Process for making an ethylene elastomer with long chain branching for use in anti-vibration applications

A process for continuously making a blend of a terpolymer with a tetrapolymer, comprising ethylene monomers, alpha olefin monomers, and at least two non-conjugated diene monomers, the process comprising:

• a. in a first reactor continuously making tetrapolymers, comprising the ethylene monomers, the propylene monomers, and the at least two non-conjugated diene monomers, comprising:
• (i) introducing a saturated hydrocarbon stream;
• (ii) introducing a propylene monomer to the saturated hydrocarbon stream at a rate sufficient to achieve propylene content in a final tetrapolymers product of 32 percent to 36 percent of total weight;
• (iii) introducing hydrogen gas to the saturated hydrocarbon stream at a rate sufficient to control the molecular weight of the final tetrapolymers product;
• (iv) introducing a first diene to the saturated hydrocarbon stream at a rate sufficient to achieve desired first diene content in the final tetrapolymers product;
• (v) introducing a second diene to the saturated hydrocarbon stream at a rate sufficient to achieve desired second diene content in the final tetrapolymers product;
• (vi) introducing an ethylene to the saturated hydrocarbon stream at a rate sufficient to initiate the polymerization reaction and achieve desired ethylene content in the final tetrapolymer product of 40 percent to 80 percent of total weight;
• (vii) cooling the saturated hydrocarbon stream, the propylene monomer, the hydrogen gas, the first diene, the second diene, and the ethylene to below 35 degrees Celsius to create a cooled mixture;
• (viii) concurrently introducing a Ziegler-Natta catalyst, a co-catalyst, and optionally a promoter into a continuous flow reactor, wherein:
• 1. the Ziegler-Natta catalyst comprises a transition metal or a transition metal compound;
• 2. the co-catalyst comprises a metal alkyl comprising a halogen element;
• and
• 3. the promoter if used comprises an oxidizing agent capable of oxidizing the transition metal, and the oxidizing agent is capable of generating at least one halogen free-radical per mole of the promoter;
• (ix) reacting the cooled mixture, the Ziegler-Natta catalyst, the co-catalyst, the promoter, the first diene, and the second diene in solution phase for 30 minutes to 60 minutes at a temperature from 35 degrees Celsius to 65 degrees Celsius and a pressure from 190 psig to 230 psig;
• and
• (x) forming a resultant tetrapolymer with the following characteristics:
• 1. polymer chain branching as characterized by a tangent delta ranging from 0.15 to 0.75;
• 2. a non-linear relationship between viscosity and shear as characterized by the tangent delta from 0.15 to 0.75;
• 3. a weight average molecular weight of a weight average molecular weight of 500,000 to 2,500,000;
• 4. a Mooney viscosity ranging from (ML 1+4@ 125 degrees Celsius) 50 to (ML 1+4@ 150 degrees Celsius) 215;
• 5. an ethylene to alpha olefin ratio ranging from 40:60 to 80:20;
• 6. a molecular weight distribution ranging from 3.0 to 10;
• 7. a combined weight content of ethylene and alpha olefin of 50 percent to 80 percent based upon the total weight of the VNB EPDM tetrapolymer;
• 8. a first non-conjugated diene content of 0.01 percent to 25 percent by weight content based upon the total weight of the VNB EPDM tetrapolymer;
• and
• 9. a second non-conjugated diene content if used of 0.01 percent to 5 percent by weight content based upon the total weight of the VNB EPDM tetrapolymer;
• b. in a second reactor continuously making a liquid phase ultrahigh molecular weight ENB EPDM terpolymer comprising ethylene monomers, propylene monomers, and a first non-conjugated diene monomer by:
• (i) introducing a saturated hydrocarbon stream;
• (ii) introducing a propylene monomer to the saturated hydrocarbon stream at a rate sufficient to achieve propylene content in a final liquid phase ultrahigh molecular weight ENB EPDM terpolymer of 25 percent to 35 percent of total weight;
• (iii) introducing hydrogen gas to the saturated hydrocarbon stream at a rate sufficient to control the molecular weight of the final liquid phase ultrahigh molecular weight ENB EPDM terpolymer;
• (iv) introducing a first diene to the saturated hydrocarbon stream at a rate sufficient to achieve desired first diene content in the final terpolymer product;
• (v) introducing an ethylene monomer to the saturated hydrocarbon stream at a rate sufficient to initiate the polymerization reaction and achieve desired ethylene content in a final liquid phase ultrahigh molecular weight ENB EPDM terpolymer of 60 percent to 75 percent of total weight;
• (vi) cooling the saturated hydrocarbon stream, the propylene monomer, the hydrogen gas, the first diene, and the ethylene monomer to below 35 degrees Celsius to create a cooled mixture with the terpolymer;
• (vii) concurrently introducing a Ziegler-Natta catalyst, a co-catalyst, and optionally a promoter into a continuous flow reactor with the terpolymer, wherein:
• 1. the Ziegler-Natta catalyst comprises a transition metal or a transition metal compound;
• 2. the co-catalyst comprises a metal alkyl comprising a halogen element;
• and
• 3. the promoter if used comprises an oxidizing agent capable of oxidizing the transition metal, and the oxidizing agent is capable of generating at least one halogen free-radical per mole of the promoter;
• (viii) reacting the cooled mixture with the terpolymer, the Ziegler-Natta catalyst, the co-catalyst, the promoter if used, in solution phase for 30 minutes to 60 minutes at a temperature from 35 degrees Celsius to 65 degrees Celsius and a pressure from 190 psig to 230 psig;
• and
• (ix) forming an ultrahigh molecular weight ENB EPDM terpolymer;
• and
• c. continuously blending the VNB EPDM tetrapolymer with the ultrahigh molecular weight ENB EPDM terpolymer forming a low damping high strength polymer with high density impact absorbency and heat resistance.