Exxonmobil Chemical Patents Inc.

Rhutesh K Shah

Jo Ann M Canich

John Robert Hagadorn

Peijun Jiang

Narayanaswami R Dharmarajan

Periagaram Srinivasan Ravishankar

Rainer Kolb

Andy Haishung Tsou

Phillip Thomas Matsunaga

Crisita Carmen H Atienza

Sarah J Mattler

Florin Barsan

Sudhin Datta

Francis Charles Rix

Ron Walker

Zhifeng Bai

Edward John Blok

Chase A Eckert

Syamal Tallury

Gabor Kiss

Yong Yang

David A Cano

Hamidreza Khakdaman

Krishnan Anantha Narayana Iyer

Feng Li

N Raja Dharmarajan

Danica L Nguyen

Sebastian Vasquez

Ranier Kolb

A process to produce a branched ethylene-α-olefin diene elastomer comprising combining a catalyst precursor and an activator with a feed comprising ethylene, C3 to C12 α-olefins, and a dual-polymerizable diene to obtain a branched ethylene-α-olefin diene elastomer; where the catalyst precursor is selected from pyridyldiamide and quinolinyldiamido transition metal complexes. The branched ethylene-α-olefin diene elastomer may comprise within a range from 40 to 80 wt % of ethylene-derived units by weight of the branched ethylene-α-olefin diene elastomer, and 0.1 to 2 wt % of singly-polymerizable diene derived units, 0.1 to 2 wt % of singly-polymerizable diene derived units, and the remainder comprising C3 to C12 α-olefin derived units, wherein the branched ethylene-α-olefin diene elastomer has a weight average molecular weight (M) within a range from 100 kg/mole to 300 kg/mole, an average branching index (g′) of 0.9 or more, and a branching index at very high M(g′) of less than 0.9.

Ethylene-a-olefin-diene elastomers and methods of making them

The present disclosure provides methods for producing an olefin polymer by contacting a C-Colefin, ethylene and a diene with a catalyst system including an activator and a metallocene catalyst compound comprising a substituted or unsubstituted indacenyl group and obtaining a C-Colefin-ethylene-diene terpolymer typically comprising from 1 to 35 mol % of ethylene, from 98.9 to 65 mol % C-Colefin, and, optionally, from 0.1 to 10 mol % diene. Preferably, a propylene-ethylene-ethylidene norbornene is obtained.

Processes for producing high propylene content PEDM using tetrahydroindacenyl catalyst systems

The present disclosure provides methods for producing an olefin polymer by contacting a C-Colefin, ethylene and a diene with a catalyst system including an activator and a metallocene catalyst compound comprising a substituted or unsubstituted indacenyl group and obtaining a C-Colefin-ethylene-diene terpolymer typically comprising from 30 to 55 mol % ethylene, from 69.09 to 45 mol % Cto Ccomonomer, and from 0.01 to 7 mol % diene wherein the Tg of the terpolymer is &#x2212;28&#xb0; C. or less. Preferably, a propylene-ethylene-ethylidene norbornene is obtained.

Processes for producing high propylene content PEDM having low glass transition temperatures using tetrahydroindacenyl catalyst systems

A compound suitable for use in producing articles including foamed articles can include 100 parts per hundred rubber (phr) of a branched ethylene propylene diene monomer (EPDM) elastomer comprising 35 wt % to 70 wt % ethylene derived units, 20 wt % to 64 wt % propylene derived units, and 1 wt % to 10 wt % diene derived units, wherein the EPDM elastomer has a Mooney viscosity (ML) (1+4) at 125&#xb0; C. of 30 MU to 120 MU, a corrected Mooney relaxation area (cMLRA) at 80 ML of 300 MU&#xb7;sec to 1000 MU&#xb7;sec, and long chain branching (LCB) g' (vis) of 0.80 to 1.0; 75 phr to 200 phr of a filler; 25 phr to 125 phr of a processing oil; 5 phr to 50 phr of a curative, and optionally 0.1 phr to 25 phr of a foaming agent.

Elastomeric formulations comprising branched EPDM polymers

Compositions are provided which include blends of (A) branched and/or bimodal ethylene copolymers and (B) linear ethylene copolymers. The branched and/or bimodal ethylene copolymers may be produced using a dual metallocene catalyst system comprising two different metallocene catalysts: one capable of producing high Mooney-viscosity polymers and one suitable for producing polymers having at least a portion of vinyl terminations. The linear ethylene copolymers may be produced using a metallocene catalyst capable of producing high Mooney-viscosity polymers, which may be the same as such catalyst of the dual metallocene catalyst system. Processes for making such blends, including parallel and/or series polymerization processes, are also provided. The blends may have excellent cure properties suitable in curable rubber compound applications.

Ethylene copolymer blends for cross-linking applications

Processes are provided which include copolymerization using two different metallocene catalysts, one capable of producing high Mooney-viscosity polymers and one suitable for producing lower Mooney-viscosity polymers having at least a portion of vinyl terminations. The two catalysts may be used together in polymerization to produce copolymer compositions of particularly well-tuned properties. For instance, polymerizations are contemplated to produce high-Mooney metallocene polymers that exhibit excellent processability and elasticity, notwithstanding their high Mooney viscosity. Other polymerizations are also contemplated in which lower-Mooney metallocene polymers are produced, which also exhibit excellent processability and elasticity, while furthermore having excellent cure properties suitable in curable elastomer compound applications. Many of the contemplated polymerizations include controlling the ratio of the two metallocene catalysts used in the polymerization so as to obtain the desired Mooney viscosity and desired rheology (indicated by Mooney Relaxation Area) of the copolymer compositions.

Dual metallocene catalyst copolymer compositions

The present disclosure provides polymerization processes to produce polymeric materials, such as olefin terpolymers, using transition metal catalysts having bridged phenolate ligands. The polymerization process includes contacting a transition metal complex with a mixture olefin monomers that contain ethylene, propylene, and a cyclic diene to produce an olefin polymer and recovering the olefin polymer. The mixture of olefin monomers can include specified weight ratios for the various olefin monomers. The transition metal complex includes a bridged phenolate ligand bonded to a metal atom via covalent bonds by two oxygens, a coordinate covalent bond by a Group 15 atom, and a coordinate covalent bond by a Group 15 or 16 atom. The transition metal complex provides relatively high endocyclic alkene/vinyl selectivity to minimize hyperbranching during the production of olefin polymeric materials, such as EPDM and other terpolymers that are free or substantially free of gels.

Process for producing olefin terpolymers with bridged phenolate transition metal complexes

This invention relates to production of propylene-predominant copolymers using a transition metal complex and at least two different non-coordinating anion activators. An olefinic feed comprising a C-Calpha olefin, ethylene, and a diene monomer is contacted under polymerization reaction conditions with a catalyst system comprising a first non-coordinating anion activator, a second non-coordinating borate activator differing from the first non-coordinating anion activator, and a transition metal complex comprising a tetrahydro-s-indacenyl or tetrahydro-as-indacenyl group bound to a group 3-6 transition metal. A molar ratio of the first non-coordinating anion activator to the second non-coordinating anion activator is sufficient to produce a melt flow rate under the polymerization reaction conditions for the resulting copolymer of about 30 g/10 min or below as determined by ASTM D-1238 (230&#xb0; C., 2.16 kg).

Multiple non-coordinating anion activators for propylene-ethylene-diene monomer polymerization reactions

A process to produce a branched ethylene-&#x3b1;-olefin diene elastomer comprising combining a catalyst precursor and an activator with a feed comprising ethylene, C3 to C12 &#x3b1;-olefins, and a dual-polymerizable diene to obtain a branched ethylene-&#x3b1;-olefin diene elastomer; where the catalyst precursor is selected from pyridyldiamide and quinolinyldiamido transition metal complexes. The branched ethylene-&#x3b1;-olefin diene elastomer may comprise within a range from 40 to 80 wt % of ethylene-derived units by weight of the branched ethylene-&#x3b1;-olefin diene elastomer, and 0.1 to 2 wt % of singly-polymerizable diene derived units, 0.1 to 2 wt % of singly-polymerizable diene derived units, and the remainder comprising C3 to C12 &#x3b1;-olefin derived units, wherein the branched ethylene-&#x3b1;-olefin diene elastomer has a weight average molecular weight (M) within a range from 100 kg/mole to 300 kg/mole, an average branching index (g') of 0.9 or more, and a branching index at very high M(g&#x2032;) of less than 0.9.

Disclosed is the preparation of thermoplastic vulcanizates with reduced crosslinked rubber dispersion sizes and dispersity. The thermoplastic vulcanizates include a polypropylene matrix phase in which cross-linked rubber particles are dispersed. The thermoplastic vulcanizates include the reaction product of a mixture that includes at least 10 wt % of isotactic polypropylene at least 30 wt % of an amorphous propylene-ethylene-diene terpolymer containing at least 60 wt % propylene-derived units and less than or equal to 25 wt % of ethylene-derived units; at least 10 wt % of a diluent and at least 0.015 wt % of at least one curative. The mixture is preferably formed without adding an ethylene-propylene-diene terpolymer.

Thermoplastic vulcanizates and compositions therefrom

The present disclosure provides methods for producing an olefin polymer by contacting a C-Colefin, ethylene and a diene with a catalyst system including an activator and a metallocene catalyst compound comprising a substituted or unsubstituted indacenyl group and obtaining a C-Colefin-ethylene-diene terpolymer typically comprising from 1 to 35 mol % of ethylene, from 98.9 to 65 mol % C3-Colefin, and, optionally, from 0.1 to 10 mol % diene. Preferably, a propylene-ethylene-ethylidene norbornene is obtained.

A polymer obtained by a solution polymerization process comprising within a range from 0.5 to 20 wt % of cyclic olefin derived units, within a range from 0 wt % to 15 wt % C4 to C12 &#x3b1;-olefin derived units, the remainder being ethylene derived units; and having a Mw/Mn of less than 2.5; a weight average molecular weight (Mw) within a range from 80,000 to 300,000 g/mole; and a g' value of greater than 0.95. The polymer may be formed in a solution polymerization process comprising combining in a solution cyclic olefins, ethylene, hydrogen and optionally C4 to C12 &#x3b1;-olefins with a single-site catalyst to form the polymer, wherein the single-site catalyst is most preferably selected from unsymmetrical Group 4 bis-bridged cyclopentadienyl metallocenes.

Linear ethylene cyclic olefin polymers

This invention relates to the use of quinolinyldiamido transition metal complexes and catalyst systems with an activator and a metal hydrocarbenyl chain transfer agent, such as an aluminum vinyl-transfer agent (AVTA), to produce branched propylene-ethylene-diene terpolymers.

Growing community of inventors

Katy, TX, United States of America

Rhutesh K Shah