# US 11,306,173 B2 · Semi-crystalline thermoplastic block copolymers > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,306,173 B2 - Document ID: US11306173B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/321,567 - Filed: 2017-07-19 - Published: 2021-09-09 - Granted: 2022-04-19 - Earliest claimed: 2016-07-29 - Assignees: Dow Global Technologies LLC - Applicants: Dow Global Technologies LLC - Inventors: Endre Szuromi; Justin M. Virgill; Robert F. Wendel; Jeffrey C. Munro; Gary R. Marchand; Edmund M. Carnahan; Kim L. Walton - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11306173B2 ## CPC - C08F 297/086: {the block polymer contains at least three blocks} - C08F 4/65908: {in combination with an ionising compound other than alumoxane, e.g. (C6F5)4B-X+} - C08F: MACROMOLECULAR COMPOUNDS OBTAINED BY REACTIONS ONLY INVOLVING CARBON-TO-CARBON UNSATURATED BONDS ## Abstract Semi-crystalline, thermoplastic polyolefin block copolymers comprising: (A) A first polyolefin A block comprising isotactic poly(1-butene) (iPB); (B) A polyolefin B block comprising an ethylene and/or alpha-olefin/1-butene copolymer or terpolymer; and (C) A second polyolefin A block comprising isotactic poly(1-butene) (iPB); the A and B blocks bonded to one another to form a block copolymer in which the first and second polyolefin A blocks are joined to and separated by the polyolefin B block. In one embodiment the polyolefin block copolymer is a BAB block copolymer. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A semi-crystalline, thermoplastic polyolefin block copolymer comprising: (A) a first polyolefin A block comprising isotactic poly(1-butene) (iPB); (B) a polyolefin B block comprising 1-butene and one or more monomers selected from the group consisting of ethylene, a second alpha-olefin, and combinations thereof; and (C) a second polyolefin A block comprising isotactic poly(1-butene) (iPB); the A and B blocks bonded to one another to form the polymer in which the first and second polyolefin A blocks are joined to and separated by the polyolefin B block. ### Claim 2 A semi-crystalline, thermoplastic polyolefin block copolymer comprising: (A) a first polyolefin B block comprising 1-butene and one or more monomers selected from the group consisting of ethylene, a second alpha-olefin, and combinations thereof; (B) a polyolefin A block comprising isotactic poly(1-butene) (iPB); and (C) a second polyolefin B block comprising 1-butene and one or more monomers selected from the group consisting of ethylene, a second alpha-olefin, and combinations thereof; the B and A blocks bonded to one another to form the polymer in which the first and second polyolefin B blocks are joined to and separated by the polyolefin A block. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The semi-crystalline, thermoplastic polyolefin polymer of claim 1 in which the polyolefin B block has a glass transition temperature (Tg) of less than 20° C. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The semi-crystalline, thermoplastic polyolefin polymer of claim 1 in which the polyolefin B block comprises ethylene and 1-butene. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) A composition comprising the semi-crystalline, thermoplastic polyolefin polymer of claim 1. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) An article comprising the composition of claim 5. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The article of claim 6 in the form of an injected molded part, or a cast or blown film. ### Claim 8 A process for making a semi-crystalline, thermoplastic polyolefin ABA block copolymer, the process comprising the steps of: (A) feeding 1-butene to a high pressure reactor under polymerization conditions to produce a first A block of isotactic poly(1-butene) (iPB); (B) adding, in the presence of 1-butene, a monomer selected from the group consisting of ethylene, a second alpha-olefin, and combinations thereof to the reactor under copolymerization conditions under copolymerization conditions to form a B block of a 1-butene/ethylene copolymer, a 1-butene/alpha-olefin copolymer, or a 1-butene/ethylene/alpha-olefin terpolymer which is attached to the first A block to form an AB block copolymer; and (C) stopping the addition of ethylene and/or the second alpha-olefin, and continue feeding 1-butene to the reactor under polymerization conditions to form a second A block of iPB which is attached to the B block to form the ABA block copolymer. ### Claim 9 A process for making the semi-crystalline, thermoplastic polyolefin BAB block copolymer, the process comprising the steps of: (A) feeding 1-butene and a monomer selected from the group consisting of ethylene, a second alpha-olefin, and combinations thereof to a reactor under copolymerization conditions to form a first B block of 1-butene/ethylene copolymer, a 1-butene/alpha-olefin copolymer, or a 1-butene/ethylene/alpha-olefin terpolymer; (B) stopping the addition of ethylene and the second alpha-olefin, and continue feeding 1-butene to the reactor under polymerization conditions to form an A block of isotactic poly(1-butene) (iPB) which is attached to the A block to form a BA block copolymer; and (C) restarting, in the presence of 1-butene, the addition of a monomer selected from the group consisting of ethylene, a second alpha-olefin, and combinations thereof to the reactor under copolymerization conditions to form a second B block of a 1-butene/ethylene, a 1-butene/alpha-olefin copolymer, or a 1-butene/ethylene/alpha-olefin terpolymer which is attached to the A block to form the BAB block copolymer. ### Claim 10 (depends on 8) The process of claim 8 in which the polyolefin B block has a glass transition temperature (Tg) of less than 20° C. ### Claim 11 (depends on 8) The process of claim 8 in which the polyolefin B block comprises ethylene and 1-butene. ### Claim 12 (depends on 2) The semi-crystalline, thermoplastic polyolefin polymer of claim 2 in which the polyolefin B block has a glass transition temperature (Tg) of less than 20° C. ### Claim 13 (depends on 2) The semi-crystalline, thermoplastic polyolefin polymer of claim 2 in which the polyolefin B block comprises ethylene and 1-butene. ### Claim 14 (depends on 2) A composition comprising the semi-crystalline, thermoplastic polyolefin polymer of claim 2. ### Claim 15 (depends on 9) The process of claim 9 in which the polyolefin B block has a glass transition temperature (Tg) of less than 20° C. ### Claim 16 (depends on 9) The process of claim 9 in which the polyolefin B block comprises ethylene and 1-butene.