Process, in accordance with claim 1 , characterized in that the amount of BSA in the modified polypropylene ranges from 200 to 2000 ppm.

14 . Process, in accordance with claim 1 , characterized in that the polyolefin of step (A) is selected from the group consisting of polyethylene, poly alpha-olefins, polypropylene, copolymers of ethylene alfa-olefins having 3 to 10 carbon atoms, copolymers of propylene ethene and/or alfa-olefins having 4 to 10 carbon atoms, and mixtures thereof.

15 . Process, in accordance with claim 1 , characterized in that the polyolefin of step (A) is a polypropylene selected from the group comprising homopolymers, copolymers, heterophasic copolymer/homopolymer matric (HECO) of random propylene/alpha-olefin heterophasic copolymer matrix (RAHECO) and/or random copolymer (RACO) comprising propylene/ethylene and/or a-olefin containing from 4 to 10 carbon atoms

16 . Process, in accordance with claim 15 , characterized in that IF of the polypropylene ranges from 1 to 300 g/min.

17 . Process, in accordance with claim 1 , characterized in that the polypropylene to be modified is selected from the group comprising homopolymers, copolymers, heterophasic copolymer/homopolymer matric (HECO) of random propylene/alpha-olefin heterophasic copolymer matrix (RAHECO) and/or random copolymer (RACO) comprising propylene/ethylene and/or a-olefin containing from 4 to 10 carbon atoms.

18 . Process, in accordance with claim 17 , characterized in that IF of the polypropylene to be modified ranges from 1 to 300 g/min.

19 . Process, in accordance with claim 1 , characterized in that the polyolefin and polypropylene to be modified are in the form of pellet, spheres, powder and/or mixture thereof.

20 . Process, in accordance with claim 1 , characterized in that additives selected from the group comprising nucleants, flame retardants, pigments, anti-UV agents, COF controllers, mold-release agents, IR-absorption agents, demolding auxiliaries, anti-static agents, and mixtures thereof are optionally added in steps (A) and/or (B).

21 . Process, in accordance with claim 1 , characterized in that antioxidants selected from the group comprising phenolic antioxidants, phosphates, phosphites, and mixtures thereof are optionally added in steps (A) and/or (B).

22 . Process, in accordance with claim 1 , characterized in that compatibilizers or fatty acid salts with metal cations having valence of 1 + to 3 + are optionally added in step (A).

23 . Process, in accordance with claim 1 or 22 , characterized in that the fatty acid salts are stearates and the metal cation is selected from Ca, Zn, Mg, Na, Li and Ba.

24 . Process, in accordance with claim 1 , characterized in that in step (B) the fatty acid salts are added in an amount ranging from 200 to 6000 ppm based on the total mass of modified polypropylene.

25 . Process, in accordance with claim 1 , characterized in that the masterbatch has a reduction of domains of BSA and/or molecular melt for median values lower than 50 μm.

26 . Modified polypropylene produced by the process as defined in any of claims 1 to 25 , characterized in that it has g′ lower than 1, B n greater than 0.1 and IF lower than 100 g/10 min.

27 . Modified polypropylene, in accordance with claim 26 , characterized in that it has g′ superior to 0.55 and B n lower than 4 atoms per 1000 carbon atoms.

28 . Modified polypropylene, in accordance with claim 26 or 27 , characterized in that it has a melt strength higher than 30 cN, extensibility higher than 11 cm/s, activation energy lower than 120 kJ/mol, g′ lower than 0.75, B n higher than 2 carbon atoms per every 1000 atoms and IF between 2 and 6 g/10 min.

29 . Modified polypropylene, in accordance with any of claims 26 to 28 , characterized in that it has an amount of residues lower than 6 ppm.

30 . Use of the modified polypropylene, as defined in any of claims 26 to 29 , characterized in that it is for application in foaming, thermoforming, injection, blown films, flat films, BOPP, injection, fibers, raffia, recoating, and blowing.

31 . Polymer blend comprising the modified polypropylene, as defined in any of claims 26 to 29 , characterized in that it comprises at least one polymer selected from linear PP homopolymer, random and heterophasic copolymers, HDPE, LDPE, LLDPE, EVA, copolymer of ethene/octene, ethene/butane, ethene hexene, EPR thermoplastic rubbers, and mixture thereof.

32 . Polymer blend, in accordance with claim 31 , characterized in that the modified polypropylene is present in amounts ranging from 5% to 95%.

Assignees

• Braskem Sa

Inventors

• De Azeredo Ana Paula
• Farah Marcelo

Classifications

• C08K5/43 Primary

  Compounds containing sulfur bound to nitrogen · CPC title

• C08J3/22 Primary

  using masterbatch techniques · CPC title

• C08J2323/12

  Polypropene · CPC title

• C08L23/12

  Polypropene · CPC title

• C08L2310/00

  Masterbatches · CPC title