Elastic blends comprising crystalline polymer and crystallizable polymers of propylene

Abstract

Improved thermoplastic polymer blend compositions comprising an isotactic polypropylene component and an alpha-olefin and propylene copolymer component, said copolymer comprising crystallizable alpha-olefin sequences. In a preferred embodiment, improved thermoplastic polymer blends are provided comprising from about 35% to about 85% isotactic polypropylene and from about 30% to about 70% of an ethylene and propylene copolymer, wherein said copolymer comprises isotactically crystallizable propylene sequences and is predominately propylene. The resultant blends manifest unexpected compatibility characteristics, increased tensile strength, and improved process characteristics, e.g., a single melting point.

1 - 31 . (canceled)  
     
     
         32 . A polymer blend comprising (i) a crystalline polypropylene continuous phase having a weight average molecular weight, and (ii) an at least partially crystalline copolymer dispersed phase having a weight average molecular weight lower than the weight average molecular weight of the crystalline polypropylene continuous phase, the dispersed phase comprising a polymer comprising propylene and ethylene and/or one or more unsaturated comonomers.  
     
     
         33 . The polymer blend of  claim 32  in which the crystalline polypropylene continuous phase is a homopolymer.  
     
     
         34 . The polymer blend of  claim 32  in which the crystalline polypropylene continuous phase is a copolymer.  
     
     
         35 . The polymer blend of  claim 32  in which the dispersed phase is a copolymer of propylene and ethylene.  
     
     
         36 . The polymer blend of  claim 32  in which the dispersed phase is prepared using a metallocene catalyst.  
     
     
         37 . The polymer blend of  claim 32  in which the dispersed phase is prepared using a bis-cyclopentadienyl metallocene catalyst.  
     
     
         38 . The polymer blend of  claim 32  in which the dispersed phase is characterized as (A) comprising at least about 88.4 weight percent of units derived from propylene, and about 5.8 to about 11.6 weight percent of units derived from ethylene, and (B) having at least one of the following properties: (i) a DSC curve with a T me  that remains essentially the same and a T max  that decreases as the amount of comonomer in the copolymer is increased, and (ii) an X-ray diffraction pattern that reports more gamma-form crystals than a comparable copolymer prepared with a Ziegler-Natta catalyst.  
     
     
         39 . The blend of  claim 38  in which the dispersed phase is characterized further as having both of the properties of (i) and (ii).  
     
     
         40 . The polymer blend of  claim 38  in which the dispersed phase is prepared using a metallocene catalyst.  
     
     
         41 . The polymer blend of  claim 38  in which the dispersed phase is prepared using a bis-cyclopentadienyl metallocene catalyst.  
     
     
         42 . The blend of  claim 38  in which the dispersed phase is characterized further as comprising at least about 90.6 weight percent of units derived from propylene, and about 5.8 to about 9.4 weight percent of units derived from ethylene.  
     
     
         43 . The blend of  claim 42  in which the dispersed phase is characterized further as having both of the properties of (i) and (ii).  
     
     
         44 . The polymer blend of  claim 42  in which the dispersed phase is prepared using a metallocene catalyst.  
     
     
         45 . The polymer blend of  claim 42  in which the dispersed phase is prepared using a bis-cyclopentadienyl metallocene catalyst.  
     
     
         46 . The blend of  claim 38  in which the dispersed phase is characterized further as comprising at least about 92.7 weight percent of units derived from propylene, and about 5.8 to about 7.3 weight percent of units derived from ethylene.  
     
     
         47 . The blend of  claim 46  in which the dispersed phase is characterized further as having both of the properties of (i) and (ii).  
     
     
         48 . The polymer blend of  claim 46  in which the dispersed phase is prepared using a metallocene catalyst.  
     
     
         49 . The polymer blend of  claim 46  in which the dispersed phase is prepared using a bis-cyclopentadienyl metallocene catalyst.  
     
     
         50 . A polymer blend comprising (i) a crystalline polypropylene dispersed phase having a weight average molecular weight, and (ii) an at least partially crystalline copolymer continuous phase having a weight average molecular weight lower than the weight average molecular weight of the crystalline polypropylene dispersed phase, the continuous phase comprising a polymer comprising propylene and ethylene and/or one or more unsaturated comonomers.  
     
     
         51 . The polymer blend of  claim 50  in which the crystalline polypropylene dispersed phase is a homopolymer.  
     
     
         52 . The polymer blend of  claim 50  in which the crystalline polypropylene dispersed phase is a copolymer.  
     
     
         53 . The polymer blend of  claim 50  in which the continuous phase is a copolymer of propylene and ethylene.  
     
     
         54 . The polymer blend of  claim 50  in which the continuous phase is prepared using a metallocene catalyst.  
     
     
         55 . The polymer blend of  claim 50  in which the continuous phase is prepared using a bis-cyclopentadienyl metallocene catalyst.  
     
     
         56 . The polymer blend of  claim 50  in which the continuous phase comprises about 60% to about 98% by weight of the polymer blend.  
     
     
         57 . The polymer blend of  claim 50  in which the continuous phase comprises about 75% to about 99% by weight of the polymer blend.  
     
     
         58 . The polymer blend of  claim 50  in which the continuous phase is characterized as (A) comprising at least about 88.4 weight percent of units derived from propylene, and about 5.8 to about 11.6 weight percent of units derived from ethylene, and (B) having at least one of the following properties: (i) a DSC curve with a T me  that remains essentially the same and a T max  that decreases as the amount of comonomer in the copolymer is increased, and (ii) an X-ray diffraction pattern that reports more gamma-form crystals than a comparable copolymer prepared with a Ziegler-Natta catalyst.  
     
     
         59 . The blend of  claim 58  in which the continuous phase is characterized further as having both of the properties of (i) and (ii).  
     
     
         60 . The polymer blend of  claim 58  in which the continuous phase comprises about 60% to about 98% by weight of the polymer blend.  
     
     
         61 . The polymer blend of  claim 58  in which the continuous phase comprises about 75% to about 99% by weight of the polymer blend.  
     
     
         62 . The polymer blend of  claim 59  in which the continuous phase comprises about 60% to about 98% by weight of the polymer blend.  
     
     
         63 . The polymer blend of  claim 59  in which the continuous phase comprises about 75% to about 99% by weight of the polymer blend.  
     
     
         64 . The polymer blend of  claim 58  in which the continuous phase is prepared using a metallocene catalyst.  
     
     
         65 . The polymer blend of  claim 58  in which the continuous phase is prepared using a bis-cyclopentadienyl metallocene catalyst.  
     
     
         66 . The blend of  claim 58  in which the continuous phase is characterized further as comprising at least about 90.6 weight percent of units derived from propylene, and about 5.8 to about 9.4 weight percent of units derived from ethylene.  
     
     
         67 . The blend of  claim 66  in which the continuous phase is characterized further as having both of the properties of (i) and (ii).  
     
     
         68 . The polymer blend of  claim 66  in which the continuous phase comprises about 60% to about 98% by weight of the polymer blend.  
     
     
         69 . The polymer blend of  claim 66  in which the continuous phase comprises about 75% to about 99% by weight of the polymer blend.  
     
     
         70 . The polymer blend of  claim 67  in which the continuous phase comprises about 60% to about 98% by weight of the polymer blend.  
     
     
         71 . The polymer blend of  claim 67  in which the continuous phase comprises about 75% to about 99% by weight of the polymer blend.  
     
     
         72 . The polymer blend of  claim 66  in which the continuous phase is prepared using a metallocene catalyst.  
     
     
         73 . The polymer blend of  claim 66  in which the continuous phase is prepared using a bis-cyclopentadienyl metallocene catalyst.  
     
     
         74 . The blend of  claim 58  in which the continuous phase is characterized further as comprising at least about 92.7 weight percent of units derived from propylene, and about 5.8 to about 7.3 weight percent of units derived from ethylene.  
     
     
         75 . The blend of  claim 74  in which the continuous phase is characterized further as having both of the properties of (i) and (ii).  
     
     
         76 . The polymer blend of  claim 74  in which the continuous phase comprises about 60% to about 98% by weight of the polymer blend.  
     
     
         77 . The polymer blend of  claim 74  in which the continuous phase comprises about 75% to about 99% by weight of the polymer blend.  
     
     
         78 . The polymer blend of  claim 75  in which the continuous phase comprises about 60% to about 98% by weight of the polymer blend.  
     
     
         79 . The polymer blend of  claim 75  in which the continuous phase comprises about 75% to about 99% by weight of the polymer blend.  
     
     
         80 . The polymer blend of  claim 74  in which the continuous phase is prepared using a metallocene catalyst.  
     
     
         81 . The polymer blend of  claim 74  in which the continuous phase is prepared using a bis-cyclopentadienyl metallocene catalyst.  
     
     
         82 . A blend of at least two polymers in which at least one polymer (a) comprises at least about 88.4 weight percent of units derived from propylene and about 5.8 to about 11.6 weight percent of units derived from ethylene, and (b) is characterized as having at least one of the following properties: (i) a DSC curve with a T me  that remains essentially the same and a T max  that shifts to the left as the amount of comonomer in the copolymer is increased, and (ii) an X-ray diffraction pattern exhibiting more gamma-form crystals than a comparable copolymer prepared with a Ziegler-Natta catalyst.  
     
     
         83 . The blend of  claim 82  in which the at least one polymer that is characterized as having at least one of the properties of (i) and (ii) has both of the properties of (i) and (ii).  
     
     
         84 . The polymer blend of  claim 82  in which the at least one polymer characterized as having at least one of the properties (i) and (ii) comprises about 60% to about 98% by weight of the polymer blend.  
     
     
         85 . The polymer blend of  claim 82  in which the at least one polymer characterized as having at least one of the properties (i) and (ii) comprises about 75% to about 99% by weight of the polymer blend.  
     
     
         86 . The polymer blend of  claim 83  in which the at least one polymer characterized as having at least one of the properties (i) and (ii) comprises about 60% to about 98% by weight of the polymer blend.  
     
     
         87 . The polymer blend of  claim 83  in which the at least one polymer characterized as having at least one of the properties (i) and (ii) comprises about 75% to about 99% by weight of the polymer blend.  
     
     
         88 . The blend of  claim 82  in which the at least one polymer that is characterized as having at least one of the properties of (i) and (ii) is characterized further as having a skewness index, S ix , of about −0.32.  
     
     
         89 . The blend of  claim 83  in which the at least one polymer that is characterized as having both of the properties of (i) and (ii) is characterized further as having a skewness index, S ix , of about −0.32.  
     
     
         90 . The blend of  claim 82  in which the at least one polymer that is characterized as having at least one of the properties of (i) and (ii) is characterized further as comprising at least about 90.6 weight percent of units derived from propylene, and about 5.8 to about 9.4 weight percent of units derived from ethylene.  
     
     
         91 . The blend of  claim 90  in which the at least one polymer that is characterized as having at least one of the properties of (i) and (ii) is characterized further as having both of the properties of (i) and (ii).  
     
     
         92 . The polymer blend of  claim 90  in which the at least one polymer characterized as having at least one of the properties (i) and (ii) comprises about 60% to about 98% by weight of the polymer blend.  
     
     
         93 . The polymer blend of  claim 90  in which the at least one polymer characterized as having at least one of the properties (i) and (ii) comprises about 75% to about 99% by weight of the polymer blend.  
     
     
         94 . The polymer blend of  claim 91  in which the at least one polymer characterized as having at least one of the properties (i) and (ii) comprises about 60% to about 98% by weight of the polymer blend.  
     
     
         95 . The polymer blend of  claim 91  in which the at least one polymer characterized as having at least one of the properties (i) and (ii) comprises about 75% to about 99% by weight of the polymer blend.  
     
     
         96 . The blend of  claim 90  in which the at least one polymer that is characterized as having at least one of the properties of (i) and (ii) is characterized further as having a skewness index, S ix , of about −0.32.  
     
     
         97 . The blend of  claim 91  in which the at least one polymer that is characterized as having at least one of the properties of (i) and (ii) is characterized further as having a skewness index, S ix , of about −0.32.  
     
     
         98 . The blend of  claim 82  in which the at least one polymer that is characterized as having at least one of the properties of (i) and (ii) is characterized further as comprising at least about 92.7 weight percent of units derived from propylene, and about 5.8 to about 7.3 weight percent of units derived from ethylene.  
     
     
         99 . The blend of  claim 98  in which the at least one polymer that is characterized as having at least one of the properties of (i) and (ii) is characterized further as having both of the properties of (i) and (ii).  
     
     
         100 . The polymer blend of  claim 98  in which the at least one polymer characterized as having at least one of the properties (i) and (ii) comprises about 60% to about 98% by weight of the polymer blend.  
     
     
         101 . The polymer blend of  claim 98  in which the at least one polymer characterized as having at least one of the properties (i) and (ii) comprises about 75% to about 99% by weight of the polymer blend.  
     
     
         102 . The polymer blend of  claim 99  which the at least one polymer characterized as having at least one of the properties (i) and (ii) comprises about 60% to about 98% by weight of the polymer blend.  
     
     
         103 . The polymer blend of  claim 99  in which the at least one polymer characterized as having at least one of the properties (i) and (ii) comprises about 75% to about 99% by weight of the polymer blend.  
     
     
         104 . The blend of  claim 98  in which the at least one polymer that is characterized as having at least one of the properties of (i) and (ii) is characterized further as having a skewness index, S ix , of about −0.32.  
     
     
         105 . The blend of  claim 99  in which the at least one polymer that is characterized as having at least one of the properties of (i) and (ii) is characterized further as having a skewness index, S ix , of about −0.32.  
     
     
         106 . An article of manufacture comprising the polymer blend of  claim 32 .  
     
     
         107 . An article of manufacture comprising the polymer blend of  claim 38 .  
     
     
         108 . An article of manufacture comprising the polymer blend of  claim 42 .  
     
     
         109 . An article of manufacture comprising the polymer blend of  claim 46 .  
     
     
         110 . An article of manufacture comprising the polymer blend of  claim 50 .  
     
     
         111 . An article of manufacture comprising the polymer blend of  claim 58 .  
     
     
         112 . An article of manufacture comprising the polymer blend of  claim 66 .  
     
     
         113 . An article of manufacture comprising the polymer blend of  claim 74 .  
     
     
         114 . An article of manufacture comprising the polymer blend of  claim 82 .  
     
     
         115 . An article of manufacture comprising the polymer blend of  claim 90 .  
     
     
         116 . An article of manufacture comprising the polymer blend of  claim 98.