US 11,952,445 B2
Ethylene/alpha-olefin copolymers for better optical and mechanical properties and processability of film made therefrom
Guangxue Xu, Port Lavaca, TX (US); Zhiming Wang, Port Lavaca, TX (US); Chih-Jian Chen, Port Lavaca, TX (US); and Honglan Lu, Port Lavaca, TX (US)
Assigned to Formosa Plastics Corporation, USA, Livingston, NJ (US)
Filed by Formosa Plastics Corporation, USA, Livingston, NJ (US)
Filed on Nov. 23, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/533,776.
Application 17/533,776 is a continuation of application No. 15/982,567, filed on May 17, 2018, abandoned.
Prior Publication US 2022/0153886 A1, May 19, 2022
Int. Cl. C08F 210/16 (2006.01); C08F 4/02 (2006.01); C08F 4/16 (2006.01); C08F 4/6192 (2006.01); C08F 4/64 (2006.01)
CPC C08F 210/16 (2013.01) [C08F 4/022 (2013.01); C08F 4/16 (2013.01); C08F 4/6192 (2013.01); C08F 4/64 (2013.01); C08F 2500/01 (2013.01); C08F 2500/04 (2013.01); C08F 2500/11 (2013.01); C08F 2800/20 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A Ziegler-Natta catalyzed ethylene/alpha-olefins copolymer, wherein the copolymer comprises the following properties:
density of between 0.890 and 0.935 g/cc;
C4-C10 comonomer content of between 1 and 20 wt %;
melt index (12) of between 0.5 and 10 dg/min;
ratio (Mz/Mw) of z-average molecular weight (Mz) to weight average molecular weight (Mw) of between 3.0 and 10;
melting point over 124° C. across the density of 0.890 to 0.935 g/cc;
sporadic long chain branches with J-C a value of less than 5;
melt strength index, defined as the ratio of storage modulus to loss modulus (G′/G″) at a shear rate of 0.03 s−1, is less than 5;
weight average molecular weight Mw of less than 200,000 g/mol;
a fraction soluble below about 30° C. of greater than 12 wt %, determined by CRYSTAF, having a weight average molecular weight Mw of higher than 90,000 g/mol, determined by gel permeation chromatography (GPC);
a fraction soluble between about 60° C. and 75° C. of less than 35 wt %, determined by CRYSTAF;
greater than 13.5 wt % of a polymer component having an elution temperature below about 30° C., determined by temperature rising elution fractionation (TREF) analysis;
greater than 15 wt % of a polymer component having an elution temperature below about 40° C., determined by TREF analysis, and an average high molecular weight of greater than 90,000 g/mol, determined by GPC analysis;
greater than 10 wt % of a polymer component having an elution temperature range from about 30° C. to 60° C., determined by TREF analysis;
less than 50 wt % of a polymer component having an elution temperature range from about 60° C. to 94° C., determined by TREF analysis;
greater than 25 wt % of a polymer component having an elution temperature higher than about 94° C., determined by TREF analysis;
a substantially constant distribution of short chain branching across its molecular weight distribution (MWD) in each fraction over the elution temperature range from about 30° C. to 94° C., determined by GPC coupled with Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy Detector (GPC-FTIR); and
a reversed distribution of comonomer composition across the molecular weight distribution in the fractions eluted over about 94° C., determined by GPC-FTIR analysis; and
a high molecular weight tail in the fractions over the elution temperature range over about 100° C.