Ethylene/propylene Copolymers (propylene + copolymer)

Distribution by Scientific Domains


Selected Abstracts


Synthesis and Characterization of Ethylene/Propylene Copolymers in the Whole Composition Range

MACROMOLECULAR SYMPOSIA, Issue 1 2007
Ma. Joaquina Caballero
Abstract Summary: The incorporation of comonomer molecules in the backbone of a homopolymer can influence the final properties of the material, decreasing its crystallinity and the melting and glass transition temperatures, and increasing its impact resistance and transparency. In the present work, ten ethylene/propylene copolymers have been synthesized using a supported metallocene catalytic system covering the whole composition range. Any desired composition was obtained by controlling the feed composition during the reaction. These synthesized copolymers have been characterized by different techniques in order to study the effect of the comonomer incorporation onto their final properties. When the comonomer content is low, the behaviour of the copolymer is similar to that of the corresponding homopolymer. Nevertheless, if the comonomer content increases, the copolymer becomes more amorphous (low crystallization temperature and soft XRD signals) and easily deformable, reaching a behaviour close to that corresponding to an elastomeric material. In order to corroborate these results the samples have been characterized by TREF and GPC-MALS. TREF analysis showed that copolymers containing less than 10% and more than 80% of ethylene are semicrystalline, with elution temperatures typical of this kind of polymers. Molecular weights are higher for homopolymers and they decrease as the comonomer concentration increases, whereas the polydispersity index keeps almost constant at the expected value for this kind of samples. [source]


Multicenter nature of titanium-based Ziegler,Natta catalysts: Comparison of ethylene and propylene polymerization reactions

JOURNAL OF POLYMER SCIENCE (IN TWO SECTIONS), Issue 12 2003
Yury V. Kissin
Abstract This article discusses the similarities and differences between active centers in propylene and ethylene polymerization reactions over the same Ti-based catalysts. These correlations were examined by comparing the polymerization kinetics of both monomers over two different Ti-based catalyst systems, ,-TiCl3 -AlEt3 and TiCl4/DBP/MgCl2 -AlEt3/PhSi(OEt)3, by comparing the molecular weight distributions of respective polymers, in consecutive ethylene/propylene and propylene/ethylene homopolymerization reactions, and by examining the IR spectra of "impact-resistant" polypropylene (a mixture of isotactic polypropylene and an ethylene/propylene copolymer). The results of these experiments indicated that Ti-based catalysts contain two families of active centers. The centers of the first family, which are relatively unstable kinetically, are capable of polymerizing and copolymerizing all olefins. This family includes from four to six populations of centers that differ in their stereospecificity, average molecular weights of polymer molecules they produce, and in the values of reactivity ratios in olefin copolymerization reactions. The centers of the second family (two populations of centers) efficiently polymerize only ethylene. They do not homopolymerize ,-olefins and, if used in ethylene/,-olefin copolymerization reactions, incorporate ,-olefin molecules very poorly. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 41: 1745,1758, 2003 [source]


Impact fracture toughness of polyethylene/polypropylene multilayers

POLYMER ENGINEERING & SCIENCE, Issue 9 2004
Luisa Moreno
In a number of applications, a brittle polymeric surface layer is deliberately molded onto a tough substrate for decorative or protective purposes. This can increase the susceptibility of the tough polymer to premature failure. Similar problems arise when a surface layer becomes embrittled by environmental effects. Choosing a surface material that has good mechanical properties without having this effect can be difficult. In this work the fracture resistances of two polyethylenes and an ethylene/propylene copolymer, and of symmetrical two-component multilayers of these polymers, were determined as a function of temperature, using instrumented impact tests. The law of mixtures accounts adequately for the fracture resistance of multilayer structures where there is no mechanical interaction between skin and core. However, it gave misleading results for a structure in which high skin modulus at low temperatures appeared to influence the fracture resistance of the core through a constraint effect. Polym. Eng. Sci. 44:1627,1635, 2004. © 2004 Society of Plastics Engineers. [source]


Synthesis of ethylene/propylene elastomers containing a terminal reactive group: The combination of metallocene catalysis and control chain transfer reaction

JOURNAL OF POLYMER SCIENCE (IN TWO SECTIONS), Issue 9 2005
U. Kandil
Abstract This article discusses a chemical route to prepare new ethylene/propylene copolymers (EP) containing a terminal reactive group, such as ,-CH3 and OH. The chemistry involves metallocene-mediated ethylene/propylene copolymerization in the presence of a consecutive chain transfer agent,a mixture of hydrogen and styrene derivatives carrying a CH3 (p -MS) or a silane-protected OH (St-OSi). The major challenge is to find suitable reaction conditions that can simultaneously carry out effective ethylene/propylene copolymerization and incorporation of the styrenic molecule (St-f) at the polymer chain end, in other words, altering the St-f incorporation mode from copolymerization to chain transfer. A systematic study was conducted to examine several metallocene catalyst systems and reaction conditions. Both [(C5Me4)SiMe2N(t -Bu)]TiCl2 and rac-Et(Ind)2ZrCl2, under certain H2 pressures, were found to be suitable catalyst systems to perform the combined task. A broad range of St-f terminated EP copolymers (EP- t -p-MS and EP- t -St-OH), with various compositions and molecular weights, have been prepared with polymer molecular weight inversely proportional to the molar ratio of [St-f]/[monomer]. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 43: 1858,1872, 2005 [source]


Synthesis and Characterization of Ethylene/Propylene Copolymers in the Whole Composition Range

MACROMOLECULAR SYMPOSIA, Issue 1 2007
Ma. Joaquina Caballero
Abstract Summary: The incorporation of comonomer molecules in the backbone of a homopolymer can influence the final properties of the material, decreasing its crystallinity and the melting and glass transition temperatures, and increasing its impact resistance and transparency. In the present work, ten ethylene/propylene copolymers have been synthesized using a supported metallocene catalytic system covering the whole composition range. Any desired composition was obtained by controlling the feed composition during the reaction. These synthesized copolymers have been characterized by different techniques in order to study the effect of the comonomer incorporation onto their final properties. When the comonomer content is low, the behaviour of the copolymer is similar to that of the corresponding homopolymer. Nevertheless, if the comonomer content increases, the copolymer becomes more amorphous (low crystallization temperature and soft XRD signals) and easily deformable, reaching a behaviour close to that corresponding to an elastomeric material. In order to corroborate these results the samples have been characterized by TREF and GPC-MALS. TREF analysis showed that copolymers containing less than 10% and more than 80% of ethylene are semicrystalline, with elution temperatures typical of this kind of polymers. Molecular weights are higher for homopolymers and they decrease as the comonomer concentration increases, whereas the polydispersity index keeps almost constant at the expected value for this kind of samples. [source]


Nanostructured polyolefins/clay composites: role of the molecular interaction at the interface

POLYMERS FOR ADVANCED TECHNOLOGIES, Issue 6 2008
Elisa Passaglia
Abstract The extent of interphase interactions between polymer phase and inorganic particles is the driving force addressing the preparation/properties design in the field of the corresponding micro- and nanocomposites. In the case of preparation of nanocomposites based on polyolefins (POs) and inorganic compounds as potentially nanodispersed phase, the use of a PO with proper functional groups is necessary for the interface adhesion and stabilization of the nanostructured morphology. According to this approach, ethylene/propylene copolymers with a different propylene content were used for the preparation of nanocomposites through melt mixing with organophilic montmorillonites (OMMT). By taking into account the important role of functionalities grafted onto POs, two different synthetic approaches were compared here: (1) the dispersion of the inorganic filler was obtained by using previously functionalized POs bearing carboxylate groups as matrices; (2) the nanocomposites were prepared by performing contemporaneously the functionalization of POs (by using maleic anhydride (MAH) and/or diethyl maleate (DEM)) and the dispersion of the filler in a one-step process. The morphology of the nanocomposites as well as the variation of solubility and glass transition temperature (Tg) of the PO matrix were evaluated and tentatively discussed with reference to functionalization degrees, structure of PO, and preparation procedure. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source]


Determination of iodide in samples with complex matrices by hyphenation of capillary isotachophoresis and zone electrophoresis

ELECTROPHORESIS, Issue 20 2007
Pavla Pant
Abstract A method has been developed for the determination of iodide in mineral water, seawater, cooking salt, serum, and urine based on hyphenation of capillary ITP and zone electrophoresis. A commercially available instrumentation for capillary ITP with column-switching system was used. ITP served for removal of chloride present in the analyzed samples in a ratio of 106,107:1 to iodide, zone electrophoresis was used for evaluation. Isotachophoretic separation proceeded in a capillary made of fluorinated ethylene,propylene copolymer of 0.8,mm id and 90,mm total length to the bifurcation point filled with a leading electrolyte (LE) composed of 8,mM HCl,+,16,mM ,-alanine (,-Ala),+,10% PVP,+,2.86,mM N2H4×2HCl, pH,3.2; and a terminating electrolyte composed of 8,mM H3PO4,+,16,mM ,-Ala,+,10% PVP,+,5,mM N2H4, pH,3.85 for all the matrices except seawater. For ITP of seawater the LE consisted of 50,mM HCl,+,100,mM ,-Ala,+,10% PVP +,2.86,mM N2H4×2HCl, pH,3.52. Distance of conductivity detector from the injection point and bifurcation point was 52 and 38,mm, respectively. Zone electrophoresis was performed in a capillary made of fused silica of 0.3,mm id and 160,mm total length filled with LE from isotachophoretic step. LODs reached for all matrices were 2,3×10,8,M concentration (2.5,4,,g/L) enabled monitoring of iodide in all analyzed samples with RSD 0.4,9.3%. Estimated concentrations of iodide in individual matrices were 10,6,10,8,M. [source]


13C NMR determination of the microstructure of polypropylene obtained with the DADNi(NCS)2/methylaluminoxane catalyst system

JOURNAL OF POLYMER SCIENCE (IN TWO SECTIONS), Issue 9 2004
Griselda Barrera Galland
Abstract A complete 13C NMR characterization of a polymer synthesized with a new Ni-diimine complex [DADNi(NCS)2, where DAD = 2,6 - iPrC6H3NC(Me)C(Me) N2,6 - iPrC6H3] activated by methylaluminoxane by homopolymerization of propylene is presented. The amorphous material was made up mainly of blocks of syndiotactic polypropylene and ethylene,propylene copolymer. Some degree of propylene inversion (<1.2 mol %) and of long isobutyl and 2-methyl hexyl branching (<1 mol %) were assigned and quantified. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 42: 2171,2178, 2004 [source]


Maleated amorphous ethylene propylene compatibilized polyethylene nanocomposites: Room temperature nonlinear creep response

POLYMER ENGINEERING & SCIENCE, Issue 8 2010
Ali Shaito
Nonlinear creep of polyethylene and its nanocomposites remains an area of significant interest. Maleated polyethylene is often used as a compatibilizer to ensure enhanced dispersion. This article investigates blown films of linear low-density polyethylene and its nanocomposites with montmorillonite-layered silicate (MLS). An amorphous ethylene propylene copolymer grafted maleic anhydride (amEP) was added to enhance the interaction between the PE and the MLS. Tensile results indicate that the addition of amEP and MLS separately and together produces a synergistic effect on the mechanical properties of the neat PE. Nonlinear creep was analyzed by examining creep and recovery of the films with a Burger model and the Kohlrausch-Williams-Watts relation. A consistent decrease in unrecoverable plastic strain was obtained in the nanocomposite samples. A decreased retardation time associated with MLS presence was determined. POLYM. ENG. SCI., 50:1620,1632, 2010. © 2010 Society of Plastics Engineers [source]


FI Catalysts: new olefin polymerization catalysts for the creation of value-added polymers

THE CHEMICAL RECORD, Issue 3 2004
Makoto Mitani
Abstract This contribution reports the discovery and application of phenoxy,imine-based catalysts for olefin polymerization. Ligand-oriented catalyst design research has led to the discovery of remarkably active ethylene polymerization catalysts (FI Catalysts), which are based on electronically flexible phenoxy,imine chelate ligands combined with early transition metals. Upon activation with appropriate cocatalysts, FI Catalysts can exhibit unique polymerization catalysis (e.g., precise control of product molecular weights, highly isospecific and syndiospecific propylene polymerization, regio-irregular polymerization of higher ,-olefins, highly controlled living polymerization of both ethylene and propylene at elevated temperatures, and precise control over polymer morphology) and thus provide extraordinary opportunities for the syntheses of value-added polymers with distinctive architectural characteristics. Many of the polymers that are available via the use of FI Catalysts were previously inaccessible through other means of polymerization. For example, FI Catalysts can form vinyl-terminated low molecular weight polyethylenes, ultra-high molecular weight amorphous ethylene,propylene copolymers and atactic polypropylenes, highly isotactic and syndiotactic polypropylenes with exceptionally high peak melting temperatures, well-defined and controlled multimodal polyethylenes, and high molecular weight regio-irregular poly(higher ,-olefin)s. In addition, FI Catalysts combined with MgCl2 -based compounds can produce polymers that exhibit desirable morphological features (e.g., very high bulk density polyethylenes and highly controlled particle-size polyethylenes) that are difficult to obtain with conventionally supported catalysts. In addition, FI Catalysts are capable of creating a large variety of living-polymerization-based polymers, including terminally functionalized polymers and block copolymers from ethylene, propylene, and higher ,-olefins. Furthermore, some of the FI Catalysts can furnish living-polymerization-based polymers catalytically by combination with appropriate chain transfer agents. Therefore, the development of FI Catalysts has enabled some crucial advances in the fields of polymerization catalysis and polymer syntheses. © 2004 The Japan Chemical Journal Forum and Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Chem Rec 4: 137,158; 2004: Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com) DOI 10.1002/tcr.20010 [source]