WO2016175963A1 - Procédé de production de copolymères d'éthylène-diène conjugué et copolymères obtenus à partir de celui-ci - Google Patents

Procédé de production de copolymères d'éthylène-diène conjugué et copolymères obtenus à partir de celui-ci Download PDF

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WO2016175963A1
WO2016175963A1 PCT/US2016/024629 US2016024629W WO2016175963A1 WO 2016175963 A1 WO2016175963 A1 WO 2016175963A1 US 2016024629 W US2016024629 W US 2016024629W WO 2016175963 A1 WO2016175963 A1 WO 2016175963A1
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Prior art keywords
borate
tetrakis
isoprene
pentafluorophenyl
phenyl
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PCT/US2016/024629
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English (en)
Inventor
John F. Walzer, Jr.
Anna A. MICHELS
John R. Hagadorn
Sarah J. MATTLER
Carlos R. LOPEZ-BARRON
Anthony J. Dias
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Exxonmobil Chemical Patents Inc.
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Publication of WO2016175963A1 publication Critical patent/WO2016175963A1/fr

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    • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
    • C08—ORGANIC MACROMOLECULAR COMPOUNDS; THEIR PREPARATION OR CHEMICAL WORKING-UP; COMPOSITIONS BASED THEREON
    • C08F—MACROMOLECULAR COMPOUNDS OBTAINED BY REACTIONS ONLY INVOLVING CARBON-TO-CARBON UNSATURATED BONDS
    • C08F236/00—Copolymers of compounds having one or more unsaturated aliphatic radicals, at least one having two or more carbon-to-carbon double bonds
    • C08F236/02—Copolymers of compounds having one or more unsaturated aliphatic radicals, at least one having two or more carbon-to-carbon double bonds the radical having only two carbon-to-carbon double bonds
    • C08F236/04—Copolymers of compounds having one or more unsaturated aliphatic radicals, at least one having two or more carbon-to-carbon double bonds the radical having only two carbon-to-carbon double bonds conjugated
    • C08F236/08—Isoprene
    • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
    • C08—ORGANIC MACROMOLECULAR COMPOUNDS; THEIR PREPARATION OR CHEMICAL WORKING-UP; COMPOSITIONS BASED THEREON
    • C08F—MACROMOLECULAR COMPOUNDS OBTAINED BY REACTIONS ONLY INVOLVING CARBON-TO-CARBON UNSATURATED BONDS
    • C08F210/00—Copolymers of unsaturated aliphatic hydrocarbons having only one carbon-to-carbon double bond
    • C08F210/02—Ethene
    • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
    • C08—ORGANIC MACROMOLECULAR COMPOUNDS; THEIR PREPARATION OR CHEMICAL WORKING-UP; COMPOSITIONS BASED THEREON
    • C08F—MACROMOLECULAR COMPOUNDS OBTAINED BY REACTIONS ONLY INVOLVING CARBON-TO-CARBON UNSATURATED BONDS
    • C08F36/00—Homopolymers and copolymers of compounds having one or more unsaturated aliphatic radicals, at least one having two or more carbon-to-carbon double bonds
    • C08F36/02—Homopolymers and copolymers of compounds having one or more unsaturated aliphatic radicals, at least one having two or more carbon-to-carbon double bonds the radical having only two carbon-to-carbon double bonds
    • C08F36/04—Homopolymers and copolymers of compounds having one or more unsaturated aliphatic radicals, at least one having two or more carbon-to-carbon double bonds the radical having only two carbon-to-carbon double bonds conjugated
    • C08F36/08—Isoprene

Definitions

  • This invention relates to a process to produce ethylene conjugated diene (such as ethylene isoprene) copolymers using a scandium catalyst compound and the copolymers so produced.
  • ethylene conjugated diene such as ethylene isoprene
  • catalysts that are known to be capable of copolymerizing ethylene and conjugated dienes (e.g., isoprene) using a coordination-insertion mechanism under industrially relevant conditions.
  • the introduction of unsaturated carbon-carbon bonds into a polyolefin is of interest because this serves as, inter alia, a route to produce vulcanized and/or functionalized polymers.
  • These polymers have numerous potential applications, including those that require adhesion to and compatability with other materials.
  • One potential use for such materials is as a component in tire sidewalls and treads, where compatability and co-curability with other tire materials (e.g., natural rubber, styrene- butadiene rubber, and cis-polybutadiene) is desirable.
  • Polysisoprene homopolymers and polyethylene homopolymers were prepared by Doring, Kretschmer, and Kempe in the European Journal of Inorganic Chemistry 2010, pp. 2853-2860 using various aminopyridinate complexes; however, ethylene-isoprene copolymers are not disclosed.
  • Ethylene isoprene copolymers are also relatively rare.
  • US 6,288,191 Bl discloses the production of ethylene-isoprene random copolymers using a cyclopentadientyl-based titanium catalyst system, where the copolymers have high 1,4 isoprene isomer content.
  • J. Am. Chem. Soc, 2009, 131, pp. 13870-13882 discloses the production of ethylene- isoprene random copolymers using a cyclopentadienyl-based scandium catalyst system.
  • Catal. Sci. Technology, 2012, 2, pp. 2090-2098 discloses the attempted production of ethylene-isoprene copolymer using a cyclopentadienyl-titanium catalyst system where the copolymer has a melt peak at or above 133°C.
  • Polymer, 2008, 49, pp. 2039-2045 discloses the production of ethylene-isoprene copolymer using a neodymocene catalyst system where the copolymer has high isoprene content.
  • J. Polym. Sci. A, 2010, 48, pp. 4200-4206 discloses copolymerization of ethylene with isoprene promoted by titanium complexes containing a tetradentate [OSSO]-type bis(phenolato) ligand, where the copolymers have high 1,4 isoprene isomer content.
  • OSSO tetradentate
  • Catalysts capable of producing high molecular weight copolymer under industrially relevant conditions are desired. Highly productive catalysts are desired.
  • Catalysts capable of producing ethylene- isoprene copolymer with low levels of 1,4-isoprene insertions relative to 3,4-insertions are desired.
  • an object of the present invention to provide a process to produce ethylene conjugated diene copolymers with excellent molecular weight (Mw) and polydispersity (Mw/Mn) using a family of Group 3 transition metal (preferably Sc or Y) catalysts at industrially relevant temperatures and pressures.
  • Mw molecular weight
  • Mw/Mn polydispersity
  • This invention relates to a process to produce copolymers comprising ethylene and conjugated diene (such as isoprene) comprising: contacting ethylene and conjugated diene with a catalyst system comprising an activator and a catalyst compound represented by the formula:
  • M scandium or yttrium
  • X is an anionic donor group selected from amido, alkoxide, aryloxide, phosphido, and thiolate;
  • J is a neutral Lewis base
  • X and J are j oined to each other directly or by a bridging group that is one or two atoms in length;
  • each Y is an anionic leaving group, where the Y groups may be the same or different and two Y groups may be linked to form a dianionic group;
  • L is a neutral Lewis base
  • L may, or may not, be joined to the (JX) bidentate ligand via a linker group; and n is 0, 1, or 2.
  • X is j oined to the pyridine group by a linker group that is one or two atoms in length;
  • R 1 is selected from hydrogen, alkyl, substituted alkyl, aryl, and substituted aryl;
  • R 2 , R 3 , and R 4 are selected from hydrogen, alkyl, aryl, halogen, amino, alkoxy, silyl, and other groups containing 1 to 30 atoms;
  • R 5 is selected from alkyl, substituted alkyl, aryl, and substituted aryl.
  • This invention further relates to polymer compositions produced by the methods described herein.
  • the process above produces a copolymer comprising ethylene and conjugated diene, preferably an ethylene isoprene copolymer having:
  • 1,4 isoprene isomer is present at 60 % or less of the total of 1,4, 3,4 and 1,2 isoprene isomers present;
  • 3,4 and 1,2 isoprene isomers are present at 40% or more of the total of 1,4, 3,4 and 1,2 isoprene isomers present;
  • Figure 1 is a DMTA plot for ethylene-isoprene copolymer of Example 24.
  • a "Group 4 metal” is an element from Group 4 of the Periodic Table, e.g., Hf, Ti, or Zr.
  • An "olefin,” alternatively referred to as “alkene,” is a linear, branched, or cyclic compound of carbon and hydrogen having at least one double bond.
  • a polymer or copolymer when referred to as comprising an olefin, the olefin present in such polymer or copolymer is the polymerized form of the olefin.
  • a copolymer when a copolymer is said to have an "ethylene" content of 35 wt% to 55 wt%, it is understood that the mer unit in the copolymer is derived from ethylene in the polymerization reaction and said derived units are present at 35 wt% to 55 wt%, based upon the weight of the copolymer.
  • a "polymer" has two or more of the same or different mer units.
  • a “homopolymer” is a polymer having mer units that are the same.
  • a “copolymer” is a polymer having two or more mer units that are different from each other.
  • a “terpolymer” is a polymer having three mer units that are different from each other.
  • "Different” as used to refer to mer units indicates that the mer units differ from each other by at least one atom or are different isomerically. Accordingly, the definition of copolymer, as used herein, includes terpolymers and the like.
  • ethylene polymer or "ethylene copolymer” is a polymer or copolymer comprising at least 50 mol% ethylene derived units
  • a "propylene polymer” or “propylene copolymer” is a polymer or copolymer comprising at least 50 mol% propylene derived units, and so on.
  • ethylene shall be considered an a-olefin.
  • aryl or "aryl group” means an aromatic hydrocarbyl radical, preferably an aromatic cyclic structure having five or six members, such as the CeH 5 radical, which is typically called phenyl.
  • Aryl groups also include the derivatives of phenyl in which one to five of the hydrogen atoms have been replaced by additional hydrocarbyl groups.
  • aryls include groups such as 2,6-diisopropylphenyl, 2,4,6-trimethylphenyl, 2,3,4,5,6- pentamethylphenyl, 2-phenyl-4-methylphenyl, and the like.
  • heteroatom means a group 13, 14, 15, 16, or 17 non-metal element that is not carbon. Typical heteroatoms include nitrogen, oxygen, silicon, phosphorous, sulfur, fluorine, chlorine, bromine, and iodine.
  • substituted means that a hydrogen group has been replaced with a heteroatom or a heteroatom-containing group.
  • hydrocarbyl radical is defined to be radicals consisting of carbon and hydrogen, preferably Ci-Cioo radicals, that may be linear, branched, or cyclic, and when cyclic, aromatic or non- aromatic, and a “substituted hydrocarbyl” is a radical made of carbon and hydrogen where at least one hydrogen is replaced by a heteroatom or heteroatom-containing group.
  • substituted means that a hydrogen has been replaced with a hydrocarbyl group, a heteroatom, or a heteroatom-containing group.
  • An example of a “substituted pyridine” is 2-phenylpyridine, which is a pyridine that has been substituted at the 2 position with a phenyl group.
  • Mn is number average molecular weight
  • Mw is weight average molecular weight
  • Mz is z average molecular weight
  • wt% is weight percent
  • mol% is mole percent.
  • Molecular weight distribution also referred to as polydispersity, is defined to be Mw divided by Mn. Unless otherwise noted, all molecular weight units (e.g., Mw, Mn, Mz) are g/mol.
  • Me is methyl
  • Et is ethyl
  • Pr is propyl
  • n-Pr is n-propyl
  • iPr is isopropyl
  • Bu is butyl
  • iBu is isobutyl
  • sBu is sec-butyl
  • tBu is tert-butyl
  • Oct is octyl
  • Ph is phenyl
  • Bn is benzyl
  • THF or thf is tetrahydrofuran
  • MAO is methylalumoxane.
  • a "catalyst system” is a combination of at least one catalyst compound, at least one activator, an optional co-activator, and an optional support material.
  • catalyst systems are described as comprising neutral stable forms of the components, it is well understood by one of ordinary skill in the art, that the ionic form of the component is the form that reacts with the monomers to produce polymers.
  • a polymerization catalyst system is a catalyst system that can polymerize monomers to polymer.
  • the catalyst may be described as a catalyst precursor, a pre- catalyst compound, a scandium catalyst compound or a transition metal compound, and these terms are used interchangeably.
  • An "anionic ligand” is a negatively charged ligand which donates one or more pairs of electrons to a metal ion. Examples of anionic ligands include chloride, methyl anion (also known as methide), and dimethylamide.
  • a "neutral donor ligand” is a neutrally charged ligand which donates one or more pairs of electrons to a metal ion. Examples of neutral donor ligands include tetrahydrofuran, dimethylsulfide, and pyridine.
  • a metallocene catalyst is defined as an organometallic compound with at least one ⁇ - bound cyclopentadienyl moiety (or substituted cyclopentadienyl moiety) and more frequently two ⁇ -bound cyclopentadienyl moieties or substituted cyclopentadienyl moieties.
  • 1,4 isoprene isomer is meant that when the isoprene is incorporated into the polymer chain, the microstructure of the isoprene derived unit is represented by one or both of the formulae:
  • 1,2 isoprene isomer is meant that when the isoprene is incorporated into the polymer chain, the microstructure of the isoprene derived unit is represented by the formula:
  • 3,4 isoprene isomer is meant that when the isoprene is incorporated into the polymer chain, the microstructure of the isoprene derived unit is represented by the formula:
  • Polymer microstructure is determined by 1H NMR as described below.
  • This invention relates to a process to produce copolymers comprising ethylene conjugated diene (such as isoprene) comprising:
  • M is scandium or yttrium (preferably scandium);
  • X is an anionic donor group selected from amido, alkoxide, aryloxide, phosphido, thiolate (preferably amido, arylamido, 2,6-disubstituted phenylamido);
  • J is a neutral Lewis base (preferably a nitrogen-containing heterocycle, preferably substituted pyridine);
  • X and J are joined to each other directly or by a bridging group that is one or two atoms in length;
  • each Y is an anionic leaving group (preferably alkyl, methyl, alkylsilane, CH 2 SiMe 3 );
  • Y groups may be the same or different and two Y groups may be linked to form a dianionic group
  • L is a neutral Lewis base (preferably ether, cyclic ether, tetrahydrofuran);
  • L may, or may not, be joined to the (JX) bidentate ligand via a linker group; and n is 0, 1, or 2 (preferably 1).
  • copolymers of ethylene and conjugated diene preferably copolymers comprising ethylene and isoprene having:
  • 1,4 isoprene isomer present at 60% or less of the total of 1,4, 3,4 and 1,2 isoprene isomers present;
  • transition metal complexes useful herein as catalyst components include non-cyclopentadienyl group 3 transition metal (scandium and/or yttrium) complexes containing one bidentate monoanionic ligand, two anionic ligands, and a neutral donor ligand.
  • the transition metal complex is a scandium complex coordinated to an amido donor ligand containing a pendant neutral donor ligand, where the neutral donor ligand is a nitrogen heterocycle.
  • the catalyst compound useful herein is represented by the formula (I):
  • M is scandium or yttrium (preferably scandium);
  • X is an anionic donor group selected from amido, alkoxide, aryloxide, phosphido, thiolate (preferably amido, arylamido, 2,6-disubstituted phenylamido);
  • J is a neutral Lewis base (preferably a nitrogen-containing heterocycle, preferably substituted pyridine);
  • X and J are j oined to each other directly or by a bridging group that is one or two atoms in length;
  • each Y is an anionic leaving group (preferably alkyl, methyl, alkylsilane, CH2SiMe3);
  • Y groups may be the same or different and two Y groups may be linked to form a dianionic group
  • L is a neutral Lewis base (preferably ether, cyclic ether, tetrahydrofuran);
  • L may, or may not, be joined to the (JX) bidentate ligand via a linker group; and n is 0, 1, or 2 (preferably 1).
  • This invention also relates to embodiments where the catalyst compound described above is represented by the formula (II):
  • X is joined to the pyridine group by a linker group that is one or two atoms in length;
  • R 1 is selected from hydrogen, alkyl, substituted alkyl, aryl (preferably 2,6-dialkylphenyl,
  • R 2 , R 3 , and R 4 are selected from hydrogen, alkyl, aryl, halogen, amino, alkoxy, silyl, and other groups containing 1 to 30 atoms;
  • L may, or may not, be joined to R 1 via a linker group.
  • This invention also relates to embodiments where the catalyst compound described above is represented by the formula (III):
  • R 5 is selected from alkyl, substituted alkyl, aryl (preferably 2,6- dialkylphenyl, 2,4,6-trialkylphenyl), substituted aryl.
  • M may be Sc or Y, preferably
  • each Y is selected from Ci to C30 alkyls, Ci to C30 alkylsilanes, preferably Ci to Cg alkyls, Ci to C7 alkylsilanes, such as: methyl, ethyl, propyl, butyl, pentyl, hexyl, heptyl, octyl, nonyl, decyl, undecyl, dodecyl, CH 2 SiMe 3 , benzyl, CH 2 CMe 3 , CH(SiMe 3 ) 2 , CH 2 SiPh 3 , and CH 2 CMe 2 Ph and isomers thereof.
  • L is selected from ether, cyclic ether, tetrahydrofuran, diethyl ether, methyl ethyl ether, methyl t-butyl ether, diethylsulfide, dimethyl sulfide, trimethylamine, triethylamine, triphenylphosphine, triethylphosphine, trimethylphosphine, dimethylphenylphosphine, methyldiphenylphosphine, ⁇ , ⁇ , ⁇ ', ⁇ '- tetramethylethylenediamine, Me 2 NCH 2 CH 2 OMe, 2-methyltetrahydrofuran, 2-picoline, pyridine, substituted pyridine, and 2-phenylpyridine.
  • n is 1 or 2, preferably 1.
  • R 1 is selected from hydrogen, Ci to C 3 o alkyl, Ci to C 3 o substituted alkyl, Ci to C 3 o aryl, Ci to C 3 o substituted phenyl, preferably the Ci to C 3 o substitutent is selected from halogen atoms, methoxy, isopropoxy, ethoxy, dimethylamino, diethylamino, methyl, ethyl, propyl, butyl, opentyl, hexyl, heptyl, octyl, nonyl, decyl, undecyl, dodecyl and isomers thereof.
  • R 1 is selected from 2,6- dialkylphenyl, 2,4,6-trialkylphenyl, where the alkyl substituent is selected from methyl, ethyl, propyl, butyl, opentyl, hexyl, heptyl, octyl, nonyl, decyl, undecyl, dodecyl and isomers thereof.
  • R 1 groups include methyl, ethyl, propyl, butyl, pentyl, hexyl, heptyl, octyl, nonyl, decyl, undecyl, dodecyl, phenyl, benzyl, 2,6-dimethyl-phenyl, 2,4,6- trimethylphenyl, 2,6-diethylphenyl, 2,4,6-triethylphenyl, 2,6-dipropylphenyl, 2,4,6- tripropylphenyl, 2,6-diisopropylphenyl, 2,4,6-triisopropylphenyl, 3,5-di(t-butyl)phenyl, 3,5- dimethylphenyl, 2,3,4,5, 6-pentamethylphenyl, 2,4,5 -trimethylphenyl, 2,6-dichlorophenyl, 2,4,6-trichlorophenyl, 4-trimethylsilylphenyl, 4-
  • R 1 , R 2 , R 3 , and R 4 are independently selected from: hydrogen, Ci to C 3 o alkyl, Ci to C 3 o aryl, halogen, amino, Ci to C 3 o alkoxy, and silyl groups, preferably selected from the group consisting of methyl, ethyl, propyl, butyl, pentyl, hexyl, heptyl, octyl, nonyl, decyl, undecyl, dodecyl, phenyl, benzyl, methylphenyl, dimethylamino, trimethylsilyl, triethylsilyl, C(0)NMe 2 , C(0)NEt 2 , and isomers thereof.
  • L may be joined to R 1 via a linker group and the linker group is a Ci to C30 alkyl, Ci to C30 substituted alkyl, Ci to C30 aryl, or Ci to C30 substituted phenyl, preferably 2-alkoxyphenyl, 2-aryloxyphenyl, alternately, the linker group is the linker group is selected from the group consisting of
  • R 5 is selected from hydrogen, Ci to C30 alkyl, Ci to C30 substituted alkyl, Ci to C30 aryl, Ci to C30 substituted aryl, preferably the Ci to C30 substitutent is selected from methyl, ethyl, propyl, butyl, pentyl, hexyl, heptyl, octyl, nonyl, decyl, undecyl, dodecyl and isomers thereof.
  • R 5 is selected from 2,6- dialkylphenyl, 2,4,6-trialkylphenyl, where the substituent is selected from methyl, ethyl, propyl, butyl, pentyl, hexyl, heptyl, octyl, nonyl, decyl, undecyl, dodecyl and isomers thereof.
  • R 5 groups include methyl, ethyl, propyl, butyl, pentyl, hexyl, heptyl, octyl, nonyl, decyl, undecyl, dodecyl, phenyl, benzyl, 2,6-dimethyl-phenyl, 2,4,6- trimethyl-phenyl, 2,6-diethyl-phenyl, 2,4,6-triethyl-phenyl, 2,6-dipropyl-phenyl, 2,4,6- tripropyl-phenyl, 2,6-diisopropyl-phenyl, 2,4,6-triisopropyl-phenyl, 2,4-di(t-butyl)phenyl, 2- t-butylphenyl, 2-ethylphenyl, 2-isopropylphenyl, and 2-ethyl-6-methylphenyl.
  • M is Sc and R 1 and R 5 are independently selected from 2-alkylphenyl, 2,6-dialkylphenyl, 2,4,6-trialkylphenyl, 2,3,4,5,6- pentaalkylphenyl, where the alkyl substituent is selected from methyl, ethyl, propyl, butyl, pentyl, hexyl, heptyl, octyl, nonyl, decyl, undecyl, dodecyl and isomers thereof.
  • Catalyst compounds that are particularly useful in this invention include one or more of: scandium aminopyridinates, yttrium aminopyridinates, scandium pyridylamides, ytrrium pyridylamides, scandium amidinates, and yttrium amidinates, particularly compounds represented by formula (IV):
  • R 1 2,4,6-triisopropylphenyl
  • R 5 2,4,6-trimethylphenyl
  • L THF
  • Y CH 2 SiMe 3 ;
  • R 1 2,4,6-triisopropylphenyl
  • R 5 2,4,6-trimethylphenyl
  • L THF
  • Y Me
  • R 1 2,6-diisopropylphenyl
  • R 5 2,4,6-trimethylphenyl
  • L THF
  • Y Me
  • R 1 2,6-diisopropylphenyl
  • R 5 2,4,6-trimethylphenyl
  • L THF
  • Y CH 2 SiPhMe 2 ;
  • R 1 2,4,6-triisopropylphenyl
  • R 5 2,4,6-trimethylphenyl
  • L 2-methyltetrahydrofuran
  • Y CH 2 SiMe 3 ;
  • R 1 2,4,6-triisopropylphenyl
  • R 5 2,4,6-trimethylphenyl
  • L 2-methyltetrahydrofuran
  • Y Me
  • R 1 2,4,6-triisopropylphenyl
  • R 5 2,4,6-trimethylphenyl
  • L 2-methyltetrahydrofuran
  • Y CH 2 SiPhMe 2 ;
  • R 1 2,6-diisopropylphenyl
  • R 5 2,4,6-trimethylphenyl
  • L 2-methyltetrahydrofuran
  • Y CH 2 SiMe 3 ;
  • R 1 2,6-diisopropylphenyl
  • R 5 2,4,6-trimethylphenyl
  • L 2-methyltetrahydrofuran
  • Y Me
  • R 1 2,6-diisopropylphenyl
  • R 5 2,4,6-trimethylphenyl
  • L 2-methyltetrahydrofuran
  • Y CH 2 SiPhMe 2 ;
  • R 1 2,4,6-triisopropylphenyl
  • R 5 2,6-dimethylphenyl
  • L 2-methyltetrahydrofuran
  • Y CH 2 SiMe 3 ;
  • R 1 2,4,6-triisopropylphenyl
  • R 5 2,6-dimethylphenyl
  • L 2-methyltetrahydrofuran
  • Y Me
  • R 1 2,4,6-triisopropylphenyl
  • R 5 2,6-dimethylphenyl
  • L 2-methyltetrahydrofuran
  • Y CH 2 SiPhMe 2 .
  • one catalyst compound is used, e.g., the catalyst compounds are not different.
  • one catalyst compound is considered different from another if they differ by at least one atom.
  • the catalyst compounds described herein are not metallocene compounds, particularly because they do not contain one or more cyclopentadienyl anion ligands bound to a transition metal center.
  • two or more different catalyst compounds are present in the catalyst system used herein. In some embodiments, two or more different catalyst compounds are present in the reaction zone where the process(es) described herein occur.
  • the two transition metal compounds are preferably chosen such that the two are compatible. It is preferable to use the same activator for the transition metal compounds, however, two different activators, such as a non-coordinating anion activator and an alumoxane, can be used in combination.
  • transition metal compounds contain a Y ligand which is not a hydride, hydrocarbyl, or substituted hydrocarbyl
  • an alkylating reagent such as alumoxane or trialkylaluminum can be contacted with the transition metal compounds prior to addition of the non-coordinating anion activator.
  • the two transition metal compounds may be used in any ratio.
  • Preferred molar ratios of (A) transition metal compound to (B) transition metal compound fall within the range of (A:B) 1 : 1,000 to 1,000: 1, alternatively 1 : 100 to 500: 1, alternatively 1 : 10 to 200: 1, alternatively 1 : 1 to 100: 1, and alternatively 1 : 1 to 75: 1, and alternatively 5: 1 to 50: 1.
  • the particular ratio chosen will depend on the exact pre-catalysts chosen, the method of activation, and the end product desired.
  • useful mole percents are 10 to 99.9% A to 0.1 to 90% B, alternatively 25 to 99% A to 0.5 to 50% B, alternatively 50 to 99% A to 1 to 25% B, and alternatively 75 to 99% A to 1 to 10% B.
  • Transition metal complexes of use as catalyst components may be prepared by alkane elimination reactions involving a transition metal alkyl with an amine reactant.
  • Suitable transition metal alkyls include Sc or Y metal trialkyls containing additional coordinated Lewis base donors. Specific examples include Sc(CH 2 SiMe 3 )3(THF) 2 , Sc(CH 2 Ph) 3 (THF) 3 , Y(CH 2 SiMe 3 )3(THF) 2 , and Y(CH 2 Ph) 3 (THF) 2 .
  • the catalyst compounds may be prepared by the process described in the European Journal of Inorganic Chemistry 2010, 2853-2860 or in the European Journal of Inorganic Chemistry 2009, pp. 4255-4264.
  • activator and “activator” are used herein interchangeably and are defined to be any compound which can activate any one of the catalyst compounds described above by converting the neutral catalyst compound to a catalytically active catalyst compound cation.
  • Non-limiting activators include alumoxanes, aluminum alkyls, ionizing activators, which may be neutral or ionic, and conventional-type cocatalysts.
  • Preferred activators typically include alumoxane compounds, modified alumoxane compounds, and ionizing anion precursor compounds that abstract a reactive, ⁇ -bound, metal ligand making the metal complex cationic and providing a charge-balancing noncoordinating or weakly coordinating anion.
  • alumoxane activators are utilized as an activator in the catalyst composition.
  • Alumoxanes are generally oligomeric compounds containing -A ⁇ R ⁇ -O- sub- units, where R 1 is an alkyl group.
  • Examples of alumoxanes include methylalumoxane (MAO), modified methylalumoxane (MMAO), ethylalumoxane and isobutylalumoxane.
  • Alkylalumoxanes and modified alkylalumoxanes are suitable as catalyst activators, particularly when the abstractable ligand is an alkyl, halide, alkoxide, or amide.
  • alumoxanes Mixtures of different alumoxanes and modified alumoxanes may also be used. It may be preferable to use a visually clear methylalumoxane.
  • a cloudy or gelled alumoxane can be filtered to produce a clear solution or clear alumoxane can be decanted from the cloudy solution.
  • a useful alumoxane is a modified methyl alumoxane (MMAO) cocatalyst type 3A (commercially available from Akzo Chemicals, Inc. under the trade name Modified Methylalumoxane type 3A, covered under patent number US 5,041,584).
  • MMAO modified methyl alumoxane
  • the activator is an alumoxane (modified or unmodified)
  • some embodiments select the maximum amount of activator typically at up to a 5,000-fold molar excess Al/M over the catalyst compound (per metal catalytic site).
  • the minimum activator-to-catalyst-compound is a 1 : 1 molar ratio. Alternate preferred ranges include from 1 : 1 to 500: 1, alternately from 1 : 1 to 200: 1, alternately from 1 : 1 to 100: 1, or alternately from 1 : 1 to 50: 1.
  • alumoxane is present at zero mol%, alternately the alumoxane is present at a molar ratio of aluminum to catalyst compound transition metal less than 500: 1, preferably less than 300: 1, preferably less than 100: 1, preferably less than 1 : 1.
  • non-coordinating anion means an anion which either does not coordinate to a cation or which is only weakly coordinated to a cation thereby remaining sufficiently labile to be displaced by a neutral Lewis base.
  • “Compatible” non-coordinating anions are those which are not degraded to neutrality when the initially formed complex decomposes. Further, the anion will not transfer an anionic substituent or fragment to the cation so as to cause it to form a neutral transition metal compound and a neutral by-product from the anion.
  • Non-coordinating anions useful in accordance with this invention are those that are compatible, stabilize the transition metal cation in the sense of balancing its ionic charge at +1, and yet retain sufficient lability to permit displacement during polymerization.
  • an ionizing or stoichiometric activator such as tri (n-butyl) ammonium tetrakis (pentafluorophenyl) borate, a tris perfluorophenyl boron metalloid precursor or a tris perfluoronaphthyl boron metalloid precursor, polyhalogenated heteroborane anions (WO 98/43983), boric acid (US 5,942,459), or combination thereof. It is also within the scope of this invention to use neutral or ionic activators alone or in combination with alumoxane or modified alumoxane activators.
  • neutral stoichiometric activators include tri-substituted boron, tellurium, aluminum, gallium, and indium, or mixtures thereof.
  • the three substituent groups are each independently selected from alkyls, alkenyls, halogens, substituted alkyls, aryls, arylhalides, alkoxy, and halides.
  • the three groups are independently selected from halogen, mono or multicyclic (including halosubstituted) aryls, alkyls, and alkenyl compounds, and mixtures thereof, preferred are alkenyl groups having 1 to 20 carbon atoms, alkyl groups having 1 to 20 carbon atoms, alkoxy groups having 1 to 20 carbon atoms and aryl groups having 3 to 20 carbon atoms (including substituted aryls). More preferably, the three groups are alkyls having 1 to 4 carbon groups, phenyl, naphthyl, or mixtures thereof. Even more preferably, the three groups are halogenated, preferably fluorinated, aryl groups.
  • a preferred neutral stoichiometric activator is tris perfluorophenyl boron or tris perfluoronaphthyl boron.
  • Ionic stoichiometric activator compounds may contain an active proton, or some other cation associated with, but not coordinated to, or only loosely coordinated to, the remaining ion of the ionizing compound.
  • Such compounds and the like are described in EP 0 570 982A; EP 0 520 732 A; EP 0 495 375 A; EP 0 500 944 Bl; EP 0 277 003 A; EP 0 277 004 A; US Patents 5,153,157; US 5,198,401 ; US 5,066,741 ; US 5,206,197; US 5,241,025; US 5,384,299; US 5,502,124; and USSN 08/285,380, filed August 3, 1994; all of which are herein fully incorporated by reference.
  • Preferred compounds useful as an activator in the process of this invention comprise a cation, which is preferably a Bronsted acid capable of donating a proton, and a compatible non-coordinating anion which anion is relatively large (bulky), capable of stabilizing the active catalyst species (the Group 4 cation), which is formed when the two compounds are combined and said anion will be sufficiently labile to be displaced by olefinic, diolefinic and acetylenically unsaturated substrates or other neutral Lewis bases, such as ethers, amines, and the like.
  • a cation which is preferably a Bronsted acid capable of donating a proton
  • a compatible non-coordinating anion which anion is relatively large (bulky) capable of stabilizing the active catalyst species (the Group 4 cation), which is formed when the two compounds are combined and said anion will be sufficiently labile to be displaced by olefinic, diolefinic and acetylenically unsaturated substrates or other
  • EP 0 277 003 Al and EP 0 277 004 Al Two classes of useful compatible non-coordinating anions have been disclosed in EP 0 277 003 Al and EP 0 277 004 Al : 1) anionic coordination complexes comprising a plurality of lipophilic radicals covalently coordinated to and shielding a central charge- bearing metal or metalloid core; and 2) anions comprising a plurality of boron atoms such as carboranes, metallacarboranes, and boranes.
  • the stoichiometric activators include a cation and an anion component, and are preferably represented by the following formula (II):
  • Z is (L-H) or a reducible Lewis Acid
  • L is a neutral Lewis base
  • H is hydrogen
  • (L- H) + is a Bronsted acid
  • a d_ is a non-coordinating anion having the charge d-
  • d is an integer from 1 to 3.
  • the cation component may include Bronsted acids such as protonated Lewis bases capable of protonating a moiety, such as an alkyl or aryl, from the bulky ligand metallocene containing transition metal catalyst precursor, resulting in a cationic transition metal species.
  • Bronsted acids such as protonated Lewis bases capable of protonating a moiety, such as an alkyl or aryl, from the bulky ligand metallocene containing transition metal catalyst precursor, resulting in a cationic transition metal species.
  • the activating cation (L-H) d + is a Bronsted acid, capable of donating a proton to the transition metal catalytic precursor resulting in a transition metal cation, including ammoniums, oxoniums, phosphoniums, silyliums, and mixtures thereof, preferably ammoniums of methylamine, aniline, dimethyl amine, diethylamine, N-methylaniline, diphenylamine, trimethylamine, triethylamine, N,N-dimethylaniline, methyldiphenylamine, pyridine, p-bromo N,N- dimethyl aniline, p-nitro-N,N-dimethylaniline, phosphoniums from triethylphosphine, triphenylphosphine, and diphenylphosphine, oxoniums from ethers, such as dimethyl ether, diethyl ether, tetrahydrofuran, and dio
  • Z is a reducible Lewis acid it is preferably represented by the formula: (Ar 3 C + ), where Ar is aryl or aryl substituted with a heteroatom, a to C 40 hydrocarbyl, or a substituted to C 40 hydrocarbyl, preferably the reducible Lewis acid is represented by the formula: (Ph 3 C + ), where Ph is phenyl or phenyl substituted with a heteroatom, a to C 40 hydrocarbyl, or a substituted to C 40 hydrocarbyl.
  • the reducible Lewis acid is triphenyl carbenium.
  • each Q is a fluorinated hydrocarbyl group having 1 to 20 carbon atoms, more preferably each Q is a fluorinated aryl group, and most preferably each Q is a pentafluoryl aryl group.
  • suitable A d" components also include diboron compounds as disclosed in US 5,447,895, which is fully incorporated herein by reference.
  • this invention relates to a method to polymerize olefins comprising contacting olefins (preferably ethylene and or propylene) with the catalyst compound, an optional chain transfer agent and a boron containing NCA activator represented by the formula (14):
  • Z is (L-H) or a reducible Lewis acid
  • L is a neutral Lewis base (as further described above)
  • H is hydrogen
  • (L-H) is a Bronsted acid (as further described above)
  • a d" is a boron containing non-coordinating anion having the charge d " (as further described above); d is 1, 2, or 3.
  • the reducible Lewis acid is represented by the formula: (Ar 3 C + ), where Ar is aryl or aryl substituted with a heteroatom, a to C 4Q hydrocarbyl, or a substituted to C 40 hydrocarbyl, preferably the reducible Lewis acid is represented by the formula: (Ph 3 C + ), where Ph is phenyl or phenyl substituted with a heteroatom, a to C 40 hydrocarbyl, or a substituted to C 4Q hydrocarbyl.
  • Z d + is represented by the formula: (L-H) d + , wherein L is a neutral Lewis base; H is hydrogen; (L-H) is a Bronsted acid; and d is 1, 2, or 3, preferably (L-H) d + is a Bronsted acid selected from ammoniums, oxoniums, phosphoniums, silyliums, and mixtures thereof.
  • This invention also relates to a method to polymerize olefins comprising contacting olefins (such as ethylene and or propylene) with the catalyst compound, an optional chain transfer agent and an NCA activator represented by the formula (I):
  • olefins such as ethylene and or propylene
  • R is a monoanionic ligand
  • M** is a Group 13 metal or metalloid
  • ArNHal is a halogenated, nitrogen-containing aromatic ring, polycyclic aromatic ring, or aromatic ring assembly in which two or more rings (or fused ring systems) are joined directly to one another or together
  • n is 0, 1, 2, or 3.
  • the NCA comprising an anion of Formula I also comprises a suitable cation that is essentially non-interfering with the ionic catalyst complexes formed with the transition metal compounds, preferably the cation is as described above.
  • R is selected from the group consisting of substituted or unsubstituted C j to C 30 hydrocarbyl aliphatic or aromatic groups, where substituted means that at least one hydrogen on a carbon atom is replaced with a hydrocarbyl, halide, halocarbyl, hydrocarbyl or halocarbyl substituted organometalloid, dialkylamido, alkoxy, aryloxy, alkysulfido, arylsulfido, alkylphosphido, arylphosphide, or other anionic substituent; fluoride; bulky alkoxides, where bulky means C 4 to C 2 o hydrocarbyl groups; ⁇ SR !, --NR 2 2 , and—PR 3 2 , where each R 1 , R 2 , or R 3 is independently a substituted or unsubstituted hydrocarbyl
  • the NCA also comprises cation comprising a reducible Lewis acid represented by the formula: (Ar 3 C + ), where Ar is aryl or aryl substituted with a heteroatom, a C j to C 40 hydrocarbyl, or a substituted C j to C 40 hydrocarbyl, preferably the reducible Lewis acid represented by the formula: (Ph 3 C + ), where Ph is phenyl or phenyl substituted with a heteroatom, a to C 40 hydrocarbyl, or a substituted to C 40 hydrocarbyl.
  • a reducible Lewis acid represented by the formula: (Ar 3 C + ) where Ar is aryl or aryl substituted with a heteroatom, a C j to C 40 hydrocarbyl, or a substituted C j to C 40 hydrocarbyl
  • Ph is phenyl or phenyl substituted with a heteroatom, a to C 40 hydrocarbyl, or a substituted to C 40 hydrocarbyl.
  • the NCA also comprises a cation represented by the formula, (L-H) d + , wherein L is a neutral Lewis base; H is hydrogen; (L-H) is a Bronsted acid; and d is 1, 2, or 3, preferably (L-H) d + is a Bronsted acid selected from ammoniums, oxoniums, phosphoniums, silyliums, and mixtures thereof.
  • Another activator useful herein comprises a salt of a cationic oxidizing agent and a noncoordinating, compatible anion represented by the formula (16):
  • OX e+ is a cationic oxidizing agent having a charge of e+; e is 1, 2, or 3; d is 1, 2, or 3; and A d" is a non-coordinating anion having the charge of d- (as further described above).
  • cationic oxidizing agents include: ferrocenium, hydrocarbyl-substituted ferrocenium, Ag + , or Pb +2 .
  • Preferred embodiments of A d ⁇ include tetrakis(pentafluorophenyl)borate.
  • amidinate catalyst compounds and optional CTA's described herein can be used with Bulky activators.
  • a "Bulky activator” as used herein refers to anionic activators represented by the formula:
  • each R j is, independently, a halide, preferably a fluoride
  • each R 2 is, independently, a halide, a C 6 to C 20 substituted aromatic hydrocarbyl group or a siloxy group of the formula - 0-Si-R a , where R a is a to C 2Q hydrocarbyl or hydrocarbylsilyl group (preferably R 2 is a fluoride or a perfluorinated phenyl group)
  • each R 3 is a halide, C 6 to C 20 substituted aromatic hydrocarbyl group or a siloxy group of the formula -0-Si-R a , where R a is a to C 2Q hydrocarbyl or hydrocarbylsilyl group (preferably R 3 is a fluoride or a C 6 perfluorinated aromatic hydrocarbyl group); wherein R 2 and R 3 can form one or more saturated or unsaturated, substituted or unsubstituted rings (preferably R 2 and R 3 form a perfluorinated phenyl ring); L is a neutral Lewis base; (L-H) + is a Bronsted acid; d is 1, 2, or 3; wherein the anion has a molecular weight of greater than 1020 g/mol; and wherein at least three of the substituents on the B atom each have a molecular volume of greater than 250 cubic A, alternately greater than 300 cubic A, or alternately greater than 500 cubic A.
  • Molecular volume is used herein as an approximation of spatial steric bulk of an activator molecule in solution. Comparison of substituents with differing molecular volumes allows the substituent with the smaller molecular volume to be considered “less bulky” in comparison to the substituent with the larger molecular volume. Conversely, a substituent with a larger molecular volume may be considered “more bulky” than a substituent with a smaller molecular volume.
  • Molecular volume may be calculated as reported in "A Simple "Back of the Envelope” Method for Estimating the Densities and Molecular Volumes of Liquids and Solids," Journal of Chemical Education, Vol. 71, No. 11, November, 1994, pp. 962-964.
  • V s is the sum of the relative volumes of the constituent atoms, and is calculated from the molecular formula of the substituent using the following table of relative volumes. For fused rings, the V s is decreased by 7.5% per fused ring.
  • Exemplary bulky activators useful in catalyst systems herein include: trimethylammonium tetrakis(perfluoronaphthyl)borate, triethylammonium tetrakis(perfluoronaphthyl)borate, tripropylammonium tetrakis(perfluoronaphthyl)borate, tri(n-butyl)ammonium tetrakis(perfluoronaphthyl)borate, tri(t-butyl)ammonium tetrakis(perfluoronaphthyl)borate, ⁇ , ⁇ -dimethyl anilinium tetrakis(perfluoronaphthyl)borate, N,N-diethylanilinium tetrakis(perfluoronaphthyl)borate, N,N-dimethyl-(2,4,6- trimethylanilinium) tetrakis(perfluor
  • boron compounds which may be used as an activator in the processes of this invention are:
  • trimethylammonium tetraphenylborate triethylammonium tetraphenylborate, tripropylammonium tetraphenylborate, tri(n-butyl)ammonium tetraphenylborate, tri(t- butyl)ammonium tetraphenylborate, N,N-dimethylanilinium tetraphenylborate, N,N- diethylanilinium tetraphenylborate, N,N-dimethyl-(2,4,6-trimethylanilinium) tetraphenylborate, tropillium tetraphenylborate, triphenylcarbenium tetraphenylborate, triphenylphosphonium tetraphenylborate triethylsilylium tetraphenylborate, benzene(diazonium)tetraphenylborate, trimethylammonium te
  • Preferred activators include N,N-dimethylanilinium tetrakis(perfluoronaphthyl)borate, N,N-dimethylanilinium tetrakis(perfluorobiphenyl)borate, N,N-dimethylanilinium tetrakis(3,5-bis(trifluoromethyl)phenyl)borate, triphenylcarbenium tetrakis(perfluoronaphthyl)borate, triphenylcarbenium tetrakis(perfluorobiphenyl)borate, triphenylcarbenium tetrakis(3,5-bis(trifluoromethyl)phenyl)borate, triphenylcarbenium tetrakis(perfluorophenyl)borate, [Ph 3 C + ] [B(C 6 F 5 ) 4 -], [Me 3 NH + ] [B(C 6 F 5 ) 4 -];
  • the activator comprises a triaryl carbonium (such as triphenylcarbenium tetraphenylborate, triphenylcarbenium tetrakis(pentafluorophenyl)borate, triphenylcarbenium tetrakis-(2,3,4,6- tetrafluorophenyl)borate, triphenylcarbenium tetrakis(perfluoronaphthyl)borate, triphenylcarbenium tetrakis(perfluorobiphenyl)borate, triphenylcarbenium tetrakis(3,5- bis(trifluoromethyl)phenyl)borate).
  • a triaryl carbonium such as triphenylcarbenium tetraphenylborate, triphenylcarbenium tetrakis(pentafluorophenyl)borate, triphenylcarbenium tetrakis-(2,3,4,6- t
  • the activator comprises one or more of trialkylammonium tetrakis(pentafluorophenyl)borate, N,N-dialkylanilinium tetrakis(pentafluorophenyl)borate, N,N-dimethyl-(2,4,6-trimethylanilinium) tetrakis(pentafluorophenyl)borate, trialkylammonium tetrakis-(2,3,4,6-tetrafluorophenyl) borate, N,N-dialkylanilinium tetrakis- (2,3,4,6-tetrafluorophenyl)borate, trialkylammonium tetrakis(perfluoronaphthyl)borate, N,N- dialkylanilinium tetrakis(perfluoronaphthyl)borate, trialkylammonium tetrakis(perfluorobiphenyl)borate,
  • any of the activators described herein may be mixed together before or after combination with the catalyst compound preferably before being mixed with the catalyst compound.
  • two NCA activators may be used in the polymerization and the molar ratio of the first NCA activator to the second NCA activator can be any ratio.
  • the molar ratio of the first NCA activator to the second NCA activator is 0.01 : 1 to 10,000: 1, preferably 0.1 : 1 to 1,000: 1, preferably 1 : 1 to 100: 1.
  • the typical activator-to-catalyst ratio e.g., all NCA activators-to-catalyst ratio is a 1 : 1 molar ratio.
  • Alternate preferred ranges include from 0.1 : 1 to 100: 1, alternately from 0.5: 1 to 200: 1, alternately from 1 : 1 to 500: 1, alternately from 1 : 1 to 1000: 1.
  • a particularly useful range is from 0.5: 1 to 10: 1, preferably 1 : 1 to 5: 1.
  • preferred activators useful herein include those described in US 7,247,687 at column 169, line 50 to column 174, line 43, particularly column 172, line 24 to column 173, line 53.
  • the catalyst compounds can be combined with combinations of alumoxanes and NCA's (see for example, US 5,153,157; US 5,453,410; EP 0 573 120 Bl ; WO 94/07928; and WO 95/14044 which discuss the use of an alumoxane in combination with an ionizing activator).
  • Useful chain transfer agents are typically alkylalumoxanes or alkylzincs, preferably a compound represented by the formula A1R 3 , ZnR 2 (where each R is, independently, a Ci-Cg aliphatic radical, preferably methyl, ethyl, propyl, butyl, penyl, hexyl octyl or an isomer thereof) or a combination thereof, such as diethyl zinc, methylalumoxane, trimethylaluminum, triisobutylaluminum, trioctylaluminum, or a combination thereof.
  • Aluminum alkyl or organoaluminum compounds which may be utilized as scavengers or co-activators include, for example, trimethylaluminum, triethylaluminum, triisobutylaluminum, tri-n-hexylaluminum, tri-n-octylaluminum, and diethyl zinc.
  • the catalyst system may comprise an inert support material.
  • the supported material is a porous support material, for example, talc, and inorganic oxides.
  • Other support materials include zeolites, clays, organoclays, or any other organic or inorganic support material and the like, or mixtures thereof.
  • the support material is an inorganic oxide in a finely divided form.
  • Suitable inorganic oxide materials for use in metallocene catalyst systems herein include Groups 2, 4, 13, and 14 metal oxides, such as silica, alumina, and mixtures thereof.
  • Other inorganic oxides that may be employed either alone or in combination with the silica, or alumina are magnesia, titania, zirconia, and the like.
  • Other suitable support materials can be employed, for example, finely divided functionalized poly olefins, such as finely divided polyethylene.
  • Particularly useful supports include magnesia, titania, zirconia, montmorillonite, phyllosilicate, zeolites, talc, clays, and the like.
  • support materials may be used, for example, silica-chromium, silica-alumina, silica-titania, and the like.
  • Preferred support materials include A1 2 0 3 , Zr0 2 , Si0 2 , and combinations thereof, more preferably Si0 2 , A1 2 0 3 , or Si0 2 /Al 2 0 3.
  • the support material most preferably an inorganic oxide, has a surface area in the range of from about 10 to about 700 m 2 /g, pore volume in the range of from about 0.1 to about 4.0 cc/g and average particle size in the range of from about 5 to about 500 ⁇ . More preferably, the surface area of the support material is in the range of from about 50 to about 500 m 2 /g, pore volume of from about 0.5 to about 3.5 cc/g and average particle size of from about 10 to about 200 ⁇ .
  • the surface area of the support material is in the range is from about 100 to about 400 m 2 /g, pore volume from about 0.8 to about 3.0 cc/g and average particle size is from about 5 to about 100 ⁇ .
  • the average pore size of the support material useful in the invention is in the range of from 10 to 1000 A, preferably 50 to about 500 A, and most preferably 75 to about 350 A.
  • Preferred silicas are marketed under the tradenames of DAVISON 952 or DAVISON 955 by the Davison Chemical Division of W.R. Grace and Company. In other embodiments DAVISON 948 is used.
  • the support material should be dry, that is, free of absorbed water. Drying of the support material can be effected by heating or calcining at about 100°C to about 1,000°C, preferably at least about 600°C. When the support material is silica, it is heated to at least 200°C, preferably about 200°C to about 850°C, and most preferably at about 600°C; and for a time of about 1 minute to about 100 hours, from about 12 hours to about 72 hours, or from about 24 hours to about 60 hours.
  • the calcined support material must have at least some reactive hydroxyl (OH) groups to produce supported catalyst systems of this invention.
  • the calcined support material is then contacted with at least one polymerization catalyst comprising at least one metallocene compound and an activator.
  • the support material having reactive surface groups, typically hydroxyl groups, is slurried in a non-polar solvent and the resulting slurry is contacted with a solution of a metallocene compound and an activator.
  • the slurry of the support material is first contacted with the activator for a period of time in the range of from about 0.5 hours to about 24 hours, from about 2 hours to about 16 hours, or from about 4 hours to about 8 hours.
  • the solution of the metallocene compound is then contacted with the isolated support/activator.
  • the supported catalyst system is generated in situ.
  • the slurry of the support material is first contacted with the catalyst compound for a period of time in the range of from about 0.5 hours to about 24 hours, from about 2 hours to about 16 hours, or from about 4 hours to about 8 hours.
  • the slurry of the supported metallocene compound is then contacted with the activator solution.
  • the mixture of the metallocene, activator and support is heated to about 0°C to about 70°C, preferably to about 23°C to about 60°C, preferably at room temperature.
  • Contact times typically range from about 0.5 hours to about 24 hours, from about 2 hours to about 16 hours, or from about 4 hours to about 8 hours.
  • Suitable non-polar solvents are materials in which all of the reactants used herein, i.e., the activator, and the metallocene compound, are at least partially soluble and which are liquid at reaction temperatures.
  • Preferred non-polar solvents are alkanes, such as isopentane, hexane, n-heptane, octane, nonane, and decane, although a variety of other materials including cycloalkanes, such as cyclohexane, aromatics, such as benzene, toluene, and ethylbenzene, may also be employed.
  • the invention relates to polymerization processes where monomer comprising ethylene and conjugated diene (such as isoprene) are contacted with a catalyst system comprising an activator and at least one catalyst compound, as described above.
  • the catalyst compound and activator may be combined in any order, and are combined typically prior to contacting with the monomer.
  • Preferred conjugated diene monomers useful in this invention include any hydrocarbon structure, preferably C4 to C30, having at least two unsaturated bonds that are adjacent to each other.
  • Examples of useful conjugated dienes include isoprene, 1 ,3- butadiene, 1,3-pentadiene, 1 ,3-hexadiene, 1,3-heptadiene, 1 ,3-octadiene, 1,3-nonadiene, 1 ,3- decadiene, cyclopentadiene, dicyclopentadiene or higher ring containing diolefins with or without substituents at various ring positions.
  • Polymerization processes of this invention can be carried out in any manner known in the art. Any suspension, homogeneous, bulk, solution, slurry, or gas phase polymerization process known in the art can be used. Such processes can be run in a batch, semi-batch, or continuous mode. Homogeneous polymerization processes and slurry processes are preferred. (A homogeneous polymerization process is defined to be a process where at least 90 wt% of the product is soluble in the reaction media.) A bulk homogeneous process is particularly preferred.
  • a bulk process is defined to be a process where monomer concentration in all feeds to the reactor is 70 vol% or more.
  • no solvent or diluent is present or added in the reaction medium, (except for the small amounts used as the carrier for the catalyst system or other additives, or amounts typically found with the monomer; e.g., propane in propylene).
  • the process is a slurry process.
  • slurry polymerization process means a polymerization process where a supported catalyst is employed and monomers are polymerized on the supported catalyst particles. At least 95 wt% of polymer products derived from the supported catalyst are in granular form as solid particles (not dissolved in the diluent).
  • Suitable diluents/solvents for polymerization include non-coordinating, inert liquids.
  • examples include straight and branched-chain hydrocarbons, such as isobutane, butane, pentane, isopentane, hexanes, isohexane, heptane, octane, dodecane, and mixtures thereof; cyclic and alicyclic hydrocarbons, such as cyclohexane, cycloheptane, methylcyclohexane, methylcycloheptane, and mixtures thereof, such as can be found commercially (IsoparTM); perhalogenated hydrocarbons, such as perfluorinated C 4 .
  • straight and branched-chain hydrocarbons such as isobutane, butane, pentane, isopentane, hexanes, isohexane, heptane, octane, dodecane, and
  • Suitable solvents also include liquid olefins which may act as monomers or comonomers including ethylene, propylene, 1-butene, 1 -hexene, 1 -pentene, 3-methyl-l- pentene, 4-methyl- 1-pentene, 1-octene, 1-decene, and mixtures thereof.
  • aliphatic hydrocarbon solvents are used as the solvent, such as isobutane, butane, pentane, isopentane, hexanes, isohexane, heptane, octane, dodecane, and mixtures thereof; cyclic and alicyclic hydrocarbons, such as cyclohexane, cycloheptane, methylcyclohexane, methylcycloheptane, and mixtures thereof.
  • the solvent is not aromatic, preferably aromatics are present in the solvent at less than 1 wt%, preferably less than 0.5 wt%, preferably less than 0 wt% based upon the weight of the solvents.
  • the feed concentration of the monomers and comonomers for the polymerization is 60 vol% solvent or less, preferably 40 vol% or less, or preferably 20 vol% or less, based on the total volume of the feedstream.
  • the polymerization is run in a bulk process.
  • Preferred polymerizations can be run at any temperature and/or pressure suitable to obtain the desired ethylene polymers.
  • Typical temperatures and/or pressures include a temperature in the range of from about 0°C to about 300°C, preferably about 20°C to about 200°C, preferably about 35°C to about 150°C, preferably from about 60°C to about 120°C, preferably from about 70°C to about 120°C, preferably from about 75°C to about 120°C; and at a pressure in the range of from about 0.35 MPa to about 10 MPa, preferably from about 0.45 MPa to about 6 MPa, or preferably from about 0.5 MPa to about 4 MPa.
  • the run time of the reaction is up to 300 minutes, preferably in the range of from about 5 to 250 minutes, or preferably from about 10 to 120 minutes.
  • hydrogen is present in the polymerization reactor at a partial pressure of 0.001 to 50 psig (0.007 to 345 kPa), preferably from 0.01 to 25 psig (0.07 to 172 kPa), more preferably 0.1 to 10 psig (0.7 to 70 kPa).
  • alumoxane is present at zero mol%, alternately the alumoxane is present at a molar ratio of aluminum to transition metal less than 500: 1, preferably less than 300: 1, preferably less than 100: 1, preferably less than 1 : 1.
  • scavenger such as trialkylaluminum
  • the scavenger is present at zero mol%, alternately, the scavenger is present at a molar ratio of scavenger metal to transition metal of less than 100: 1, preferably less than 50: 1, preferably less than 15: 1, preferably less than 10: 1.
  • additives may also be used in the polymerization, as desired, such as one or more scavengers, promoters, modifiers, chain transfer agents (such as trialkylaluminums, triisobutylaluminum, tri(n-octyl)aluminum, diethylzinc), reducing agents, oxidizing agents, hydrogen, aluminum alkyls, or silanes.
  • scavengers such as triisobutylaluminum, tri(n-octyl)aluminum, diethylzinc
  • chain transfer agents such as trialkylaluminums, triisobutylaluminum, tri(n-octyl)aluminum, diethylzinc
  • This invention also relates to compositions of matter produced by the methods described herein.
  • the process described herein produces copolymers comprising from 1 to 99 mol% (preferably 50 to 95 mol%, preferably 75 to 90 mol%) ethylene and from 99 to 1 mol% (prefeably 50 to 5 mol%, preferably 10 to 25 mol%, preferably 15 to 25 mol%, preferably 10 to 25 mol%) conjugated diene.
  • the process described herein produces copolymers comprising from 1 to 99 mol% (preferably 50 to 95 mol%, preferably 75 to 90 mol%) ethylene and from 99 to 1 mol% (prefeably 50 to 5 mol%, preferably 10 to 25 mol%
  • the process of this invention may produce olefin terpolymers.
  • the ethylene isoprene copolymers produced herein further comprise from 0 to 25 mol% (alternately from 0.5 to 20 mol%, alternately from 1 to
  • the process of this invention may produce olefin ethylene isoprene copolymers with 0 mol % termonomer.
  • the polymers produced herein have an Mn of 5,000 to 250,000 g/mol
  • the polymers produced herein have an Mn of 5,000 to 200,000 g/mol
  • Mw/Mn 1 to 5 (alternately 1.1 to 3, alternately 1.3 to 2.5).
  • the polymer produced herein has a unimodal or multimodal molecular weight distribution as determined by Gel Permeation Chromotography (GPC).
  • GPC Gel Permeation Chromotography
  • unimodal is meant that the GPC trace has one peak or inflection point.
  • multimodal is meant that the GPC trace has at least two peaks or inflection points.
  • An inflection point is that point where the second derivative of the curve changes in sign (e.g., from negative to positive or vice versa).
  • Mw, Mn, and Mw/Mn are determined by using a High Temperature Size Exclusion Chromatograph (Polymer Laboratories), equipped with three in-line detectors, a differential refractive index detector (DRI), a light scattering (LS) detector, and a viscometer. Experimental details, including detector calibration, are described in: T. Sun, P. Brant, R. R. Chance, and W. W. Graessley, Macromolecules, Vol. 34, No. 19, pp. 6812-6820, (2001), and references therein. Three Polymer Laboratories PLgel ⁇ Mixed-B LS columns are used. The nominal flow rate is 0.5 mL/min, and the nominal injection volume is 300 ⁇ .
  • Solvent for the experiment is prepared by dissolving 6 grams of butylated hydroxytoluene as an antioxidant in 4 liters of Aldrich reagent grade 1, 2, 4 trichlorobenzene (TCB). The TCB mixture is then filtered through a a 0.1 ⁇ Teflon filter. The TCB is then degassed with an online degasser before entering the Size Exclusion Chromatograph. Polymer solutions are prepared by placing dry polymer in a glass container, adding the desired amount of TCB, then heating the mixture at 160°C with continuous shaking for about 2 hours. All quantities are measured gravimetrically.
  • the TCB densities used to express the polymer concentration in mass/volume units are 1.463 g/ml at room temperature and 1.284 g/ml at 145°C.
  • the injection concentration is from 0.5 to 2.0 mg/ml, with lower concentrations being used for higher molecular weight samples.
  • the DRI detector and the injector Prior to running each sample the DRI detector and the injector are purged. Flow rate in the apparatus is then increased to 0.5 ml/minute, and the DRI is allowed to stabilize for 8 to 9 hours before injecting the first sample.
  • the LS laser is turned on at least 1 to 1.5 hours before running the samples.
  • the concentration, c, at each point in the chromatogram is calculated from the baseline-subtracted DRI signal, 3 ⁇ 4RI, using the following equation:
  • K DRI is a constant determined by calibrating the DRI
  • (dn/dc) is the refractive index increment for the system.
  • (dn/dc) values are measured with DRI. Units on parameters throughout this description of the SEC method are such that concentration is expressed in g/cm 3 , molecular weight is expressed in g/mole, and intrinsic viscosity is expressed in dL/g.
  • the LS detector is a Wyatt Technology High Temperature DAWN HELEOS.
  • M molecular weight at each point in the chromatogram is determined by analyzing the LS output using the Zimm model for static light scattering (M.B. Huglin, LIGHT SCATTERING FROM POLYMER SOLUTIONS, Academic Press, 1971):
  • AR(9) is the measured excess Rayleigh scattering intensity at scattering angle ⁇
  • c is the polymer concentration determined from the DRI analysis
  • a 2 is the second virial coefficient, for purposes of this invention
  • a 2 0.0006
  • (dn/dc) is measured with DRI
  • ⁇ ( ⁇ ) is the form factor for a monodisperse random coil
  • K 0 is the optical constant for the system:
  • N A is Avogadro's number
  • (dn/dc) is the refractive index increment for the system.
  • a high temperature Viscotek Corporation viscometer which has four capillaries arranged in a Wheatstone bridge configuration with two pressure transducers, is used to determine specific viscosity.
  • One transducer measures the total pressure drop across the detector, and the other, positioned between the two sides of the bridge, measures a differential pressure.
  • the specific viscosity, ⁇ 8 for the solution flowing through the viscometer is calculated from their outputs.
  • the intrinsic viscosity, [ ⁇ ] at each point in the chromatogram is calculated from the following equation:
  • the branching index (g' v i s ) is calculated using the output of the SEC-DRI-LS-VIS method as follows.
  • the average intrin of the sample is calculated by:
  • the branching index g' v j s is defined as:
  • M v is the viscosity-average molecular weight based on molecular weights determined by LS analysis.
  • the copolymers produced herein have a Tg of 0°C or less (preferably -20°C or less, preferably -40°C or less).
  • Tg is measured by DMTA as follows: Dynamic Mechanical Thermal Analysis (DMTA): A strain controlled rheomether ARES-G2 (TA Instrument) fitted with a liquid N 2 cooling accessory and an 8 mm serrated parallel plates assembly was used to measure the thermo-mechanical performance (in torsional mode) of disks of the copolymer. The disks were prepared by molding a plaque of the copolymer in a hot press and subsequently cutting disks from the plaque with a circular hole punch of 8mm in diameter.
  • DMTA Dynamic Mechanical Thermal Analysis
  • the copolymers produced herein have a Tm (as measured by DSC) of 100°C or less (preferably from 0 and 100°C, preferably from 20 and 80°C, preferably from 40 and 60°C).
  • the copolymers produced herein have a Tm (as measured by
  • DSC DSC of 100°C or less (preferably from 0 and 100°C, preferably from 20 and 80°C, preferably from 40 and 60°C) and Tg of 0°C or less (preferably -20°C or less, preferably -40°C or less).
  • the copolymers produced herein have a Tm (as measured by DSC) of 100°C or less (preferably from 0 and 100°C, preferably from 20 and 80°C, preferably from 40 and 60°C), and Tg of 0°C or less (preferably -20°C or less, preferably -40°C or less), and an Mn of 5,000 to 250,000 g/mol (preferably 25,000 to 200,000 g/mol, preferably 50,000 to 150,000 g/mol).
  • the copolymers produced herein have a Tm (as measured by DSC) of 100°C or less (preferably from 0 and 100°C, preferably from 20 and 80°C, preferably from 40 and 60°C), and Tg of 0°C or less (preferably -20°C or less, preferably -40°C or less), and an Mn of 5,000 to 250,000 g/mol (preferably 25,000 to 200,000 g/mol, preferably 50,000 to 150,000 g/mol), and an Mw/Mn between 1 to 5 (alternately 1.4 to 3, alternately 1.5 to 2.5).
  • Tm as measured by DSC
  • the copolymer produced has no Tm as determined by DSC.
  • the copolymers produced herein have 1 ,4 isoprene isomer present in copolymer at 60% or less of the total of 1 ,4, 3,4 and 1,2 isoprene isomers present (preferably 20 to 50%, preferably 5 to 30%), as determined by the X H NMR procedure described below.
  • the copolymers produced herein have a 3,4 and 1 ,2 isoprene isomers present in copolymer at 40% or more of the total of 1 ,4, 3,4 and 1 ,2 isoprene isomers present (preferably 50 to 80%, preferably 70 to 95%), as determined by the X H NMR procedure described below.
  • 1 ,4 isoprene isomer content, 3,4 isoprene isomer content, and 1,2 isoprene isomer content are determined by X H NMR as follows: polymer composition was determined by X H NMR using a Varian DD2 500 MHz instrument run with a 30° flip angle RF pulse, 120 scans, with a delay of 5 seconds between pulses. The polymer sample was dissolved in heated d2-l, l,2,2-tetrachloroethane and signal collection took place at 120°C. The composition of 1 ,4-isoprene, 3,4-isoprene, 1 ,2-isoprene, and ethylene were determined from X H NMR.
  • the 1 C solution NMR was performed on a 10 mm broadband probe at a field of at least 400MHz in d2-l, l ,2,2-tetrachloroethane solvent at 120°C with a flip angle of 90° and full NOE with decoupling.
  • the sample was dissolved in an appropriate amount of solvent.
  • 1 C NMR was used to determine cis versus trans composition of 1,4-isoprene.
  • the CH 3 units for each species were used to calculate the content in the 1 C NMR: 23.4ppm for cis- 1,4-isoprene, 16.5ppm for trans- 1,4-isoprene, and 18.5ppm for 3,4-isoprene (no 1,2- isoprene was observed in the 1 C NMR).
  • the mol% isoprene for each unit was determined by taking the area of each CH 3 unit and dividing by the total:
  • mol% 3,4 CH 3 3,4*100/(CH 3 cis+CH 3 trans+CH 3 3,4).
  • the amount of ethylene (determined from X H NMR) was used.
  • molecular weights of each species were used.
  • the copolymers produced herein have a Mn of 250,000 g/mol or less; (preferably 30,000 to 250,000 g/mol, preferably 50,000 to 150,000 g/mol), as measured by GPC.
  • copolymers produced herein have:
  • conjugated diene e.g., isoprene, (preferably 15 to 25 mol%, preferably 10 to 20 mol%);
  • 1,4 isoprene isomer is present in copolymer at 60% or less of the total of 1,4, 3,4 and 1,2 isoprene isomers present (preferably 20 to 50%, preferably 5 to 30%);
  • 3,4 and 1,2 isoprene isomers are present in copolymer at 40% or more of the total of 1,4, 3,4 and 1,2 isoprene isomers present (preferably 50 to 80%, preferably 70 to 95%); and
  • copolymers produced herein have:
  • 1,4 isoprene isomer is present in copolymer at 60% or less of the total of 1,4, 3,4 and 1,2 isoprene isomers present (preferably 20 to 50%, preferably 5 to 30%);
  • 3,4 and 1,2 isoprene isomers are present in copolymer at 40% or more of the total of 1,4, 3,4 and 1,2 isoprene isomers present (preferably 50 to 80%, preferably 70 to 95%);
  • Tm of less than 100°C (preferably from 0 and 100°C, preferably from 20 and 80°C, preferably from 40 and 60°C).
  • the ethylene isoprene copolymer produced herein is combined with one or more additional polymers prior to being formed into a film, molded part or other article.
  • additional polymers include polyethylene, isotactic polypropylene, highly isotactic polypropylene, syndiotactic polypropylene, random copolymer of propylene and ethylene, and/or butene, and/or hexene, polybutene, ethylene vinyl acetate, LDPE, LLDPE, HDPE, ethylene vinyl acetate, ethylene methyl acrylate, copolymers of acrylic acid, polymethylmethacrylate or any other polymers polymerizable by a high-pressure free radical process, polyvinylchloride, polybutene- 1, isotactic polybutene, ABS resins, ethylene-propylene rubber (EPR), vulcanized EPR, EPDM, block copolymer, styrenic block copolymers, polyamide
  • the copolymer is present in the above blends, at from 10 to 99 wt%, based upon the weight of the polymers in the blend, preferably 20 to 95 wt%, even more preferably at least 30 to 90 wt%, even more preferably at least 40 to 90 wt%, even more preferably at least 50 to 90 wt%, even more preferably at least 60 to 90 wt%, even more preferably at least 70 to 90 wt%.
  • the blends described above may be produced by mixing the polymers of the invention with one or more polymers (as described above), by connecting reactors together in series to make reactor blends or by using more than one catalyst in the same reactor to produce multiple species of polymer.
  • the polymers can be mixed together prior to being put into the extruder or may be mixed in an extruder.
  • the blends may be formed using conventional equipment and methods, such as by dry blending the individual components and subsequently melt mixing in a mixer, or by mixing the components together directly in a mixer, such as, for example, a Banbury mixer, a Haake mixer, a Brabender internal mixer, or a single or twin-screw extruder, which may include a compounding extruder and a side-arm extruder used directly downstream of a polymerization process, which may include blending powders or pellets of the resins at the hopper of the film extruder. Additionally, additives may be included in the blend, in one or more components of the blend, and/or in a product formed from the blend, such as a film, as desired.
  • a mixer such as, for example, a Banbury mixer, a Haake mixer, a Brabender internal mixer, or a single or twin-screw extruder, which may include a compounding extruder and a side-arm extruder used directly downstream of a polymerization
  • additives are well known in the art, and can include, for example: fillers; antioxidants (e.g., hindered phenolics such as IRGANOXTM 1010 or IRGANOXTM 1076 available from Ciba- Geigy); phosphites (e.g., IRGAFOSTM 168 available from Ciba-Geigy); anti-cling additives; tackifiers, such as polybutenes, terpene resins, aliphatic and aromatic hydrocarbon resins, alkali metal and glycerol stearates, and hydrogenated rosins; UV stabilizers; heat stabilizers; anti-blocking agents; release agents; anti-static agents; pigments; colorants; dyes; waxes; silica; fillers; talc; cross-linking agents (such as peroxides) and the like.
  • antioxidants e.g., hindered phenolics such as IRGANOXTM 1010 or IRGANO
  • any of the foregoing polymers such as the foregoing polypropylenes or blends thereof, may be used in a variety of end-use applications.
  • Such applications include, for example, mono- or multi-layer blown, extruded, and/or cast films or sheets. These films and sheets may be formed by any number of well known extrusion or coextrusion techniques.
  • the films and sheets may vary in thickness depending on the intended application; however, films and sheets of a thickness from 1 to 1,000 ⁇ are usually suitable.
  • the film or sheet may comprise a sealing layer, which is typically 0.2 to 50 ⁇ on both the inner and outer surfaces of the film or the sealing layer may be present on only the inner or the outer surface.
  • one or more layers may be modified by corona treatment, electron beam irradiation, gamma irradiation, flame treatment, or microwave.
  • one or both of the surface layers are modified by corona treatment.
  • the copolymers produced herein may be blended with other elastomers, such as general purpose rubber, e.g., butyl rubber, styrene-butadiene rubber, butadiene rubber, polyisoprene, halogenated butyl rubber, natural rubber, nitrile rubber, neoprene rubber, silicon rubber, polyurethane elastomers, BIMS, and other rubbers useful in making such automotive tire components as treads and sidewalls.
  • general purpose rubber e.g., butyl rubber, styrene-butadiene rubber, butadiene rubber, polyisoprene, halogenated butyl rubber, natural rubber, nitrile rubber, neoprene rubber, silicon rubber, polyurethane elastomers, BIMS, and other rubbers useful in making such automotive tire components as treads and sidewalls.
  • the blends of copolymer produced herein and elastomer may be used in traditional elastomer applications that include low permeability elastic membranes (such as tire innerliners and protective clothing fabrics); closures for pharmaceutical and food containers; hot melt sealants; molded syringe plunger tips; hoses and gaskets, and molded and extruded automotive components requiring low permeability such as, gaskets, hoses or hose covers.
  • low permeability elastic membranes such as tire innerliners and protective clothing fabrics
  • closures for pharmaceutical and food containers hot melt sealants
  • molded syringe plunger tips molded syringe plunger tips
  • hoses and gaskets molded and extruded automotive components requiring low permeability such as, gaskets, hoses or hose covers.
  • the amount of rubber present in the composition may range from 10 to 90 wt% of the total polymer content of the composition and the copolymer may range from 90 to 10 wt%, based upon the weight of the composition.
  • the rubber component will constitute less than 70 wt%, more preferably less than 50 wt%, and most preferably 10-40 wt% of the total polymer content of the composition.
  • the blends of copolymer and elastomer may include plasticizers, curatives and may also include reinforcing and non-reinforcing fillers, antioxidants, stabilizers, rubber processing oil, plasticizers, extender oils, lubricants, antiblocking agents, anti-static agents, waxes, foaming agents, pigments, flame retardants and other processing aids known in the rubber compounding art.
  • Such additives can comprise up to 50 wt% of the total composition.
  • Fillers and extenders which can be utilized include conventional inorganics such as calcium carbonate, clays, silica, talc, titanium dioxide, carbon black and the like.
  • the rubber processing oils generally are polybutene, paraffinic, naphthenic or aromatic oils derived from petroleum fractions, but are typically paraffinic oil or polybutenes.
  • the type will be that ordinarily used in conjunction with the specific rubber or rubbers present in the composition, and the quantity based on the total rubber content may range from zero up to 1 -200 parts by weight per hundred rubber (phr).
  • Plasticizers such as trimellitate esters may also be present in the composition.
  • the rubber and or the copolymer are desirably at least partially crosslinked, and preferably are completely or fully cross-linked.
  • the partial or complete crosslinking can be achieved by adding an appropriate rubber curative to the blend and vulcanizing the rubber to the desired degree under conventional vulcanizing conditions.
  • thermoplastic polymer is also combined with the copolymer or the copolymer and the rubber, it is useful if the rubber and or copolymer be crosslinked by the process of dynamic vulcanization.
  • dynamic vulcanization means a vulcanization or curing process wherein the rubber and or copolymer is vulcanized under conditions of high shear at a temperature above the melting point of the component thermoplastic. The rubber is thus simultaneously crosslinked and dispersed as fine particles within the matrix thermoplastic.
  • Dynamic vulcanization is effected by contacting or otherwise mixing the thermoplastic elastomer components at elevated temperature in conventional mixing equipment such as roll mills, Banbury mixers, Brabender mixers, continuous mixers, mixing extruders and the like.
  • conventional mixing equipment such as roll mills, Banbury mixers, Brabender mixers, continuous mixers, mixing extruders and the like.
  • the unique characteristic of dynamically cured compositions is that, notwithstanding the fact that the rubber component is partially or fully cured, the compositions can be processed and reprocessed by conventional plastic processing techniques such as extrusion, injection molding, blow molding and compression molding. Scrap or flashing can be salvaged and reprocessed.
  • the material can be vulcanized using varying amounts of curative, varying temperatures and varying time of cure in order to obtain the optimum crosslinking desired.
  • Any known cure system for rubber can be used, so long as it is suitable under the vulcanization conditions with the specific rubber being used and with the thermoplastic component.
  • These curatives include sulfur, sulfur donors, metal oxides, resin systems, peroxide-based systems, hydrosilation curatives, containing platinum or peroxide catalysts, and the like, both with and without accelerators and co-agents.
  • vulcanized means that the rubber component to be vulcanized has been cured to a state in which the elastomeric properties of the crosslinked rubber are similar to those of the rubber in its conventional vulcanized state, apart from the thermoplastic elastomer composition.
  • the degree of cure can be described in terms of gel content or, conversely, extractable components. Alternatively the degree of cure may be expressed in terms of crosslink density. All of these descriptions are well known in the art, for example in US 5, 100,947 and US 5,157,081.
  • this invention relates to:
  • a process to produce copolymers comprising ethylene and conjugated diene comprising: 1) contacting ethylene and conjugated diene with a catalyst system comprising an activator and a catalyst compound represented by the formula:
  • M scandium or yttrium
  • X is an anionic donor group selected from amido, alkoxide, aryloxide, phosphido, thiolate; J is a neutral Lewis base;
  • X and J are j oined to each other directly or by a bridging group that is one or two atoms in length;
  • each Y is an anionic leaving group, where the Y groups may be the same or different and two Y groups may be linked to form a dianionic group;
  • L is a neutral Lewis base
  • L may, or may not, be joined to the (JX) bidentate ligand via a linker group
  • n 0, 1, or 2.
  • g optionally, a Tm of 100°C or less.
  • X is j oined to the pyridine group by a linker group that is one or two atoms in length;
  • R 1 is selected from hydrogen, alkyl, substituted alkyl, aryl, or substituted aryl;
  • R 2 , R 3 , and R 4 are selected from hydrogen, alkyl, aryl, halogen, amino, alkoxy, and silyl; where L may, or may not, be joined to R 1 via a linker group.
  • M, Y, L, and n are as defined in cl ;
  • R 1 is selected from hydrogen, alkyl, substituted alkyl, aryl, or substituted phenyl
  • R 2 , R 3 , and R 4 are selected from hydrogen, alkyl, aryl, halogen, amino, alkoxy, and silyl; where L may, or may not, be joined to R 1 via a linker group; and
  • R 5 is selected from, alkyl, substituted alkyl, aryl, or substituted aryl. 14. The process of any of paragraphs 1 to 13, wherein R 1 and R 5 are independently selected from 2,6-dimethylphenyl, 2,4,6-trimethylphenyl, 2,6-diethylphenyl, 2,4,6- triethylphenyl, 2,6-diisopropylphenyl, 2,4,6-triisopropylphenyl, 2,4-di(t-butyl)phenyl, 2-t- butylphenyl, 2-ethylphenyl, 2-isopropylphenyl, and 2-ethyl-6-methylphenyl.
  • Z is (L-H) or a reducible Lewis Acid
  • L is a neutral Lewis base
  • H is hydrogen
  • (L- H) + is a Bronsted acid
  • a d" is a non-coordinating anion having the charge d-
  • d is an integer from 1 to 3.
  • a d" is a non-coordinating anion having the charge d-; d is an integer from 1 to 3, and Z is a reducible Lewis acid represented by the formula: (Ar 3 C + ), where Ar is aryl or aryl substituted with a heteroatom, a to C 4Q hydrocarbyl, or a substituted to C 4Q hydrocarbyl.
  • Activator 1 is N,N-dimethylanilinium tetrakis(pentafluorophenyl)borate.
  • a solution of tri(isobutyl)aluminum in toluene (typically 0.05 to 0.1 mL) was then added. The contents of the vessel were then stirred at 800 rpm.
  • An activator solution of N,N-dimethylanilinium tetrakis (pentafluorophenylborate), 1.0 molar equivalent relative to the transition metal complex to be added, in toluene (typically 0.1 mL) was then injected into the reaction vessel along with a solvent chaser (typically 0.5 mL). Then a toluene solution of catalyst 1 (typically 200 nanomols) in toluene (typically 0.1 mL) was added along with and a solvent chaser (typically 0.5 mL).
  • the reaction was then allowed to proceed either for a set amount of time or until a desired amount of pressure uptake had occurred (typically 15 psi or 0.103 MPa).
  • a desired amount of pressure uptake typically 15 psi or 0.103 MPa.
  • the ethylene pressure was maintained in each reaction vessel at the pre-set level by computer control.
  • the reaction was quenched by pressurizing the vessel with compressed air to 100 psi over the reactor pressure.
  • the pressure was vented and, optionally, a 1 : 1 mixture of Irganox 1076 and Irgafos 168 (25 mg total) dissolved in toluene (0.1 mL) was added to the solution of the glass vial containing the polymer solution.
  • the system was operated at an eluent flow rate of 2.0 mL/min and an oven temperature of 165°C. 1,2,4-trichlorobenzene was used as the eluent.
  • the polymer samples were dissolved in 1,2,4-trichlorobenzene at a concentration of 0.1 to 0.9 mg/mL. 250 of a polymer solution was injected into the system. The concentration of the polymer in the eluent was monitored using an evaporative light scattering detector.
  • the molecular weights presented in the examples are relative to linear polystyrene standards.
  • DSC Differential Scanning Calorimetry
  • Tables 1 and 2 Shown in Tables 1 and 2 are polymerization conditions and characterization data for the homopolymerization of ethylene, homopolymerization of isoprene (IP), and the copolymerization of ethylene and isoprene by Complex 1 with N,N-dimethylanilinium tetrakis(pentafluorophenyl)borate activator.
  • DMTA dynamical mechanical thermal analysis
  • Example 24 is combined polymer from twenty-five individual vials performed under conditions that were identical to those used for runs 21-23.
  • the total yield from the combined vials was 1.27 grams, isoprene content (3 ⁇ 4 NMR) was 13.1 mol%, isomer ratio (by IHNMR) was (l,4-isoprene:l,2-isoprene:3,4-isoprene) 51 :0:49, and Tg was -36°C.
  • Table 2 Characterization Data for Polymers
  • compositions, an element or a group of elements are preceded with the transitional phrase "comprising”, it is understood that we also contemplate the same composition or group of elements with transitional phrases “consisting essentially of,” “consisting of,” “selected from the group of consisting of,” or “is” preceding the recitation of the composition, element, or elements and vice versa.

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Abstract

La présente invention concerne un procédé d'utilisation d'un composé catalyseur au scandium ou yttrium métallique (typiquement scandium) d'aminopyridinate pour produire des copolymères d'éthylène-diène conjugué, de préférence des copolymères d'éthylène-isoprène comportant : 1) de 75 à 90 % molaires d'éthylène ; 2) de 10 à 25 % molaires d'isoprène ; 3) une Tg de 0 °C ou moins ; 4) l'isomère 1,4 présent à raison de 60 % en poids ou moins ; 5) les isomères 3,4 et 1,2 présents à raison de 40 % ou plus ; 6) une Mn de 250 000 g/mol ou moins ; et 7) éventuellement, une Tm de 100 °C ou moins.
PCT/US2016/024629 2015-04-28 2016-03-29 Procédé de production de copolymères d'éthylène-diène conjugué et copolymères obtenus à partir de celui-ci WO2016175963A1 (fr)

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CN114829421B (zh) * 2019-12-18 2024-05-24 米其林集团总公司 乙烯与1,3-二烯的共聚物

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