Methods for producing low volatile tubular low density ethylene-based polymers for clean extrusion coating processing

Abstract

A process for producing an ethylene-based polymer comprises polymerizing, by the presence of at least one free-radical initiator and using a high pressure tubular polymerization process, a reaction mixture containing ethylene and at least one CTA system comprising one or more CTA components to produce the ethylene-based polymer. The free-radical initiator is dissolved in a solvent comprising a saturated hydrocarbon to form an initiator solution which is added to the polymerization using an initiator feed line to an initiator injection pump. At least 50 wt % of the solvent has i) a dry point of less than or equal to 160° C. and ii) an initial boiling point of greater than or equal to 100° C. The polymerization process has a ratio of inlet pressure to first peak temperature of less than or equal to 9 Bar/° C. At least one CTA make-up stream is fed into the polymerization process, wherein less than or equal to 30 wt % of the at least one CTA make-up stream comprises one or more saturated hydrocarbon CTA(s) with a maximum carbon atom number of 6 per molecule.