US 12,330,362 B2
Method of increasing bubble stability of a polyethylene resin
Bo Liu, Lake Jackson, TX (US); Joel D. Wieliczko, South Charleston, WV (US); Ayush A. Bafna, Manvel, TX (US); and Daudi A. Abe, The Woodlands, TX (US)
Assigned to Univation Technologies, LLC, Houston, TX (US)
Appl. No. 17/754,785
Filed by Univation Technologies, LLC, Houston, TX (US)
PCT Filed Oct. 26, 2020, PCT No. PCT/US2020/057280
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Apr. 12, 2022,
PCT Pub. No. WO2021/086767, PCT Pub. Date May 6, 2021.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/926,745, filed on Oct. 28, 2019.
Prior Publication US 2024/0293965 A1, Sep. 5, 2024
Int. Cl. B29C 48/14 (2019.01); B29C 48/00 (2019.01); B29C 48/40 (2019.01); B29C 48/80 (2019.01); B29C 48/92 (2019.01); C08F 210/16 (2006.01); C08J 5/18 (2006.01); B29K 23/00 (2006.01)
CPC B29C 48/14 (2019.02) [B29C 48/022 (2019.02); B29C 48/802 (2019.02); B29C 48/92 (2019.02); C08F 210/16 (2013.01); C08J 5/18 (2013.01); B29C 48/0018 (2019.02); B29C 2948/92009 (2019.02); B29C 2948/922 (2019.02); B29C 2948/92333 (2019.02); B29C 2948/92504 (2019.02); B29C 2948/92857 (2019.02); B29K 2023/065 (2013.01); B29K 2023/0666 (2013.01); B29K 2023/0675 (2013.01); B29K 2995/0037 (2013.01); B29K 2995/0063 (2013.01); B29K 2995/0077 (2013.01); B29K 2995/0088 (2013.01); C08F 2800/10 (2013.01); C08J 2323/08 (2013.01)] 11 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method of increasing bubble stability of a needful bimodal high-density polyethylene (HDPE) resin that comprises a higher molecular weight (HMW) polyethylene polymer constituent and a lower molecular weight (LMW) polyethylene polymer constituent and has an overall density from 0.935 to 0.970 gram per cubic centimeter (g/cm3) and an overall weight-average molecular weight (Mw) from 200,000 to 450,000 grams per mole (g/mol), which needful bimodal HDPE resin is in need of increased bubble stability because the properties of the needful bimodal HDPE resin are different than those of a prior resin made in the same reactor due to change in reactor conditions and the needful bimodal HDPE resin has a first melt storage modulus G′ (at loss modulus G″=3000 pascals) of less than 1501 pascals and a first complex viscosity ratio SH1000 of from 33.0 to 49.0, the method comprising:
contacting under oxygen-tailoring conditions a melt of the needful bimodal HDPE resin with an oxygen-tailoring mixture consisting essentially of a tailoring effective amount of molecular oxygen gas (O2) and one or more inert gases, and wherein during the contacting the melt is at a temperature from 235° to 251° C., so as to make an oxygen-tailored bimodal HDPE resin having a second melt storage modulus G′ (at G″=3000 pascals) of from 1565 to 1900 pascals and a second complex viscosity ratio SH1000 of from 38.0 to 50.0;
wherein density is measured according to ASTM D792-13, Method B;
wherein Mw is measured according to the Gel Permeation Chromatography (GPC) Test Method;
wherein each melt storage modulus G′ (at G″=3000 pascals) is measured according to the Melt Storage Modulus Test Method; and
wherein each complex viscosity ratio SH1000 is equal to Eta*0.10/Eta*100, wherein Eta*0.10 is complex viscosity in pascal-seconds (Pa-s) measured at 0.10 radian per second (rad/s) and wherein Eta*100 is complex viscosity in Pa-s measured at 100 rad/s, both measured according to Dynamic Mechanical Analysis Test Method.