Exxonmobil Chemical Patents Inc.

Exxon Chemical Patents, Inc.

Other

Chevron Oronite Company LLC

Advanced Elastomer Systems, L.p.

Exxonmobil Research and Engineering Company

Exxonmobil Chemicals Patents, Inc.

Exxonmobile Chemical Patents Inc.

Sudhin Datta

Charles C Cozewith

Avinash Chandrakant Gadkari

Periagaram Srinivasan Ravishankar

Bruce Alan Harrington

Narayanaswami R Dharmarajan

Weiguo Hu

Edmund J Stachowski, Iii

Andy Haishung Tsou

Rainer Kolb

Robert D Lundberg

Abhimanyu Onkar Patil

Abdelhadi Sahnoune

Ron Walker

Liehpao O Farng

Mun Fu Tse

Chia Yung Cheng

Charles Lewis Sims

Derek Wade Thurman

Srivatsan Srinivas Iyer

Patrick Brant

Wen Li

Jean-Roch H Schauder

Eric Bart Sirota

Rohan A Hule

Srivatsan Watson Srinivas

Vera Minak-Bernero

Peijun Jiang

Aspy Keki Mehta

David John Lohse

Jian Yang

Edward N Kresge

George Rodriguez

Trazollah Ouhadi

Thomas T Sun

Xin Chen

Donna Jean Crowther

John Robert Hagadorn

Kenneth Lewtas

Lubin Luo

Prasadarao Meka

Rhutesh K Shah

James Norris Coffey

Jean M Tancrede

Cynthia Ann Mitchell

Michael Glenn Williams

Anthony George Karandinos

Jeanette M Diop

Keith A Nelson

Hsien-Chang Wang

Anthony Jay Dias

Maria Dolores Ellul

Jo Ann Marie Canich

John F Walzer, Jr

Crisita Carmen H Atienza

Hamidreza Khakdaman

Donald A White

Sabet Abdou-Sabet

Manika Varma-Nair

Mosha H Zhao

Vetkav Rajagopalan Eswaran

Chon Yie Lin

Jan Kalfus

Bernard J Folie

Lawrence G Kaufman

Guy Joseph Wouters

Yi Ping Ni

Krishnan Anantha Narayana Iyer

Michael Charles Bulawa

Pritesh A Patel

Abdul M Jangda

Kirk Nass

Christopher Lewis Curry

Gabor Kiss

Francis Charles Rix

Jianya Cheng

Jeffrey Alan Middlesworth

Antonios K Doufas

Xin Li

Phillip Thomas Matsunaga

Zerong Lin

Bryan Robert Chapman

Alan Anthony Galuska

Smita Kacker

John B Gardiner

Pawan Kumar Agarwal

Danny Van Hoyweghen

Robert Patrick Reynolds, Jr

John W Chu

Bruce Allan Harrington

Yu Feng Wang

Diana S Smirnova

Ilan Duvdevani

Achiel J M Van Loon

Joseph A Olkusz

Terry M Finerman

Mun-Fu Tse

Paul Edward McDaniel

Richard Cheng-Ming Yeh

Hillary L Passino

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

Sequential, double elastomer vulcanization method, system, and composition. First and second immiscible elastomers are mixed together with a first additive package. A first curative system is activated to vulcanize the first elastomer in a dispersed phase of the first elastomer to form a partially vulcanized mixture while maintaining melt flowability of the second elastomer in a continuous phase. Then, a second curative system is activated to vulcanize the second elastomer in the continuous phase. Since the partially vulcanized mixture is melt processable, a second additive package can be introduced to the mixture after activating the first curative system. Or, the second curative system can be activatable at a temperature which is higher than an activation temperature of the first curative system. In this manner, blends of dissimilar elastomers can be vulcanized with independent control of plasticizer, filler and curative distribution.

Sequential, double elastomer vulcanization system, method and composition

Pellet-stable olefinic copolymer bimodal rubber is made using parallel reactors, with one reactor synthesizing higher molecular weight (MW) rubber with dual catalysts, with an improved molecular weight split ratio and an improved composition distribution of the moderate and ultra-high MW components, while another reactor synthesizes random isotactic polypropylene copolymer (RCP). The effluents are reactor-blended and result in pellet-stable bimodal rubber (P-SBR), which may be pelletized. When making thermoplastic vulcanizates (TPVs) with P-SBR, the need to granulate rubber bales and subsequently use talc, clay, or other anti-agglomeration agents to prevent granulated rubber crumbs from agglomerating are eliminated. TPVs made with P-SBR have vulcanized rubber particles that are smaller and more uniform in size, resulting in TPVs with higher particle counts and more thermoplastic 'ligaments' between the particles, with such ligaments being made stronger by the added RCP. Such thus-produced TPVs have a lower hysteresis and flexural modulus, and better elastic properties.

Preparation of bimodal rubber, thermoplastic vulcanizates, and articles made therefrom

Methods for the production of heterophasic polymers in gas and slurry phase polymerization processes, and polymer compositions made therefrom, are disclosed herein.

Production of heterophasic polymers in gas or slurry phase

This invention relates to a thermoplastic vulcanizate having excellent elongation comprising an isotactic polypropylene matrix phase in which a cross-linked ethylene-propylene-diene terpolymer (EPDM) is dispersed, the vulcanizate comprising the reaction product of:

Compatibilized thermoplastic vulcanizate compositions

Disclosed is the preparation of compatibilized thermoplastic vulcanizates with reduced crosslinked rubber dispersion sizes and dispersity. A cross-linkable ethylene-propylene-diene terpolymer with majority propylene (PEDM) is used to compatibilize a plastic and rubber blend of a polypropylene (PP) and an ethylene-propylene-diene terpolymer rubber, where the propylene content is less than 50 wt % (EPDM), in dynamic vulcanization and preparation of PP/EPDM thermoplastic vulcanizates. The resulting PP/EPDM thermoplastic vulcanizates typically exhibit a weight average equivalent dispersion diameter of less than 3 microns and a particle size polydispersity index (PSDI), or weight average over number average dispersion diameter, of less than 5. This reduction in crosslinked rubber dispersion size in a PP/EPDM TPV by using PEDM compatibilizers enhances the toughness of the vulcanizate product by raising both elongation to break and break stress.

Disclosed is a thermoplastic polyolefin composition useful in automotive components comprising at least a polypropylene having a melting point temperature (T) of greater than 130&#xb0; C. and a melt flow rate (230&#xb0; C./2.16 kg) within the range from 10 g/10 min to 80 g/10 min; an amorphous ethylene-propylene copolymer comprising within the range from 40 wt % to 80 wt % ethylene derived units and having a melt flow rate (230&#xb0; C./2.16 kg) within the range from 0.1 g/10 min to 20 g/10 min; and a propylene-based elastomer having within the range from 5 to 25 wt % ethylene derived units and having a Tof less than 110&#xb0; C. The composition only partially breaks or there is no break at &#x2212;29&#xb0; C. (ASTM D256) with Notched Izod Force of between 10 to 40 ft-lb/inat 22&#xb0; C. (533 to 2,132 J/m), and between 1.0 to 12 ft-lb/inat &#x2212;29&#xb0; C. (53 to 636 J/m).

Thermoplastic polyolefin containing amorphous ethylene elastomer

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

Use of twin screw extrusion to further enhance the uniformity of crosslinked rubber dispersion in thermoplastic vulcanizates (TPVs) to improve elastic properties of TPVs is disclosed. Most specifically, this invention employs intermeshing twin screw extruders to further homogenize dynamically vulcanized rubber dispersions in TPVs so that their particle size dispersion index (PSDI), or the ratio of weight average equivalent dispersion particle diameter to number average equivalent dispersion particle diameter, can be lowered to less than 1.6 or 1.57 with corresponding elastic property improvements by having lower hysteresis, higher elongation to break, and higher retractive force. TPV products having lower PSDI and improved elastic properties, and apparatus for conducting the disclosed method, are also provided.

Crosslinked rubber dispersion in thermoplastic vulcanizates

A thermoplastic vulcanizate comprises an isotactic polypropylene matrix phase in which cross-linked rubber particles are dispersed, the rubber particles comprising an ethylene-propylene-diene terpolymer (EPDM) containing at least 40 wt % of ethylene-derived units. A propylene-ethylene-diene terpolymer (PEDM) containing at least 60 wt % propylene-derived units and less than or equal to 25 wt % of ethylene-derived units and having a heat of fusion (H) of 2 to 10 J/g is added to compatibilize the propylene/EPDM blend.

Thermoplastic vulcanizate compositions

This invention relates to a thermoplastic polyolefin composition with (a) 45 wt % to 70 wt % of a polypropylene having 70 wt % or more units derived from propylene, having a melting point temperature of greater than 130&#xb0; C. and a melt flow rate from 2 to 80 g/10 min; (b) 20 wt % to 30 wt % of a bimodal ethylene-propylene copolymer comprising: (i) 80 wt % to 90 wt % of an amorphous ethylene-propylene copolymer having about 30 wt % or more units derived from ethylene; (ii) 5 wt % to 15 wt % of a semi-crystalline ethylene-propylene copolymer having 70 wt % or more units derived from ethylene; and (iii) 1 wt % to 5 wt % of a propylene-based elastomer having within the range from 5 wt % to 25 wt % ethylene derived units and having a melting point temperature of less than 110&#xb0; C. and a Mw/Mn within the range from 2.0 to 4.0.

Thermoplastic polyolefin compositions with ethylene-propylene copolymers

Bimodal polypropylene compositions and a process to form melt blended bimodal polypropylene compositions comprising combining at least two polypropylenes in at least a two-pass process, and forming a bimodal polypropylene composition having a Flexural Modulus (190&#xb0; C., 1% secant) of at least 1700 MPa, as well as one or more other selected properties. These compositions are suitable for thermoformed articles and injection molded articles, any of which may be foamed.

Bimodal polypropylenes and method of making same

Disclosed are methods for the production of polymers, including random copolymers (RCPs), in single reactor gas or slurry phase polymerization processes, and polymer compositions produced therefrom. The methods enable polymers having low melting temperatures to be made in gas and slurry phase polymerization processes, where they conventionally could not be made in these processes due to stickiness and fouling problems in the reactor.

Single reactor production of polymers in gas or slurry phase

Growing community of inventors

Houston, TX, United States of America

Sudhin Datta