Nova Chemicals (international) S.a.

Kenneth Edward Taylor

Fazle Sibtain

Hamidreza Khakdaman

XiaoChuan Wang

Christopher John Brooke Dobbin

Tieqi Li

Niousha Kazemi

Stephen Salomons

Monika Kleczek

Mehdi Keshtkar

Shivendra K Goyal

Zengrong Zhang

Christopher Dobbin

Brian Molloy

Bronwyn Gillon

Vinod Konaganti

Sepideh Kasiri

Qinyan Wang

Peter Zoricak

Lawrence VanAsseldonk

Charles Carter

Stephen John Brown

P Scott Chisholm

Patrick Lam

Celine Bellehumeur

Daniel Ward

Soheil Sadeghi

Donald Gary Hartlen

Michael Li

Maryam Fereydoon

Marcelo Yamane

Bobbi Leigh Liebrecht

This disclosure relates to ethylene interpolymer product having intermediate branching. Intermediate branching was defined as branching that was longer than the branch length due to comonomer and shorter than the entanglement molecular weight (M). Intermediately branched ethylene interpolymer products were produced in a continuous solution polymerization process employing an intermediate branching catalyst formulation. Intermediately branched ethylene interpolymer products were characterized by a Non-Comonomer Index Distribution (NCID), a melt index from 0.3 to 500 dg/minute, a density from 0.858 to 0.965 g/cm, a polydispersity (M/M) from about 2 to about 25 and a CDBIfrom about 10% to about 98%. A method based on triple detection cross fractionation chromatography (3D-CFC) was disclosed to measure NCID.

Ethylene interpolymer products having intermediate branching

This disclosure relates to an improved continuous solution polymerization process wherein production rate is increased. Process solvent, ethylene, optional comonomers, optional hydrogen and a bridged metallocene catalyst formulation are injected into a first reactor to form a first ethylene interpolymer. Optionally, process solvent, ethylene, optional comonomers, optional hydrogen and a bridged metallocene catalyst formulation are injected into a second reactor forming a second ethylene interpolymer. The first and second reactors may be configured in series or parallel modes of operation. Optionally, a third ethylene interpolymer is formed in a third reactor, wherein a homogeneous catalyst formulation or a heterogeneous catalyst formulation is employed. In solution, the first, optional second and optional third ethylene interpolymers are combined, the catalyst is deactivated, the solution is optionally passivated and following a phase separation process an ethylene interpolymer product is recovered.

Manufacturing ethylene interpolymer products at higher production rate

This disclosure relates to ethylene interpolymer compositions and films prepared therefrom. Specifically: ethylene interpolymer products having: a dimensionless Long Chain Branching Factor, LCBF, greater than or equal to 0.001; a residual catalytic metal of from &#x2265;0.03 to &#x2264;5 ppm of hafnium, and; a dimensionless unsaturation ratio, UR, of from &#x2265;&#x2212;0.40 to &#x2264;0.06, wherein UR is defined by the following relationship; UR=(SC&#x2212;T)/T, where SCis the amount of a side chain unsaturation per 100 carbons and Tis amount of a terminal unsaturation per 100 carbons, in said ethylene interpolymer product. The disclosed ethylene interpolymer products have a melt index from about 0.3 to about 500 dg/minute, a density from about 0.855 to about 0.975 g/cc, a polydispersity (M/M) from about 1.7 to about 25 and a Composition Distribution Breadth Index (CDBI) from about 1% to about 98%.

Ethylene interpolymer products and films

This disclosure relates to ethylene interpolymer compositions and films prepared therefrom. Specifically: ethylene interpolymer products having: a dimensionless nonlinear rheology network parameter, &#x394;, greater than or equal to 0.01, satisfying 0.01&#xd7;(Z&#x2212;50)&#x2264;&#x394;&#x2264;0.01&#xd7;(Z&#x2212;60)inequality wherein Z is a normalized molecular weight defined by where Mand Mare the weight average and entanglement molecular weights, and; a residual catalytic metal of from &#x2265;0.03 to &#x2264;5 ppm of hafnium. The disclosed ethylene interpolymer products have a melt index from about 0.3 to about 500 dg/minute, a density from about 0.855 to about 0.975 g/cc, a polydispersity, from about 1.7 to about 25 and a Composition Distribution Breadth Index (CDBI) from about 1% to about 98%.

This disclosure relates to a continuous solution polymerization process wherein production rate is increased. Process solvent, ethylene, optional comonomers, optional hydrogen and a single site catalyst formulation are injected into a first reactor forming a first ethylene interpolymer. Process solvent, ethylene, optional comonomers, optional hydrogen and a heterogeneous catalyst formulation are injected into a second reactor forming a second ethylene interpolymer. The first and second reactors may be configured in series or parallel modes of operation. Optionally, a third ethylene interpolymer is formed in an optional third reactor, wherein an optional heterogeneous catalyst formulation may be employed. In a solution phase, the first, second and optional third ethylene interpolymers are combined, the catalyst is deactivated, the solution is passivated and following a phase separation process an ethylene interpolymer product is recovered.

Solution polymerization process

A continuous solution polymerization process is disclosed wherein at least two catalyst formulations are employed. A first homogeneous catalyst formulation is employed in a first reactor to produce a first ethylene interpolymer and a first heterogeneous catalyst formulation is employed in a second reactor to produce a second ethylene interpolymer. Optionally a third ethylene interpolymer is formed in a third reactor. The resulting ethylene interpolymer products possess desirable properties in a variety of end use applications, for example in film applications. A means for increasing the molecular weight of the first ethylene interpolymer is disclosed and/or a means for increasing the temperature of the first reactor, relative to a third homogeneous catalyst formulation. A means for reducing the (&#x3b1;-olefin/ethylene) weight ratio in the first reactor is disclosed and/or reducing the density of the first ethylene interpolymer, relative to a third homogeneous catalyst formulation.

Means for increasing the molecular weight and decreasing the density of ethylene interpolymers employing homogeneous and heterogeneous catalyst formulations

This disclosure relates to a continuous solution polymerization process where ethylene interpolymer products having an improved color index; for example, products having higher whiteness (Whiteness Index (WI)) and lower yellowness (Yellowness Index (YI)). Product color was improved by adjusting selected solution polymerization reaction conditions. The disclosed ethylene interpolymer products have improved color relative to comparative polyethylene compositions.

Ethylene interpolymers having improved color

A continuous solution polymerization process is disclosed wherein at least two homogeneous catalyst formulations are employed. A first homogeneous catalyst formulation is employed in a first reactor to produce a first ethylene interpolymer and a second homogeneous catalyst formulation is employed in a second reactor to produce a second ethylene interpolymer. Optionally a third ethylene interpolymer is formed in a third reactor. The resulting ethylene interpolymer products possess desirable properties in a variety of end use applications, for example in film applications. A means for increasing the molecular weight of the first ethylene interpolymer is disclosed and/or a means for increasing the temperature of the first reactor, relative to the third homogeneous catalyst formulation. A means for reducing the (&#x3b1;-olefin/ethylene) weight ratio in the first reactor is disclosed and/or reducing the density of the first ethylene interpolymer, relative to the third homogeneous catalyst formulation.

Means for increasing the molecular weight and decreasing the density of ethylene interpolymers employing mixed homogeneous catalyst formulations

This disclosure relates to a continuous solution polymerization process wherein production rate is increased. Process solvent, ethylene, optional comonomers, optional hydrogen and a single site catalyst formulation are injected into a first reactor forming a first ethylene interpolymer. Process solvent, ethylene, optional comonomers, optional hydrogen and a heterogeneous catalyst formulation are injected into a second reactor forming a second ethylene interpolymer. The first and second reactors may be configured in series or parallel modes of operation. A third ethylene interpolymer is formed in a third reactor, wherein an optional heterogeneous catalyst formulation may be employed. In a solution phase, the first, second and optional third ethylene interpolymers are combined, the catalyst is deactivated, the solution is passivated and following a phase separation process an ethylene interpolymer product is recovered.

This disclosure relates to ethylene interpolymer compositions. Specifically, ethylene interpolymer products having: a Dilution Index (Y) greater than 0; total catalytic metal &#x2265;3.0 ppm; &#x2265;0.03 terminal vinyl unsaturations per 100 carbon atoms, and; optionally a Dimensionless Modulus (X) greater than 0. The disclosed ethylene interpolymer products have a melt index from about 0.3 to about 500 dg/minute, a density from about 0.869 to about 0.975 g/cm, a polydispersity (M/M) from about 2 to about 25 and a CDBIfrom about 20% to about 97%. Further, the ethylene interpolymer products are a blend of at least two ethylene interpolymers; where one ethylene interpolymer is produced with a single-site catalyst formulation and at least one ethylene interpolymer is produced with a heterogeneous catalyst formulation.

Dilution index

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Calgary, Canada

Kenneth Edward Taylor