Modified polyethylene compositions

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9580533-B2
Application number	US-201213623242-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 20, 2012
Priority date	Sep 23, 2011
Publication date	Feb 28, 2017
Grant date	Feb 28, 2017

Abstract

The present invention relates to a branched modifier and a composition comprising more than 25 wt % (based on the weight of the composition) of one or more linear ethylene polymers having a g′ vis of 0.97 or more and an M w of 20,000 g/mol or more and at least 0.1 wt % of a branched modifier where the modifier has a g′ vis of less than 0.97, wherein the ethylene polymer has a g′ vis of at least 0.01 units higher than the g′ vis of the branched modifier.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A branched polyethylene modifier consisting of:
at least 80 mol % ethylene;
a 1-octene comonomer; and
a polyene consisting of 1,9-decadiene,
wherein said branched polyethylene modifier: a) has a g′ vis of less than 0.90; b) is essentially gel free; c) has an Mw of 150,000 g/mol or more; d) has an Mw/Mn of 5.0 or more; and a melt index (ASTM D1238 at 190° C. and 2.16 kg) of 5 dg/min or less.

2. The modifier of claim 1 , wherein the polyene is present at from 0.001 mol % to 10 mol %.

3. The modifier of claim 1 , wherein the modifier has a g′ (Zave) of 0.90 or less.

4. The modifier of claim 1 , wherein the modifier has a strain-hardening ratio of 2 or greater.

5. The modifier of claim 1 , wherein the modifier has 5 wt % or less of xylene insoluble material.

6. A blend comprising: 1) branched polyethylene modifier consisting of at least 80 mol % ethylene; a 1-octene comonomer; and a polyene consisting of 1,9-decadiene; wherein said branched polyethylene modifier has: a) a g′ vis of less than 0.90, b) 5 wt % or less of xylene insoluble material; and 2) polyethylene having a density of 0.88 g/cc or more, an Mw of 150,000 g/mol or more, an Mw/Mn of 5.0 or more, and a melt index (ASTM D1238 at 190° C. and 2.16 kg) of 5 dg/min or less; wherein the ethylene polymer has a g′ vis of at least 0.01 units higher than the g′ vis of the branched modifier.

7. The blend of claim 6 , wherein the complex viscosity at 0.1 rad/sec of the branched polyethylene modifier is equal to or greater than the complex viscosity at 0.1 rad/sec of the polyethylene prior to combination with the branched polyethylene modifier.

8. The blend of claim 6 , wherein the branched polyethylene modifier is present at 0.5 wt % to 10 wt %, based upon the weight of the blend.

9. The blend of claim 6 , wherein the polyethylene has a density of 0.91 to 0.96 g/cm 3 .

10. The blend of claim 6 , wherein the branched polyethylene modifier is present at from 0.1 wt % to 99.5 wt %, (based upon the weight of the blend); and the polyethylene has a composition distribution breadth index of 60% or more and a density of 0.90 g/cm 3 or more.

11. The blend of claim 6 , wherein the branched polyethylene modifier has a strain-hardening ratio of 2 or greater.

12. A blend of claim 6 that has a strain hardening ratio of greater than 1.0.

13. A film comprising the branched polyethylene modifier of claim 1 .

14. A film comprising the composition of claim 6 .

15. The film of claim 13 , wherein the film has a haze that is at least 10% less than the haze measured on a film of the same thickness and of the same composition, absent the branched polyethylene modifier, prepared under the same conditions.

16. The film of claim 13 , wherein the film has a gauge variation that is at least 10% less than the gauge variation measured on a film of the same thickness and of the same composition, absent the branched polyethylene modifier, prepared under the same conditions.

17. The film of claim 13 , wherein the film has a dart impact strength that is greater than or within 30% less than the dart impact strength measured on a film of the same thickness and of the same composition, absent the branched polyethylene modifier, prepared under the same conditions.

18. The film of claim 13 , wherein the film has an MD Tear strength that is greater than or within 30% less than the MD Tear strength measured on a film of the same thickness and of the same composition, absent the branched polyethylene modifier, prepared under the same conditions.

Assignees

• Exxonmobil Chemical Patents Inc

Inventors

• Jiang Peijun
• Squire Kevin R
• Cheng Jianya
• Shirodkar Pradeep P
• Soulages Johannes M
• Jolibois Keith E
• Thackston Ronald R
• Narvaez Jr Andrew G

Classifications

• C08F210/18 Primary

  with non-conjugated dienes, e.g. EPT rubbers · CPC title

• C08F210/14

  Monomers containing five or more carbon atoms · CPC title

• C08F2500/12

  Melt flow index or melt flow ratio · CPC title

• C08L2207/07

  Long chain branching · CPC title

• C08J5/18

  Manufacture of films or sheets · CPC title