Compositions of ethylene/α-olefin multi-block interpolymer suitable for films

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9352537-B2
Application number	US-201414156692-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 16, 2014
Priority date	Mar 17, 2004
Publication date	May 31, 2016
Grant date	May 31, 2016

Abstract

Compositions suitable for film comprise at least one ethylene/α-olefin interpolymer, wherein the ethylene/α-olefin interpolymer may have, for example, a Mw/Mn from about 1.7 to about 3.5, at least one melting point, Tm, in degrees Celsius, and a density, d, in grams/cubic centimeter, wherein the numerical values of Tm and d correspond to the relationship:

Tm >−2002.9+4538.5( d )−2422.2( d )2.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A multilayer film comprising:
at least one layer comprising an ethylene/α-olefin multi-block interpolymer consisting of (i) at least 50 mole percent ethylene and (ii) a C 3 -C 20 α-olefin, wherein the ethylene/α-olefin multi-block interpolymer has a Mw/Mn from 1.7 to 3.5, a melting point from 110° C. to 130° C., and a density from 0.875 g/cc to 0.945 g/cc.

2. The multilayer film of claim 1 comprising a second layer selected from the group consisting of a barrier layer, a tie layer, a structural layer, and combinations thereof.

3. The multilayer film of claim 2 wherein at least one layer or the second layer includes a material selected from the group consisting of linear low density polyethylene (LLDPE), high density polythylene (HDPE) and low density polyethylene (LDPE).

4. The multilayer film of claim 2 comprising from 2 to 7 layers.

5. The multilayer film of claim 2 wherein one of the layers is a coextruded layer.

6. The multilayer film of claim 2 wherein one of the layers is a laminated layer.

7. The multilayer film of claim 1 wherein the multilayer film has a thickness from 0.1 mil to 50 mils.

8. The multilayer film of claim 1 wherein the ethylene/α-olefin multi-block interpolymer:
(a) has a Mw/Mn from 1.7 to 3.5, at least one melting point, Tm, in degrees Celsius, and a density, d, in grams/cubic centimeter, wherein the numerical values of Tm and d correspond to the relationship:
T m >−2002.9+4538.5( d )−2422.2( d ) 2 ; or

(b) has a Mw/Mn from 1.7 to 3.5, and is characterized by a heat of fusion, ΔH in J/g, and a delta quantity, ΔT, in degrees Celsius defined as the temperature difference between the tallest DSC peak and the tallest CRYSTAF peak, wherein the numerical values of ΔT and ΔH have the following relationships:
ΔT>− 0.1299( ΔH )+62.81 for ΔH greater than zero and up to 130 J/g,
ΔT≧ 48° C. for ΔH greater than 130 J/g,

wherein the CRYSTAF peak is determined using at least 5 percent of the cumulative polymer, and if less than 5 percent of the polymer has an identifiable CRYSTAF peak, then the CRYSTAF temperature is 30° C.; or
(c) has a molecular fraction which elutes between 40° C. and 130° C. when fractionated using TREF, characterized in that the fraction has a molar comonomer content of at least 5 percent higher than that of a comparable random ethylene interpolymer fraction eluting between the same temperatures, wherein said comparable random ethylene interpolymer has the same comonomer(s) and has a melt index, density, and molar comonomer content (based on the whole polymer) within 10 percent of that of the ethylene/α-olefin interpolymer.

9. The multilayer film of claim 1 wherein the at least one layer comprises:
a composition comprising at least 20 weight percent of the ethylene/α-olefin multi-block interpolymer, wherein the composition is characterized by:
a. a density of at least 0.89 g/cc;
b. a melt index (I2) of from 0.1 to 1.5 g/10 min. according to ASTM D-1238, Condition 190° C.\2.16 kg;
c. a melt flow ratio I10/I2 of at least 7 wherein I10 is determined according to ASTM D-1238, Condition 190° C./10 kg and I2 is determined according to ASTM D-1238, Condition 190° C./2.16 kg;
d. a tallest DSC peak of from 110 to 140° C.;
e. a tallest Crystaf peak of from 55 to 95° C.; and
f. a polydispersity, Mw/Mn, of from 1 to 4.5.

10. The multilayer film of claim 1 wherein the at least one layer comprises:
a composition comprising at least 20 weight percent of the ethylene/α-olefin multi-block interpolymer, wherein the ethylene/α-olefin multi-block interpolymer is characterized by:
a. a density from 0.89 g/cc to 0.91 g/cc;
b. a melt index (I2) of from 0.1 to 1.0 g/10 min. according to ASTM D-1238, Condition 190° C./2.16 kg;
c. a melt flow ratio I10/I2 of at least 7 wherein I10 is determined according to ASTM D-1238, Condition 190° C./10 kg and I2 is determined according to ASTM D-1238, Condition 190° C./2.16 kg; and
d. a molecular fraction which elutes between 40° C. and 130° C. when fractionated using TREF, characterized in that the fraction has a molar comonomer content of at least 5 percent higher than that of a comparable random ethylene interpolymer fraction eluting between the same temperatures, wherein said comparable random ethylene interpolymer has the same comonomer(s) and has a melt index, density, and molar comonomer content (based on the whole polymer) within 10 percent of that of the ethylene/α-olefin interpolymer.

11. The multilayer film of claim 1 wherein the at least one layer comprises:
a composition comprising:
(1) from 30 to 60 weight percent of the ethylene/α-olefin multi-block interpolymer, wherein the ethylene/α-olefin multi-block interpolymer is characterized by:
a. a density of from 0.89 to 0.91 g/cc;
b. a melt index (I2) of from 0.1 to 0.3 g/10 min. according to ASTM D-1238, Condition 190° C./2.16 kg;
c. a molecular fraction which elutes between 40° C. and 130° C. when fractionated using TREF, characterized in that the fraction has a molar comonomer content of at least 5 percent higher than that of a comparable random ethylene interpolymer fraction eluting between the same temperatures, wherein said comparable random ethylene interpolymer has the same comonomer(s) and has a melt index, density, and molar comonomer content (based on the whole polymer) within 10 percent of that of the ethylene/α-olefin interpolymer; and
(2) from 40 to 70 weight percent of a heterogeneous ethylene polymer.

12. A multilayer film comprising at least three layers comprising:
a core layer between two outer layers; and
each outer layer comprises an ethylene/α-olefin multi-block interpolymer, wherein each outer layer comprises 15% by weight of the total film.

13. The multilayer film of claim 12 comprising a material selected from the group consisting of ethylene/vinyl acetate (EVA) copolymers, ethylene/acrylic acid (EAA) copolymers, and ethylene/methacrylic acid (EMAA) copolymers.

14. The multilayer film of claim 12 having the layer structure ethylene/α-olefin multi-block interpolymer-EAA-ethylene/α-olefin multi-block interpolymer.

15. The multilayer film of claim 2 comprising a third layer, the multilayer film having the layer structure LLDPE-ethylene/α-olefin multi-block interpolymer-LLDPE.

16. The multilayer film of claim 12 wherein the ethylene/α-olefin multi-block interpolymer:
(a) has a Mw/Mn from 1.7 to 3.5, at least one melting point, Tm, in degrees Celsius, and a density, d, in grams/cubic centimeter, wherein the numerical values of Tm and d correspond to the relationship:
T m >−2002.9+4538.5( d )−2422.2( d ) 2 ; or

(b) has a Mw/Mn from 1.7 to 3.5, and is characterized by a heat of fusion, ΔH in J/g, and a delta quantity, ΔT, in degrees Celsius defined as the temperature difference between the tallest DSC peak and the tallest CRYSTAF peak, wherein the numerical values of ΔT and ΔH have the following relationships:
ΔT>− 0.1299( ΔH )+62.81 for ΔH greater than zero and up to 130 J/g,
ΔT≧ 48° C. for ΔH greater than 130 J/g,

wherein the CRYSTAF peak is determined using at least 5 percent of the cumulative polymer, and if less than 5 percent of the polymer has an identifiable CRYSTAF peak, then the CRYSTAF temperature is 30° C.; or
(d) has a molecular fraction which elutes between 40° C. and 130° C. when fractionated using TREF, characterized in that the fraction has a molar comonomer content of at least 5 percent higher than that of a comparable random ethylene interpolymer fraction eluting between the same temperatures, wherein said comparable random e

Assignees

• Dow Global Technologies Llc

Inventors

• Fuchs David W
• Jain Pradeep
• Demirors Mehmet
• Cham Pak-Meng
• Cheung Yunwa W

Classifications

• B32B27/32 Primary

  comprising polyolefins {(comprising vinyl (co)polymers or acrylic (co)polymers B32B27/30)} · CPC title

• Y10T428/31746

  Polymer of monoethylenically unsaturated hydrocarbon · CPC title

• Y10T428/31938

  Polymer of monoethylenically unsaturated hydrocarbon · CPC title

• Y10T428/31913

  Monoolefin polymer · CPC title

• C08L23/0815 Primary

  with aliphatic 1-olefins containing one carbon-to-carbon double bond · CPC title