Ethylene-based polymer compositions for use as a blend component in shrinkage film applications

Abstract

An ethylene-based polymer composition has been discovered and is characterized by a Comonomer Distribution Constant greater than about 45. The new ethylene-based polymer compositions are useful for making many articles, especially including films. Formulations made into films comprising the new polymers are also disclosed, especially blends with synthetic polymer like LDPE where the % LDPE is less than 50% in which the MD shrink tension is greater than 15 cN, puncture is greater than 75 ft-lb/in 3 , and haze is less than 20%. The polymers are made using a metal complex of a polyvalent aryloxyether.

1 . An ethylene-based polymer composition characterized by a Comonomer Distribution Constant greater than about 45 and as high as 400, wherein the composition has less than 120 total unsaturation unit/1,000,000 C, wherein the composition is further characterized as comprising a MW Ratio at each temperature is less than or equal to 1.00 for each fraction comprising more than 1.0 wt % which represents the area of the fraction divided by the total area of all fractions. 
     
     
         2 . The composition of  claim 1  further comprising a melt index of less than or equal to 0.90 g/10 min. 
     
     
         3 . The composition of  claim 1  further comprising a density of less than 0.945 g/cc and greater than 0.92 g/cc. 
     
     
         4 . The composition of  claim 1  further comprising a density of greater than 0.92 g/cc and less than 0.94 g/cc. 
     
     
         5 . The composition of  claim 1  wherein the MW Ratio increases with the temperature of each fraction. 
     
     
         6 . The composition of  claim 1  wherein the MW Ratio is less than 0.10 for each temperature that is equal to or lower than 50° C. 
     
     
         7 . The composition of  claim 1  wherein the cumulative weight fraction is less than 0.10 for the fractions with a temperature up to 50° C. 
     
     
         8 . The composition of  claim 1  wherein the cumulative weight fraction is not less than 0.03 for the fractions with a temperature up to 85° C. 
     
     
         9 . The composition of  claim 1  wherein the composition is further characterized as comprising:
 (d) one Component A being 20-65 wt % of the composition with a MI less than 0.3 and has a higher density than Component B with a density difference between Component B and A of greater than 0.005 g/cc 
 (e) Component B having a MI greater than that of Component A 
 (f) With the overall polymer having a MI of less than or equal to 0.9 and a density of less than 0.945 g/cc and greater than 0.92 g/cc. 
 
     
     
         10 . The polymer composition of  claim 1  wherein the composition comprises up to about 3 long chain branches/1000 carbons. 
     
     
         11 . The polymer composition of  claim 1  having a ZSVR of at least 2.5. 
     
     
         12 . The polymer composition of  claim 1  having a ZSVR of at least 4. 
     
     
         13 . The polymer of  claim 1  further characterized by comprising less than 20 vinylidene unsaturation unit/1,000,000 C. 
     
     
         14 . The polymer of  claim 1  further characterized by comprising less than 20 trisubstituted unsaturation unit/1,000,000 C. 
     
     
         15 . The polymer composition of  claim 1  wherein the composition has a bimodal molecular weight distribution. 
     
     
         16 . The polymer composition of  claim 1  further comprising a single DSC melting peak. 
     
     
         17 . A fabricated article comprising the composition of  claim 1 . 
     
     
         18 . A thermoplastic formulation comprising the composition of  claim 1  and at least one natural or synthetic polymer. 
     
     
         19 . The formulation of  claim 18  wherein the synthetic polymer is LDPE and the % LDPE is greater than 30% in which in which a blown film comprising the formulation has a MD shrink tension is greater than 15 cN, puncture is greater than 60 ft-lb/in 3 , and haze is less than 20%. 
     
     
         20 . The composition of  claim 1  wherein the composition has a comonomer distribution profile comprising a mono or bimodal distribution from 35° C. to 120° C., excluding the purge. 
     
     
         21 . The polymer composition of  claim 1  comprising Mw from about 80,000 to about 200,000 g/mol. 
     
     
         22 . The fabricated article of  claim 17  in the form of at least one film layer. 
     
     
         23 . The polymer composition of  claim 1  characterized as having a ratio of viscosity at 190° C. at 0.1 rad/s to a viscosity at 190° C. at 100 rad/s of greater than 8.5 as determined by dynamic mechanical spectroscopy. 
     
     
         24 . The polymer composition of  claim 1  characterized as having a phase angle of less than 65 degrees and greater than 0 degrees at a complex modulus of 10,000 Pa as determined by dynamic mechanical spectroscopy at 190° C. 
     
     
         25 . The polymer composition of  claim 1  characterized as having a M w /M n  less than 10. 
     
     
         26 . The polymer composition of  claim 1  characterized as having a M w /M n  less than 4.