MXPA99006201A - Blends of polyethylene and peo having inverse phase morphology and method of making the blends - Google Patents

Abstract

A thermoplastic film comprises a polyolefin, such as polyethylene, as a major constituent, poly(ethylene oxide) as a minor constituent and has a total of from about 0.1 weight percent to about 30 weight percent of monomer grafted to the polyolefin and the poly(ethylene oxide). The film exhibits an inverse phase morphology so that the poly(ethylene oxide) forms a continuous phase and the polyolefin forms a dispersed or discontinuous phase in the film. Desirably, the film can be used in disposable personal hygiene articles.

Description

POLYETHYLENE AND PEO MIXES HAVING REVERSE PHASE MORPHOLOGY AND METHODS TO MIX THE MIXTURES This application claims priority of the provisional application of the United States of America 60 / 034.23 filed on December 31, 1996, the description of which is incorporated herein by reference.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a compositional thermoplastic film comprising polyethylene poly (ethylene oxide) which exhibits a reverse phasic morphology.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION There is a wide variety of disposable plastic items manufactured in current use. Due to their low cost and convenience, these are very popular and have a high consumer demand. However, many articles are not degradable or easily disposable. As a result, these have caused and continue to cause a waste disposal problem.

Products for personal care, such com -gf diapers, sanitary napkins, adult incontinence garments and the like are generally constructed of a number of different components and materials. Such articles typically have some part, usually the backing, liner or separator layer which is composed of a film constructed of a liquid repellent material. This repellent material is appropriately constructed to minimize or prevent the exudate of the absorbent liquid from the article and to obtain a greater utilization of the absorbent capacity of the product. The The liquid repellent film commonly used includes plastic materials such as polyethylene films and the like.

Even when such products are relatively cheap, sanitary and easy to use, the provision of a product once messed up does not let you have your problems. An ideal disposal method for such products would be the use of municipal sewer treatment and private residential septic systems. Suitable products for disposal in sewer systems can be disposed of with discharge of water in a conventional toilet and are called "drainable". Even though the discharge with water discharge of such items would be convenient, the liquid repellent material which normally does not disintegrate in water tends to clog toilets and sewer pipes. So it seems to be It is neary, even if it is undesirable to separate the barrier film material from the absorbent article before discharge with water discharge.

In an attempt to overcome the problem of discharging with water discharge from a waterproof film the previous art has modified the water resistant polymer. One of the most useful ways to modify polymers involves mixing them with other polymers of different structures and properties. In a few cases, the polymer blend blends are thermodynamically miscible and exhibit mechanical compatibilida. However, by far a large number of mixtures are separated from phase and generally exhibit poor mechanical compatibility. The phase-separated mixtures may in some cases exhibit mechanical compatibility where the polymer compositions are similar as for example, the polyolefin mixed with other similar polyolefins, or wherein the interfacial agents are aggregated to improve compatibility in the interfacing between the constituents of the polymer mixture.

The polymer blends of polyolefins poly (ethylene oxide) are proable with melt but exhibit a very poor mechanical compatibility. This poor mechanical compatibility is particularly manifested in the mixture having more than 50 percent by weight of polyolefin. Generally the film is not affected by water since typically the majority of phase, for example polyolefin, will surround and encapsulate the minority phase, for example poly (ethylene oxide). The encapsulation of poly (ethylene oxide) effectively prevents any degradability and / or drainage advantage with discharge of water that could be acquired by using poly (ethylene oxide).

In view of the problems of the prior art, it remains highly desirable to provide a blend having more than about 50 percent by weight of a polyolefin and poly (ethylene oxide) which exhibits a reverse phase morphology. Films made from such a mixture can be used to be barrier films for personal care products which can be disposable with water discharge. The films can also be used for the manufacture of the filter membranes.

SYNTHESIS OF THE INVENTION Briefly, the present invention provides a thermoplastic film comprising a polyolefin, poly (ethylene oxide) and an amount of grafted monomer on polyolefin and poly (ethylene oxide) so that the film exhibits a reverse phase morphology. As used herein, "reverse phase morphology" means that the bulk constituent, which would normally be expected to be continuous phase in the film is actually the dispersed phase. Correspondingly, the constituent of volumetric minis- try forms the continuous phase in which the constituent of volumetric majority is dispersed there.

It is an object of the invention to provide a thermoplastic film having a reverse phase morphology. More specifically, it is an object of the invention to provide a thermoplastic film having from about 55 percent by weight to about 85 percent by weight of a polyolefin, from about 45 percent by weight to about 15 percent by weight of poly (ethylene oxide) and an amount of monomer grafted to the polyolefin and poly (ethylene oxide) so that the film exhibits a reverse phase morphology. As used herein, the "percent by weight" of the polyolefin and the poly (ethylene oxide) were determined using the total amount of polyolefin and poly (ethylene oxide) forming the thermoplastic composition without regard to the amount of monomer added BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Figure 1 is a photomicrograph of electron microscopic scanning of a sputtered electronic image of a cross-sectional view of a 4 mil (0.004 inch) film having a composition of 60 percent by weight polyethylene and 40 percent by weight poly (ethylene oxide) .

Figure 2 is a photomicrograph of electron microscopic scanning of a sputtered electronic image of a cross-sectional view of a 4-mil film having a composition of 60 percent by weight polyethylene, 40 percent by weight poly (ethylene oxide) ) with about 3 percent by weight of a monomer added to polyethylene and poly (ethylene oxide).

Figure 3 is a photomicrograph of electron microscopic scanning of a sputtered electronic image of a cross-sectional view of a 4 mil film having a composition of 60 percent by weight polyethylene, 40 percent by weight poly (ethylene oxide) ) and about 5.5 percent by weight of a monomer added to polyethylene and ethylene pyrrolidone) .- -__ - _: -. _ _ Figure 4 is a photomicrograph of electron microscopic scanning of a sputtered electronic image of a cross-sectional view of a 4 mil film having a composition of 60 percent by weight polyethylene, 40 percent by weight poly (ethylene oxide) ) and about 9 percent by weight of a monomer added to polyethylene and poly (ethylene oxide).

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Although the present invention is described with reference to the thermoplastic film, an expert in the art will understand the utility of the invention towards other thermoplastic articles that can be extruded or molded by injection. The film composition of the present invention comprises from about 55 percent by weight to about 85 percent by weight of a polyolefin., from about 45 percent by weight to about 15 percent by weight of poly (ethylene oxide) and an amount of a monomer grafted onto the polyolefin and poly (ethylene oxide) so that the film exhibits a phase morphology reverse. It has been unexpectedly discovered that this reverse phase morphology, wherein a hydrophilic moiety constitutes the continuous phase, can be achieved by means of a minor component of the film to greatly expand the sensitivity to water and the degradability of the film. Preferably, the mixture has from about 60 percent by weight to about 8 percent by weight of polyethylene and from about 4 percent by weight to about 15 percent by weight of poly (ethylene oxide) with an effective amount of a monomer grafted onto polyolefin and poly (ethylene oxide) pair to make the phase inversion thermoplastics.

The saturated ethylene polymers useful in the practice of this invention are ethylene homopolymers or copolymers and are essentially linear in structure. As used herein the term "saturated" refers to polymers which are completely saturated, but also includes polymers containing up to about 5 percent unsaturation. Ethylene homopolymers include those prepared under either low pressure, for example low density or high linear density polyethylene or high pressure, for example, branched or low density polyethylene. High density polyethylenes are generally characterized by a density that is about equal to or greater than 0.94 grams per cubic centimeter (g / cc). Generally, the high density polyethylenes useful as the base resin in the present invention have a density ranging from about 0.94 g / cc to about 0.97 g / cc. Polyethylenes can have a melt index, as it was measured at 2.16 kilograms and 190 degrees Celsius, varying from about 0.005 decigrams per minute (dg / min) to 100 dg / min. Desirably, the polyethylene has a Melt Index of 0.01 dg / min to about 50 dg / min and more desirably from 0.05 dg / min to about 25 dg / min. Alternatively, the polyethylene blends can be used as the base resin to produce the graft copolymer compositions, and such blends can have a Melt Index greater than 0.005 dg / min to less than about 100 dg / min.

The low density polyethylene has a density of less than 0.94 g / cc and is usually in the range of 0.91 g / cc to about 0.93 g / cc. The low density polyethylene has a melt index ranging from about 0.05 dg / ml to about 100 dg / min and desirably from 0.05 dg / min to about 20 dg / min. The ultra-low density polyethylene can be used according to the present invention. Generally, the ultra-low density polyethylene has a density of less than 0.90 g / cc.

The aforementioned polyolefins can also be manufactured by using the well known multiple site Ziegler-Natta catalysts or the more recent single site metallocene catalysts. Metallocene-catalyzed polyolefins have better controlled polymer microstructures than polyolefins manufactured using Ziegler-Natta catalysts, including narrower molecular weight distribution, well-controlled chemical composition distribution, comonomer sequence length distribution and stereoregularity . Metallocene catalysts are known to polymerize propylene in atactic, isotactic, sidotactic, isotactic-atactic stereoblock copolymer.

The ethylene copolymers which may be useful in the present invention may include copolymers of ethylene with one or more additional polymerizable unsaturated monomers. Examples of such copolymers include, but are not limited to copolymers of ethylene and alpha olefins (such as propylene, butene, hexene or octene) including linear low density polyethylene, ethylene copolymers and vinyl esters of linear carboxylic acids or branched having 1-24 carbon atoms such as ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymers and ethylene copolymers and acrylic or methacrylic esters of linear, branched or cyclic alkanols having 1-28 carbon atoms. Examples of the latter copolymers include ethylene-alkyl (meth) acrylate copolymers, such as ethylene-methyl acrylate copolymers.

- Poly (ethylene oxide) polymers suitable for the present invention can have a molecular weight ranging from 200,000 to 8,000,000 preferably, ranging from about 200,000 to about 6,000,000. Poly (ethylene oxide) ethylene) is available from Union Carbide Corporation under the POLIOX® brand. Typically, poly (ethylene oxide) is a free flowing, dry white powder having a crystalline melting point in the order of about 65 degrees centigrade above which the poly (ethylene oxide) resins become thermoplastic and it can be formed by molding, extrusion and other methods known in the art.

The polyolefin and the poly (ethylene oxide) comprising the film have an effective amount of monomer, polyethylene glycol ethyl methacrylate ether, grafted thereto. (available from Aldrich Chemical Company of Milwaukee, Wisconsin) which unexpectedly produces a reverse phase morphology in the film. Referring to Figure 1, an expert in the art will wait for polyethylene as the main constituent, and form the continuous phase wherein the poly (ethylene oxide) is distributed there as in the discontinuous phase. However, referring to Figure 2-4, a film of the present invention has the poly (ethylene oxide) as the continuous phase with the polyethylene distributed as the discontinuous phase to the weight of which there is a greater amount of polyethylene. The amount of monomer grafted to the polyolefin and the polyethylene oxide is a total of about 0.01 percent by weight about 30 percent by weight, based on the weight of the polyolefin and of the poly. ethylene oxide.) Desirably, the polyolefin and the polyethylene oxide have a total of from about 1 percent by weight to about 20 percent by weight of the monomer grafted thereto. More desirably, the polyolefin and the poly (ethylene oxide) have a total of from about 1 percent by weight to about 10 percent by weight of the monomer grafted thereto.

To prepare the polyethylene constituents of polyethylene oxide grafted from the film of the invention, the polyolefin and the polyethylene oxide are reacted with the monomer in the presence of the free radical initiator. The free radical initiator serves to initiate the free radical grafting of the monomer. The method of grafting the polymer blends includes mixing with melted the desired weight ratios of a mixture of the polyolefin, poly (ethylene oxide), the monomer and a free radical initiator in an extruder and at a reaction temperature. wherein the polyolefin and the poly (ethylene oxide) are converted to a melted state. Thus, a preferred method includes adding the polyolefin, the poly (ethylene oxide), the monomer and the free radical initiator simultaneously to the extruder before the polymer constituents, for example, the polyolefin and the poly (ethylene oxide). ethylene) have melted. Desirably, the melt extruder used to mix the melt may introduce several constituents into the mixture at different places along the length of the screw. For example, the free radical initiator, cross-linking agents, or other reaction additives may be injected into the mixture before or after one or more of the constituents of the polymer is melted or thoroughly mixed. More preferably, the polyolefin and the poly (ethylene oxide) are added at the beginning of the extruder. After melting, the monomer is added to the melted polymers and further down the extruder barrel, the free radical initiator is fed to the melt mixture. The method is described in greater detail in the copending patent application of the United States of America having serial number 08 / 777,226 filed on December 31, 1996 and entitled "MIXES OF POLYOLEFINE AND POLY (ETHYLENE OXIDE) AND PROCESS FOR MAKING MIXTURES "whose full description of which is incorporated herein by reference.

Free radical initiators which can be used to graft the monomer into the polyolefin include acyl peroxides such as benzoyl peroxide; the dialkyl peroxides; diaryl or aralkyl such as di-t-butyl peroxide, dicumyl peroxide; cumyl butyl peroxide; 1,1-di-t-butyl peroxy-3,5,5,5-trimethylcyclohexane; 2,5-dimethyl-2,5-di (butylperoxy) hexane; 2,5-dimethyl-2,5-bis (t-butyl peroxy) hexino-3 and bis (a-t-butyl peroxyisopropylbenzene) -; polyesters such as t-butyl peroxypivalate; t-butyl peroctoate; t-butyl perbenzoate; 2,5-dimethylhexyl-2,5-di- (perbenzoate); t-butyl di (perftalate); dialkyl peroxymonocarbonates and peroxydicarbonates; hydroperoxides such as t-butyl hydroperoxide, p-methane hydroperoxide, pinane hydroperoxide and eumeno hydroperoxide and ketone peroxides such as cyclohexanone peroxide and methyl ethyl ketone peroxide. Azo compounds such as azobisisobutyronitrile can also be used.

The amount of free radical initiator added to the extruder should be a sufficient amount to graft from about 1 percent to 100 percent of the monomer in the polyolefin and poly (ethylene oxide). This varies from about 0.1 percent by weight to about 10 percent by weight of initiator, and preferably from about 0.1 percent by weight to about 5 percent by weight where all those ranges are based on the amount of monomer added. to the melted mixture.

It is characteristic of the thermoplastic film of the invention, the film when viewed using an electron scanning microscope and using electronic scattered background detector images that show that the poly (ethylene oxide) forms the continuous phase wherein the polyolefin is in a discontinuous phase, that is, dispersed through the poly (ethylene oxide) phase. The electronic scattered background detector produces an image in which the upper average atomic number of the constituent produces a higher intensity of scattered background electrons which appear brighter on the photographic image. A constituent having a lower atomic number produces a lower intensity of the scattered background electrons, which appear as a darker image on the photograph. The scattered background electron microscope imaging is described in more detail in the work of Linda C. Sawyer and David T. Grubb, "POLYMER MICROSCOPE" by Chapman Hall, London 1987, page 25. Desirably the polyolefin portions of The thermoplastic film has an average cross-sectional diameter ranging from about 0.1 microns to about 50 microns, preferably from about 0.5 microns to about 30 microns and more preferably from about 0.5 microns to about 25 microns. Such "polyolefin parts" can be solidified polyolefin bags, fibers or combinations thereof.

The present invention is illustrated in more detail by the specific examples presented below. It will be understood that these examples are illustrative embodiments and are not intended to be limiting of the invention but rather are broadly considered within the scope and content of the appended claims.

COMPARATIVE EXAMPLE A mixture of 60/40 percent by weight resin of low density polyethylene (PE) and poly (ethylene oxide) (PEO) was mixed with melt using an extruder. The polyethylene had a melt index of 1.9 decigrams per minute (dg / min) and a density of 0.917 grams per cubic centimeter (g / cc) (Dow 5031, available from the Dow Chemical Company of Midland Michigan). The poly (ethylene oxide) has a molecular weight of 200,000 g / mol (POLIOX® WSRN-80, available from Union Carbide Corporation). The extruder used to make the mixture was a Werner & Pfleiderer ZSK-30 (available from Werner _ Pfleiderer Corporation, of Ramsey, New Jersey). The resin mixture was fed to the extruder at a rate of 34 pounds / hour. The extruder had a pa of co-rotating screws arranged in parallel. The central distance between the two axes was 26.2 millimeters. The nominal screw diameter was 30 millimeters. The diameter of the actual external screw was 30 millimeters. The diameter of the inner screw was 21.3 millimeters. The depth of hil was 4.7 millimeters. The extruder had 14 barrels of processing, with 13 heated barrels divided into 7 heating zones. The overall processing length was 134 millimeters. The 7 heating zones were all set at 18 degrees centigrade. The screw speed was pulsed at 30 revolutions per minute. - All films of the melted mixtures in the comparative example and in Examples 1-9 were made using a Hakee twin screw extruder (available from Haake, 53 West Century Road)., Paramus New Jersey 07652) equipped with a 4-inch slot matrix. The extruder had a length of 300 millimeters. The conical screws had a diameter of 30 millimeters in the supply port and a diameter of 20 millimeters in the matrix. The extruder had four heating zones set at 170, 180, 180 and 190 degrees Celsius. The screw speed was 30 revolutions per minute. A cooled coiling roll was used to collect the film. The cooled roller was operated at a sufficient speed to form a film having a thickness of about 4 mils (about 0.004 of 1 inch) and was maintained at a temperature of 15-20 degrees centigrade.

Referring to Figure 1, the polyethylene formed the continuous phase and the poly (ethylene oxide) formed the discontinuous phase.

EXAMPLES 1-3 According to the invention, a mixture of 60/40 percent resin by weight of low density polyethylene and poly (ethylene oxide) - as described above in the comparative example, was supplied to the ZSK-30 extruder at a rate of 34 pounds / hour. The seven heating zones were all set at 180 degrees centigrade. The screw speed was 300 revolutions per minute. In barrel 4 of the extruder, a monomer, poly (ethylene glycol) ethyl ether methacrylate (PEG-MA, available from Aldrich Chemical Company of Milwaukee Wisconsin) was added at a specified rate. In barrel 5 a free radical initiator (2,5-dimethyl-2,5-di (t-butylperoxy) hexane, supplied by Atochem, 2000 Market Street in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania under the Lupersol brand was added at the specified rate. 101).

For Example 1, the delivery rate of poly (ethylene glycol) ethyl ether methacrylate was 1.0 pounds / hour and the initiator rate was 0.068 pounds / hour.

For Example 2, the delivery rate of poly (ethylene glycol) ethyl ether methacrylate was 1.9 pounds / hour and the initiator rate was 0.068 pounds / hour.

For Example 3, the delivery rate of poly (ethylene glycol) ethyl ether methacrylate was 3.1 pounds / hour and the initiator rate was 0.17 pounds / hour.

Referring to Figures 2-4 the thermoplastic film of the invention exhibited a reverse phase morphology having the poly (ethylene oxide) as the continuous phase and the polyethylene as the discontinuous phase.

EXAMPLES 4 A resin mixture of 60/40 percent by weight of low density polyethylene (Dow 5031) and poly (ethylene oxide) having a molecular weight of 100,000 g / mol (POLYOX® WSRN-10) was fed to the ZSK- extruder. 30 at a rate of 35 pounds / hour. The seven heating zones were all set at 180 degrees Celsius. The screw speed was 300 revolutions per minute. A film of the melted mixed resin exhibited a reverse phase morphology having the poly (ethylene oxide) as the continuous phase and the polyethylene as the discontinuous phase.

EXAMPLES 5-9 A resin mixture having the specific proportion of low density polyethylene (Dow 5031) and polyethylene oxide (POLYOX® WSRN-80) was fed to a Hakee extruder at 5.0 pounds / hour. The Hakee extruder was similar to that described above in the comparative example and it was chosen because the extruder included a two-hole wire array instead of the 4-inch slot die. Simultaneously with the polymer supplied to the extruder, specified amounts of the monomer, PEG-MA, and free radical initiator (Lupersol 101) were added into the supply throat. The extruder had four heating zones set at 170, 180, 180 and 190 degrees Celsius. The screw speed of the extruder was 150 revolutions per minute. The threads were cooled in air and pelleted.

For Example 5, the mixture was 60/40 polyethylene / poly (ethylene oxide), the PEG-MA delivery rate was 0.50 pounds / hour and the initiator rate was 0.025 pounds / hour.

For Example 6, the mixture was 65/35 polyethylene / poly (ethylene oxide), the PEG-MA delivery rate was 0.50 pounds / hour and the initiator rate was 0.025 pounds / hour.

For Example 7, the mixture was 70/30 polyethylene / poly (ethylene oxide), the PEG-MA delivery rate was 0.50 pounds / hour and the initiator rate was 0.025 pounds / hour.

For Example 8, the mixture was 75/25 polyethylene / poly (ethylene oxide), the PEG-MA delivery rate was 0.50 pounds / hour and the initiator rate was 0.025 pounds / hour.

For Example 9, the mixture was 80/20 polyethylene / poly (ethylene oxide), the PEG-MA delivery rate was 0.50 pounds / hour and the initiator rate was 0.025 pounds / hour.

The films of Examples 5-9 exhibited a reverse phase morphology having the poly (ethylene oxide) as the continuous phase and the polyethylene as the discontinuous phase.

For Example 5, the amount of monomer grafted onto poly (ethylene oxide) was determined, by proton NMR spectroscopy in deuterated water, as being 9.52 percent by weight based on the amount of poly (ethylene oxide) in the mixture. The amount of unreacted monomer was determined, by proton nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy in deuterated water, as being 2.02 percent by weight based on the amount of polyethylene and poly (ethylene oxide) in the mixture. The amount of monomer grafted onto the polyethylene was determined to be 0.51 percent by weight by Fourier-Transform Infrared (FT-IR) and the oxygen content analysis as described in the co-pending United States of America patent application 08 /733,410 filed on October 18, 1996, the complete description of which is incorporated herein by reference.

Even when the invention has been described in relation to a preferred embodiment those skilled in the art will appreciate that various substitutions, omissions, changes and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit of the same. Therefore, it is intended that the foregoing examples be merely exemplary of the present invention and not be construed as a limitation thereof.

Claims (21)

R E I V I N D I C A C I O N S

1. A thermoplastic article comprising: a) a polyolefin as a main constituent; b) poly (ethylene oxide) as a minor constituent; c) an amount of monomer grafted to said polyolefin and said poly (ethylene oxide) whereby said article exhibits a reverse phase morphology so that the minor constituent forms a continuous phase and said main constituent forms a phase-dispersed in - said thermoplastic article.

2. The thermoplastic article as claimed in clause 1 characterized in that it comprises from 55 percent by weight to about 85 percent by weight of said polyolefin and from about 45 percent by weight to about 15 percent by weight of said poly (ethylene oxide) .

3. The thermoplastic article as claimed in clause 1 characterized in that it comprises from 60 percent by weight to about 85 percent by weight of said polyolefin and from about 40 percent by weight to about 15 percent by weight of said poly (ethylene oxide).

4. The thermoplastic article as claimed in clause 1 characterized in that polyolefin dich is polyethylene.

5. The thermoplastic article as claimed in clause 1 characterized in that said polyolefin is polypropylene.

6. The thermoplastic article as claimed in clause 1 characterized in that said monomer is polyethylene glycol ethyl ether methacrylate.

7. The thermoplastic article as claimed in clause 1 characterized in that a total of about 0.1 percent by weight to about 30 percent by weight based on the total amount of the polyolefin and poly (ethylene oxide) of said monomer is grafted onto said polyolefin and said poly (ethylene oxide).

8. The thermoplastic article as claimed in clause 1 characterized in that a total of about 1 percent by weight to about 2 percent by weight based on the total amount of polyolefin and poly (ethylene oxide) of said monomer is grafted on said polyolefin and said poly (ethylene oxide).

9. The thermoplastic article as claimed in clause 1 characterized in that a total of about 1 percent by weight to about 10 percent by weight based on the total amount of polyolefin and poly (ethylene oxide) of said monomer is grafted on said polyolefin and said poly (ethylene oxide).

10. The thermoplastic article as claimed in clause 1 characterized in that said article is a film.

11. The thermoplastic article as claimed in clause 10 characterized in that the polyolefin in the dispersed phase has an average cross-sectional diameter of from about 0.1 microns to about 50 microns.

12. The thermoplastic article as claimed in clause 10 characterized in that the polyolefin in the dispersed phase has an average cross-sectional diameter of from about 0.5 microns to about 30 microns.

13. The thermoplastic article as claimed in clause 10 characterized in that the polyolefin in the dispersed phase has an average cross-sectional diameter of from about 0.5 microns to about 2 microns.

14. A thermoplastic film comprising: a) polyethylene as the main constituent b) poly (ethylene oxide) as a main constituent; Y c) an amount of polyethylene glycol ethyl methacrylate grafted to said polyethylene and said poly (ethylene oxide) whereby said film exhibits a reverse phasic morphology such that said poly (ethylene oxide) forms a continuous fas and said polyethylene forms a discontinuous dispersed phase in said thermoplastic film.

15. The thermoplastic film as claimed in clause 14 characterized in that it comprises d from about 55 percent by weight to about 8 percent by weight of said polyolefin and from about d 45 percent by weight to about 15 percent by weight d said poly (ethylene oxide).

16. The thermoplastic film as claimed in clause 14 characterized in that it comprises d from about 40 percent by weight to about 15 percent by weight of said polyolefin and from about d 45 percent by weight to about 15 percent by weight of said poly (ethylene oxide).

17. The thermoplastic film as claimed in clause 14 characterized in that a total of about 0.1 percent by weight to about 30 percent by weight based on the total amount of polyolefin and poly (ethylene oxide) of said monomer is grafted in said polyolefin and said poly (ethylene oxide).

18. The thermoplastic film as claimed in clause 14 characterized in that a total of about 1 percent by weight to about 20 percent by weight based on the total amount of polyolefin and poly (ethylene oxide) of said monomer is grafted in said polyolefin and said poly (ethylene oxide).

19. The thermoplastic film as claimed in clause 14 characterized in that a total of about 1 percent by weight to about 10 percent by weight based on the total amount of polyolefin and poly (ethylene oxide) of said monomer is grafted in said polyolefin and said poly (ethylene oxide).

20. A thermoplastic film comprising: a) from 55 percent by weight to about 85 percent by weight of polyethylene; b) from about 45 percent by weight to about 15 percent by weight of poly (ethylene oxide); Y c) from about 0.1 percent by weight to about 30 percent by weight, based on the total amount of polyolefin and poly (ethylene oxide), of polyethylene glycol ethyl ether methacrylate grafted to said polyethylene and said poly (ethylene oxide) ) so that said film exhibits a reverse phase morphology so that said poly (ethylene oxide) forms a continuous phase and said polyethylene forms a discontinuous or dispersed phase in said thermoplastic film.

21. The thermoplastic film as claimed in clause 20 characterized in that the polyethylene in the dispersed phase has an average cross-sectional diameter of from about 0.1 microns to about 50 microns. U M E N A thermoplastic film comprises a polyolefin such as polyethylene, as a major constituent, poly (ethylene oxide) as a minor constituent and has a total of from about 0.1 percent by weight to about 30 percent by weight of polyolefin-grafted monomer and poly (ethylene oxide). The film exhibits a reverse phase morphology so that the poly (ethylene oxide) forms a continuous phase and the polyolefin forms a dispersed or discontinuous phase in the film. Desirably, the film can be used in disposable personal hygiene articles.