Polypropylene compositions and methods to produce the same

Abstract

Compositions comprising a continuous phase of at least one polypropylene; within the range of from 5 wt % to 50 wt % of a mineral hydroxide filler by weight of the composition, having an aspect ratio within the range of from 5 or 6 or 8 to 20 or 40 or 100 or 200 or 800 or 1000; and within the range of from 5 wt % to 40 wt % of a olefin block-containing copolymer by weight of the composition. Also described is a method of forming the compositions comprising combining the components as “masterbatches” or as neat ingredients, or some combination thereof.

1 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the composition comprises a continuous phase of polypropylene;
 within the range of from 5 wt % to 50 wt % of a mineral hydroxide filler by weight of the composition, the mineral hydroxide filler having an aspect ratio within the range of from 5 to 1000; and   within the range of from 5 wt % to 40 wt % of a olefin block-containing copolymer by weight of the composition   wherein the polypropylene is present within a range from 10 wt % to 29.5 wt % by weight of the composition,   wherein the composition has a 1% Secant Flexural Modulus (ISO) of greater than 2000 MPa and a Notched Izod Impact Resistance (−29 ° C., ISO) of greater than 5 kJ/m 2 , wherein polar-graft polymers are absent and the filler excludes silicate fillers.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the mineral hydroxide filler is a metal salt of an oxysulfate, aluminoxysulfate, aluminosilicate, silicate, borate, or combination thereof. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the olefin block-containing copolymer is selected from the group consisting of styrene-butadiene-styrene block copolymers, styrene-isoprene-styrene block copolymers, styrene-ethylene/propylene-styrene block polymers, styrene-ethylene/butene/styrene block polymers, and hydrogenated versions thereof and blends thereof. 
     
     
         4 . The composition method of  claim 16 , wherein the olefin block-containing copolymer is a styrene-olefin block copolymer having within the range of from 5 wt % to 25 wt % styrene-derived units by weight of the copolymer, which may or may not be hydrogenated. 
     
     
         5 . The method  claim 16 , wherein the polypropylene has a MFR within the range of from 4 g/10 min to 100 g/10 min. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the polypropylene has a melting point temperature (“T m ”, DSC) within the range of from 130 ° C. to 170 ° C. 
     
     
         7 . The method  claim 1 , having a 1% Secant Flexural Modulus (ISO) of greater than 3000 to 5000 MPa. 
     
     
         8 . The method  claim 1 , having a Notched Izod Impact Resistance (−29 ° C., ISO) of 6 to 20 greater than 2 kJ/m 2 . 
     
     
         9 . The composition method of  claim 16 , wherein the slope (m) of the Chord Modulus (y) as a function of 1% Secant Flexural Modulus (x) line is greater than 1.8. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , having a heat distortion temperature (“HDT”) within the range of from 90 ° C. to 130 ° C. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1 , having a flow direction Coefficient of Linear Thermal Expansion (“CLTE”) within the range of from 0.50×10 −5 /° C. to 3.0×10 −5 /° C.; and a cross-flow direction CLTE within the range of from 8.0×10 −5 /° C. to 15.0×10 −5 /° C. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the MFR of the composition is within the range of from 5 g/10 min to 100 g/10 min. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein polar-graft polymers are absent. 
     
     
         14 . An automotive component comprising the composition obtained from the method of  claim 1 . 
     
     
         15 . A method of forming a composition comprising combining and melt processing:
 a first mixture of a propylene-based polymer and a mineral hydroxide filler having an aspect ratio within the range of from 5 to 1000; with   a second mixture of a propylene-based polymer and olefin block-containing copolymer; and   isolating the composition;   wherein the composition comprises a continuous phase of polypropylene and within the range of from 5 wt % to 50 wt % of the filler and within the range of from 5 wt % to 40 wt % of a olefin block-containing copolymer.   
     
     
         16 . A method of forming a composition comprising combining and melt processing:
 a neat mineral hydroxide filler having an aspect ratio within the range of from 5 to 1000; with   a polypropylene and olefin block-containing copolymer, together or separately; and   isolating the composition;   wherein the composition comprises a continuous phase of polypropylene and within the range of from 5 wt % to 50 wt % of the filler and within the range of from 5 wt % to 26 wt % of a olefin block-containing copolymer.   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the components are added in the order of:
 polypropylene, neat mineral hydroxide filler, and olefin block-containing copolymer, wherein the neat mineral hydroxide filler is dispersed within the melted polypropylene, and the olefin block-containing copolymer is added and dispersed within the polypropylene-filler mix.   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the olefin block-containing copolymer is selected from the group consisting of styrene-butadiene-styrene block copolymers, styrene-isoprene-styrene block copolymers, styrene-ethylene/propylene/styrene block polymers, styrene-ethylene/butene/styrene block polymers, and hydrogenated versions thereof and blends thereof. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the olefin block-containing copolymer is a styrene-olefin block copolymer having within the range of from 5 wt % to 25 wt % styrene-derived units by weight of the copolymer, which may or may not be hydrogenated. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the polypropylene has a MFR within the range of from 4 g/10 min to 100 g/10 min. 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the polypropylene has a melting point temperature (“T m ”, DSC) within the range of from 130 ° C. to 170 ° C. 
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the composition has a 1% Secant Flexural Modulus (ISO) of greater than 2000 MPa. 
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the composition has a Notched Izod Impact Resistance (−29 ° C., ISO) of greater than 2 kJ/m 2 . 
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the slope (m) of the Chord Modulus (y) as a function of 1% Secant Flexural Modulus (x) line is greater than 1.8. 
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the MFR of the composition is within the range of from 5 g/10 min to 50 g/10 min. 
     
     
         26 . A method of forming a composition comprising combining and melt processing:
 a first mixture of a propylene-based polymer and a mineral hydroxide filler having an aspect ratio within the range of from 5 to 1000; with   a second mixture of a propylene-based polymer and olefin block-containing copolymer; and   isolating the composition;   wherein the composition comprises a continuous phase of polypropylene,   within a range from 10 wt % to 29.5 wt % of polypropylene by weight of the composition, wherein the polypropylene has a melting point temperature (“Tm”, DSC) within the range of from 130 ° C. to 170° C.; and   within the range of from 30 wt % to 50 wt % of a mineral hydroxide filler by weight of the composition, the mineral hydroxide filler having an aspect ratio within the range of from 5 to 1000; and   within the range of from 5 wt % to 40 wt % of a olefin block-containing copolymer by weight of the composition,   wherein the olefin block-containing copolymer is selected from the group consisting of styrene-butadiene-styrene block copolymers, styrene-isoprene-styrene block copolymers, styrene-ethylene/propylene-styrene block polymers, styrene-ethylene/butene/styrene block polymers, and hydrogenated versions thereof and blends thereof,   wherein the composition has a 1% Secant Flexural Modulus (ISO) of greater than 2000 MPa and a Notched Izod Impact Resistance (−29 ° C., ISO) of greater than 5 kJ/m 2 ,   wherein polar-graft polymers are absent and the filler excludes silicate fillers.   
     
     
         27 . The method of method of 26, wherein the mineral hydroxide filler is a metal salt of an oxysulfate, aluminoxysulfate, borate, or combination thereof. 
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 26 , wherein the olefin block-containing copolymer is a styrene-olefin block copolymer having within the range of from 5 wt % to 25 wt % styrene-derived units by weight of the copolymer, which may or may not be hydrogenated. 
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the polypropylene has a MFR within the range of from 4 g/10 min to 100 g/10 min. 
     
     
         30 . The method of  claim 26 , wherein the polypropylene has:
 1) a MFR within the range of from 4 g/10 min to 100 g/10 min;   2) a 1% Secant Flexural Modulus (ISO) of 3000 to 5000 MPa;   3) a Notched Izod Impact Resistance (−29 ° C., ISO) of 6 to 20 kJ/m 2 ;   4) a slope (m) of the Chord Modulus (y) as a function of 1% Secant Flexural Modulus (x) line that is greater than 1.8;   5) a heat distortion temperature (“HDT”) within the range of from 90 ° C. to 130 ° C.; and   6) a flow direction Coefficient of Linear Thermal Expansion (“CLTE”) within the range of from 0.50×10 −5 /° C. to 3.0×10 −5 /° C. and a cross-flow direction CLTE within the range of from 8.0×10 −5 /° C. to 15.0×10 −5 /° C.   
     
     
         31 . The method of  claim 26 , wherein the MFR of the composition is 5 g/10 min to 100 g/10 min. 
     
     
         32 . An automotive component comprising the composition obtained from the method of  claim 26 . 
     
     
         33 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the mineral hydroxide filler is magnesium oxysulfate. 
     
     
         34 . The method of  claim 26 , wherein the mineral hydroxide filler is magnesium oxysulfate. 
     
     
         35 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein:
 a) the olefin block-containing copolymer is selected from the group consisting of styrene-butadiene-styrene block copolymers, styrene-isoprene-styrene block copolymers, styrene-ethylene/propylene-styrene block polymers, styrene-ethylene/butene/styrene block polymers, and hydrogenated versions thereof and blends thereof;   b) the olefin block-containing copolymer is a styrene-olefin block copolymer having within the range of from 5 wt % to 25 wt % styrene-derived units by weight of the copolymer, which may or may not be hydrogenated;   c) the polypropylene has a MFR within the range of from 4 g/10 min to 100 g/10 min and a melting point temperature (“T m ”, DSC) within the range of from 130° C. to 170° C.;   d) the composition has a 1% Secant Flexural Modulus (ISO) of 3000 to 5000 MPa;   e) the composition has a Notched Izod Impact Resistance (−29 ° C., ISO) of 6 to 20 kJ/m 2 ;   f) the slope (m) of the Chord Modulus (y) as a function of 1% Secant Flexural Modulus (x) line is greater than 1.8;   g) the composition has a heat distortion temperature (“HDT”) within the range of from 90° C. to 130 ° C.;   h) the composition has a flow direction Coefficient of Linear Thermal Expansion (“CLTE”) within the range of from 0.50×10 −5 /° C. to 3.0×10 −5 /° C. and a cross-flow direction CLTE within the range of from 8.0×10 −5 /° C. to 15.0×10 −5 /° C.;   i) the composition has a an MFR of from 5 g/10 min to 100 g/10 min; and   j) the mineral hydroxide filler is a magnesium salt of an oxysulfate, aluminoxysulfate, borate, or combination thereof.   
     
     
         36 . The method of  claim 26 , wherein the mineral hydroxide filler is a magnesium salt of an oxysulfate, aluminoxysulfate, borate, or combination thereof. 
     
     
         37 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the mineral hydroxide filler is a neat mineral hydroxide filler having an aspect ratio within the range of from 5 to 1000;
 wherein the composition comprises a continuous phase of polypropylene, 30 wt % to 50 wt % of the filler, 5 wt % to 26 wt % the a olefin block-containing copolymer, wherein the polypropylene, neat mineral hydroxide filler, and olefin block-containing copolymer are added in the order of: polypropylene, neat mineral hydroxide filler, then olefin block-containing copolymer, wherein the neat mineral hydroxide filler is dispersed within the melted polypropylene, and the olefin block-containing copolymer is added and dispersed within the polypropylene-filler mix.   
     
     
         38 . The method of  claim 35 , wherein the mineral hydroxide filler is a neat mineral hydroxide filler having an aspect ratio within the range of from 5 to 1000;
 wherein the composition comprises a continuous phase of polypropylene, 30 wt % to 50 wt % of the filler, 5 wt % to 26 wt % the a olefin block-containing copolymer, wherein the polypropylene, neat mineral hydroxide filler, and olefin block-containing copolymer are added in the order of: polypropylene, neat mineral hydroxide filler, then olefin block-containing copolymer, wherein the neat mineral hydroxide filler is dispersed within the melted polypropylene, and the olefin block-containing copolymer is added and dispersed within the polypropylene-filler mix.