Patent EA-002450-B1 (EA)
Title: Elastomeric copolymer and process for the preparation thereof
Inventor: EVENS GEORGES GERARD
IPC: C08F210/18
Filed: 1998-06-25
Abstract: 1. A process for the preparation of elastomeric copolymers comprising copolymerizing a) ethylene, b) an α-olefin, c) a non-conjugated polyene (C) which in the molecule contains one C=C bond that is polymerizable using a Ziegler-Natta catalyst, and d) optionally a non-conjugated polyene (D) which in the molecule contains two or more C=C bonds, that are polymerizable using a Ziegler Natta catalyst, wherein the copolymer has the following properties: i the weight ratio between the ethylene content and the α-olefin content is between 80/20 and 40/60, ii the polyene (C) content is 4 to 30 wt.% relative to the polymer, iii the polyene (D) content is 0 to 5 wt.% relative to the polymer, by means of a catalyst composition comprising a Group 3, 4, 5 or 6 transition metal and a Group 1, 2, 12 or 13 organometallic compound, characterized in that the catalyst composition also comprises a compound represented by the formula:   where: X = a halogen atom, Y = H, an alkyl group with 1-30 C atoms, an aromatic group with 6-30 C-atoms, or a halogen atom,  Z = O (oxygen) or N (nitrogen), R independently represents H, an alkyl group with 1-30 C atoms or an aromatic group with 6-30 C atoms,  Ar = an aromatic group with 6-30 C atoms, m = 1 or 2, and polymerization is carried out in gaseous phase, in suspension or in solution, where the polymer is present in a concentration, exceeding 70 g/l of the solvent. 2. Process according to claim 1, wherein X includes a Cl atom. 3. Process according to either of claims 1 or 2, characterized in that Y is an aromatic group with 6-10 C atoms or a halogen atom. 4. Process according to any one of claims 1-3, characterized in that Y is a phenyl group or a Cl atom. 5. Process according to any one of claims 1-4, characterized in that Y is a phenyl group and Z = O oxygen). 6. Process according to any of claims 1-5, characterized in that the transition metal is vanadium. 7. Process according to any one of claims 1-6, characterized in that the organometallic compound contains aluminium. 8. Process according to any of claims 1-7, wherein the organometallic is selected from the group consisting of diethyl-aluminum chloride and ethyl-aluminum-sesquichloride. 9. An elastomeric copolymer derived from components comprising a) ethylene, b) an α-olefin, c) a non-conjugated polyene (C) having one C=C bond that is copolymerizable using a Ziegler-Natta catalyst, and d) optionally a non-conjugated polyene (D) which in the molecule contains two or more C=C bonds that are copolymerizable using a Ziegler-Natta catalyst, wherein the copolymer has the following properties: i the weight ratio between the ethylene content and the α-olefin content is between 80/20 and 40/60, ii the polyene (C) content is 4 to 30 wt.% relative to the polymer, iii the polyene (D) content is 0 to 5 wt.% relative to the polymer, and iv a branching coefficient BC, for which the following holds:                     0.57 - 0.022 * [C] <= BC <= 0.7 where   polyene (C) content of the polymer (wt.%,relative to the total weight of the polymer), [D] = polyene (D) content of the polymer (wt.%, relative to the total weight of the polymer), RBE = relative branching efficiency of the polyene (D) relative to vinyl norbornene (VNB), [DCPD] = dicyclopentadiene content of the polymer (wt.%, relative to the total weight of the polymer). 10. An elastomeric copolymer derived from components comprising a) ethylene, b) an α-olefin, c) a non-conjugated polyene (C) having one C=C bond that is copolymerizable using a Ziegler-Natta catalyst, and d) optionally a non-conjugated polyene (D) which in the molecule contains two or more C=C bonds that are copolymerizable using a Ziegler-Natta catalyst, wherein the copolymer has the following properties: i the weight ratio between the ethylene content and the α-olefin content is between 80/20 and 40/60, ii the polyene (C) content is 4 to 30 wt.% relative to the polymer, iii the polyene (D) content is 0 to 5 wt.% relative to the polymer, and iv a branching coefficient BC, for which the following holds: 0.57 - 0.022 * [C] <= BC <= 0.7 where   polyene (C) content of the polymer (wt.%, relative to the total weight of the polymer), [D] = polyene (D) content of the polymer (wt.%, relative to the total weight of the polymer), Σo = sommation of all contributions to BC of the polyenes D present in the elastomeric copolymer. 11. An elastomeric copolymer according to any of claims 9-10, characterized in that the polyene (C) is selected from the group consisting of 1,4 hexadiene and 5-ethylidene-2-norbornene. 12. An elastomeric copolymer according to any of claims 9-11, wherein the polyene (D) is selected from the group comprising vinylnorbornene, dicyclopentadiene, norbornadiene and 1,5 hexadiene. 13. An elastomeric copolymer according to claim 9 or 10, characterized in that the polyene (C) is 5 ethylidene-2-norbornene and polyene (D) is vinylnorbornene and/or dicyclopentadiene. 14. An elastomeric copolymer according to any one of claims 9-13, characterized in that the polyene (C) content is between 4 and 20 wt.%. 15. An elastomeric copolymer according to claim 14, characterized in that the polyene (C) content is between 7 and 15 wt.%. 16. An elastomeric copolymer according to any one of claims 9-15, characterized in that the elastomeric copolymer contains no DSC crystallinity above 25 degree C. 17. An elastomeric copolymer according to any one of claims 9-16, wherein the elastomeric copolymer has a Mooney viscosity of at least 20. 18. An elastomeric copolymer according to any one of claims 9-17, wherein the elastomeric copolymer has a molecular weight distribution between 1.8 and 4.0. 19. An elastomeric copolymer according to any one of claims 9-18, wherein the elastomeric copolymer has a Ninv larger than 0.8.