Process for the preparation of an olefinic copolymer having polar groups and the products obtained therefrom

A process comprising copolymerizing under suitable reaction conditions at least one first type of olefin monomer and at least one second type of functionalized olefin monomer using a catalyst system to obtain a polyolefin main chain having one or multiple functionalized short chain branches, the catalyst system comprising:

• i) a single-site catalyst or single-site catalyst precursor comprising a metal selected from Ti3+ or Cr3+;
• ii) a co-catalyst;
• iii) optionally a scavenger,
• wherein the molar ratio of the second type of functionalized olefin monomer to the catalyst is at least 300;
• wherein the second type of functionalized olefin monomer has the following structure according to Formula I-B:
• wherein C is carbon, wherein R2, R3, and R4 are each independently selected from the group consisting of H or hydrocarbyl with 1 to 16 carbon atoms, wherein R5—X—H is a heteroatom-containing functional group, R5 is either —C(R7a)(R7b)— or a plurality of —C(R7a)(R7b)— groups, wherein R7a, and R7b are each independently selected from the group consisting of H or hydrocarbyl with 1 to 16 carbon atoms;
• wherein the single-site catalyst or single-site catalyst precursor is selected from the group consisting the single-site catalysts according to formula (I) or formula (II),
• wherein in the compound of formula (I)
• M1 is titanium or chromium;
• the substituents X, equal to or different from each other, are monoanionic sigma ligands selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, halogen, R8, OR8, OCOR8, SR8, NR82 and PR82, wherein R8 equal to or different from each other are hydrogen or C1-C40 hydrocarbyl radicals optionally containing one or more heteroatoms belonging to groups 13-17 of the Periodic Table of the Elements;
• n ranges from 0 to 3;
• L1 is a divalent bridge connecting the two nitrogen atoms;
• the bonds connecting the two nitrogen atoms with the bridge L1 can be single bonds or double bonds;
• R9, equal to or different from each other are C1-C40 hydrocarbyl radicals optionally containing one or more heteroatoms belonging to groups 13-17 of the Periodic Table of the Elements;
• m ranges from 0 to 2;
• when m is 0 the group T1 does not exist;
• T1 is a Lewis base;
• the group T1 can also be bonded to the group R9 or
• wherein in the compound of formula (II) above
• M1 is titanium or chromium;
• X has been described above
• R12, R13, R14 and R15, equal to or different from each other, are hydrogen atoms, halogen atoms, or C1-C40 hydrocarbon radicals optionally containing one or more heteroatoms belonging to groups 13-17 of the Periodic Table of the Elements;
• or two adjacent R12, R13, R14 and R15 may form one or more C3-C7-membered ring optionally containing heteroatoms belonging to groups 13-17 of the Periodic Table of the Elements;
• L2 is a divalent bridging group selected from C1-C20 alkylidene, C3-C20 cycloalkylidene, C6-C20 arylidene, C7-C20 alkylarylidene, or C7-C20 arylalkylidene radicals optionally containing heteroatoms belonging to groups 13-17 of the Periodic Table of the Elements, and silylidene radical containing up to 5 silicon atoms;
• A1 is optional group, when A1 is absent L2 a hydrogen or a hydrocarbyl;
• when A1 is present, then A1 a Lewis basic functionality.

A process comprising copolymerizing at least one olefin monomer and at least one functionalized olefin monomer with a catalyst system to obtain a polyolefin main chain having one or multiple functionalized short chain branches, the catalyst system comprising:

• i) a single-site catalyst or catalyst precursor comprising a metal selected from Ti3+ or Cr3+;
• ii) a co-catalyst;
• iii) optionally a scavenger,
• wherein the molar ratio of the functionalized olefin monomer to catalyst is at least 500.