Low density ethylene-based polymers with extracts at lower molecular weights

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9334348-B2
Application number	US-201214360436-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 20, 2012
Priority date	Nov 23, 2011
Publication date	May 10, 2016
Grant date	May 10, 2016

Abstract

The invention provides an ethylene-based polymer comprising the following properties: A) a “weight fraction (w) of molecular weight greater than 106 g/mole, based on the total weight of polymer, and as determined by GPC(abs),” that meets the following relationship: w<A+B(I2), where A=0.090, and B=−4.00×10-3 (min/dg); B) a G′ value that meets the following relationship: G′<C+D log(I2), where C=162 Pa, and D=−90.0 Pa/log (dg/min); C) a melt index (I2) from 1 to 20 dg/min; and D) chloroform extractable that has a maximum Mw(conv) of less than, or equal to, 4,000 g/mole.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An ethylene-based polymer comprising the following properties:
A) a “weight fraction (w) of molecular weight greater than 10 6 g/mole, based on the total weight of polymer, and as determined by GPC(abs),” that meets the following relationship: w<A+B(I2), where A=0.090, and B=−4.00×10 -3 (min/dg);
B) a G′(500 Pa, 170° C.) value that meets the following relationship: G′≧C+D log(I2), where C=162 Pa, and D=−90.0 Pa/log (dg/min);
C) a melt index (I2) from 1 to 20 dg/min; and
D) chloroform extractable that has a weight average Mw(conv) of less than, or equal to, 4,000 g/mole.

2. The ethylene-based polymer of claim 1 , wherein the polymer further has an Mw(abs) that meets the following relationships:
i) Mw(abs)<E+F×log(I2), where E=3.50×10 5 g/mole, and F=−1.20×10 5 (g/mole)/log (dg/min); and
ii) Mw(abs)>G+H×log(I2), where G=2.00×10 5 g/mole, and H=−1.20×10 5 (g/mole)/log (dg/min).

3. The ethylene-based polymer of claim 1 , wherein the polymer has an “MW(conv) Chloroforom-Q4 of the highest 25% molecular weight fraction (fourth quadrant (M1)) in the MWD of the chloroform extractable” that is less than, or equal to, 8,400 g/mole.

4. The ethylene-based polymer of claim 1 , wherein the polymer has a hexane extractable that has a Mw(conv) less than, or equal to, 2,300 g/mole.

5. The ethylene-based polymer of claim 1 , wherein the polymer has an “MW (conv) hexane-Q4 of the highest 25% molecular weight fraction (fourth quadrant (M1)) in the MWD of the hexane extractable” that is less than, or equal to, 4,200 g/mole.

6. The ethylene-based polymer of claim 1 , wherein the hexane extractable comprises polymer that comprises oxygen-containing end groups, derived from a non-olefinic CTA system, in an amount greater “0.5 end groups” per 1000 carbon atoms.

7. The ethylene-based polymer of claim 6 , wherein the CTA system is selected from the following: a ketone, an aldehyde, an ester, an alcohol, or combinations thereof.

8. The ethylene-based polymer of claim 7 , wherein the CTA system is selected from the following: propionaldehyde, methyl ethyl ketone, acetone, acetaldehyde, propanol, an alkyl acetate, isopropanol, or combinations thereof.

9. The ethylene-based polymer of claim 1 , wherein the chloroform extractable comprises polymer that comprises oxygen-containing end groups, derived from a non-olefinic CTA system, in an amount greater “0.5 end groups” per 1000 carbon atoms.

10. The ethylene-based polymer of claim 9 , wherein the CTA system is selected from the following: a ketone, an aldehyde, an ester, alcohol, or combinations thereof.

11. The ethylene-based polymer of claim 1 , wherein the chloroform extractable comprises polymer that comprises vinyl end groups in an amount less than “1.0 vinyl” per 1000 carbon atoms.

12. The ethylene-based polymer of claim 1 , wherein the hexane extractable comprises polymer that comprises vinyl end groups in an amount less than “1.0 or vinyl” per 1000 carbon atoms.

13. The ethylene-based polymer of claim 1 , wherein the polymer has a density greater than, or equal to, 0.919 g/cc.

14. A composition comprising the ethylene-based polymer of claim 1 .

15. An article comprising at least one component formed from the composition of claim 14 .

Assignees

• Berbee Otto J
• Karjala Teresa P
• Den Doelder Cornelis F J
• Hinrichs Stefan
• Dow Global Technologies Llc

Inventors

• Berbee Otto J
• Karjala Teresa P
• Den Doelder Cornelis F J
• Hinrichs Stefan

Classifications

• C08F2500/10

  Short chain branches · CPC title

• C08F2500/12

  Melt flow index or melt flow ratio · CPC title

• C08F210/16 Primary

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

• C08F2500/04

  Broad molecular weight distribution, i.e. Mw/Mn > 6 · CPC title

• C08F210/06

  Propene · CPC title