# US 2016/0355644 A1 · Process for producing modified poly(propene), the modified poly(propene) and the use thereof, and the polymer blend

> Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt

- Number: US 2016/0355644 A1
- Document ID: US20160355644A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 14/913,620
- Filed: 2014-08-25
- Published: 2016-12-08
- Earliest claimed: 2013-08-23
- Assignees: Braskem S.A.
- Applicants: Braskem S.A.
- Inventors: Ana Paula de Azeredo; Marcelo Farah
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20160355644A1

## CPC

- C08J 3/22: using masterbatch techniques
- C08F 8/00: Chemical modification by after-treatment (graft polymers, block polymers, crosslinking with unsaturated monomers or with polymers C08F251/00 - C08F299/00; of conjugated diene rubbers C08C)
- C08J 3/226: {using a polymer as a carrier}
- C08K 5/098: Metal salts of carboxylic acids
- C08K 5/43: Compounds containing sulfur bound to nitrogen
- C08L 23/10: Homopolymers or copolymers of propene
- C08L 23/12: Polypropene
- C08L 51/06: grafted on to homopolymers or copolymers of aliphatic hydrocarbons containing only one carbon-to-carbon double bond
- C08F 2810/10: including a reactive processing step which leads, inter alia, to morphological and/or rheological modifications, e.g. visbreaking
- C08J 2323/10: Homopolymers or copolymers of propene
- C08J 2323/12: Polypropene
- C08J 2323/16: Ethene-propene or ethene-propene-diene copolymers
- C08J 2423/02: not modified by chemical after treatment
- C08L 2310/00: Masterbatches
- C08J: WORKING-UP; GENERAL PROCESSES OF COMPOUNDING; AFTER-TREATMENT NOT COVERED BY SUBCLASSES C08B, C08C, C08F, C08G or C08H (working, e.g. shaping, of plastics B29)
- C08F: MACROMOLECULAR COMPOUNDS OBTAINED BY REACTIONS ONLY INVOLVING CARBON-TO-CARBON UNSATURATED BONDS
- C08K: Use of inorganic or non-macromolecular organic substances as compounding ingredients (paints, inks, varnishes, dyes, polishes, adhesives C09)
- C08L: COMPOSITIONS OF MACROMOLECULAR COMPOUNDS (compositions based on polymerisable monomers C08F, C08G; artificial filaments or fibres D01F; textile treating compositions D06)

## Abstract

The present application refers to a process for the modification of polypropylene, wherein amount, size and configuration of the branches are controlled, the process comprising the steps of (A) preparing a bis(sulphonazide) (BSA) masterbatch by dispersing BSA in polyolefin; (B) adding (i) at least one fatty acid salt with metal cation having valence of 1+ to 3+; and (ii) the BSA masterbatch prepared in step (A) to the polypropylene to be modified. Said modified polypropylene of the present invention possesses properties suitable for use in foaming, blowing, thermoforming, recoating, film extrusion, BOPP, spinning processes and other processes and applications, and it is also suitable to be in contact with food products.

## Claims

### Claim 1

Process for the production of a modified polypropylene, characterized in that it comprises the following steps of:
(A) preparing a bis(sulfonazide) (BSA) masterbatch by dispersing BSA in polyolefin; and
(B) adding (i) at least one fatty acid salt with a metal cation of valence 1+ to 3+, and (ii) the BSA masterbatch prepared in step (A) in the polypropylene to be modified.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

Process, in accordance with claim 1, characterized in that steps (A) and (B) occur by extrusion.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

Process, in accordance with claim 2, characterized in that the extruder screw is selected from single, double or planetary screw, interpenetrating or non-interpenetrating and counter-rotating or co-rotating screw.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

Process, in accordance with claim 3, characterized in that in step (A) the screw L/D is higher than 20 and in step (B) the extruder is selected from an industrial extruder having a diameter higher than 250 mm and L/D higher than 10, or the compounding extruder with a diameter of 20 to 250 mm and L/D higher than 25.

### Claim 5 (depends on 2)

Process, in accordance with claim 2, characterized in that the residence time of step (A) is lower than 40 s and residence time of step (B) is lower than 30 s.

### Claim 6 (depends on 2)

Process, in accordance with claim 2 characterized in that the extrusion temperature of step (A) is lower than 190° C., preferably lower than 180° C., and the extrusion temperature of step (B) is lower than 270° C., preferably lower than 250° C.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

Process, in accordance with claim 1, characterized in that steps (A) and (B) occur integrally or independently.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

Process, in accordance with claim 1, characterized in that BSA is selected from the group comprising sulphonyl azides, poly(sulfonyl azides), phosphazene azides, poly(phosphazene azides), silyl azides, poly(silyl azides), formyl azides, poly(formyl azides), azides, poly(azides), N-chlorosulfonamides salts, N, N-dichlorosulfonamides, inner salts of 2-trialkyl-1-sulfonylhydrazides, diazo alkanes, poly(diazo alkanes), geminally-substituted methylene groups, ketenes, metallocarbenes, and mixtures thereof.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

Process, in accordance with claim 1, characterized in that BSA is 4,4′-diphenyl ether bis(sulphonazide).

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

Process, in accordance with claim 1, characterized in that BSA can be in a liquid, suspension and solid form, in physical mixtures with polymers and/or in molecular melt form.

### Claim 11 (depends on 1)

Process, in accordance with claim 1, characterized in that in step (A) the amount of BSA in the masterbatch is lower than 7.5%.

### Claim 12 (depends on 1, 10)

Process, in accordance with claim 1 or 10, characterized in that in that the amount of molecular melt in the masterbatch is up to 80%, preferably between 5% and 35% in the masterbatch composition.

### Claim 13 (depends on 1)

Process, in accordance with claim 1, characterized in that the amount of BSA in the modified polypropylene ranges from 200 to 2000 ppm.

### Claim 14 (depends on 1)

Process, in accordance with claim 1, characterized in that the polyolefin of step (A) is selected from the group consisting of polyethylene, poly alpha-olefins, polypropylene, copolymers of ethylene alfa-olefins having 3 to 10 carbon atoms, copolymers of propylene ethene and/or alfa-olefins having 4 to 10 carbon atoms, and mixtures thereof.

### Claim 15 (depends on 1)

Process, in accordance with claim 1, characterized in that the polyolefin of step (A) is a polypropylene selected from the group comprising homopolymers, copolymers, heterophasic copolymer/homopolymer matric (HECO) of random propylene/alpha-olefin heterophasic copolymer matrix (RAHECO) and/or random copolymer (RACO) comprising propylene/ethylene and/or a-olefin containing from 4 to 10 carbon atoms

### Claim 16 (depends on 15)

Process, in accordance with claim 15, characterized in that IF of the polypropylene ranges from 1 to 300 g/min.

### Claim 17 (depends on 1)

Process, in accordance with claim 1, characterized in that the polypropylene to be modified is selected from the group comprising homopolymers, copolymers, heterophasic copolymer/homopolymer matric (HECO) of random propylene/alpha-olefin heterophasic copolymer matrix (RAHECO) and/or random copolymer (RACO) comprising propylene/ethylene and/or a-olefin containing from 4 to 10 carbon atoms.

### Claim 18 (depends on 17)

Process, in accordance with claim 17, characterized in that IF of the polypropylene to be modified ranges from 1 to 300 g/min.

### Claim 19 (depends on 1)

Process, in accordance with claim 1, characterized in that the polyolefin and polypropylene to be modified are in the form of pellet, spheres, powder and/or mixture thereof.

### Claim 20 (depends on 1)

Process, in accordance with claim 1, characterized in that additives selected from the group comprising nucleants, flame retardants, pigments, anti-UV agents, COF controllers, mold-release agents, IR-absorption agents, demolding auxiliaries, anti-static agents, and mixtures thereof are optionally added in steps (A) and/or (B).

### Claim 21 (depends on 1)

Process, in accordance with claim 1, characterized in that antioxidants selected from the group comprising phenolic antioxidants, phosphates, phosphites, and mixtures thereof are optionally added in steps (A) and/or (B).

### Claim 22 (depends on 1)

Process, in accordance with claim 1, characterized in that compatibilizers or fatty acid salts with metal cations having valence of 1+ to 3+ are optionally added in step (A).

### Claim 23 (depends on 1, 22)

Process, in accordance with claim 1 or 22, characterized in that the fatty acid salts are stearates and the metal cation is selected from Ca, Zn, Mg, Na, Li and Ba.

### Claim 24 (depends on 1)

Process, in accordance with claim 1, characterized in that in step (B) the fatty acid salts are added in an amount ranging from 200 to 6000 ppm based on the total mass of modified polypropylene.

### Claim 25 (depends on 1)

Process, in accordance with claim 1, characterized in that the masterbatch has a reduction of domains of BSA and/or molecular melt for median values lower than 50 μm.

### Claim 26 (depends on 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25)

Modified polypropylene produced by the process as defined in any of claims 1 to 25, characterized in that it has g′ lower than 1, Bn greater than 0.1 and IF lower than 100 g/10 min.

### Claim 27 (depends on 26)

Modified polypropylene, in accordance with claim 26, characterized in that it has g′ superior to 0.55 and Bn lower than 4 atoms per 1000 carbon atoms.

### Claim 28 (depends on 26, 27)

Modified polypropylene, in accordance with claim 26 or 27, characterized in that it has a melt strength higher than 30 cN, extensibility higher than 11 cm/s, activation energy lower than 120 kJ/mol, g′ lower than 0.75, Bn higher than 2 carbon atoms per every 1000 atoms and IF between 2 and 6 g/10 min.

### Claim 29 (depends on 26, 27, 28)

Modified polypropylene, in accordance with any of claims 26 to 28, characterized in that it has an amount of residues lower than 6 ppm.

### Claim 30 (depends on 26, 27, 28, 29)

Use of the modified polypropylene, as defined in any of claims 26 to 29, characterized in that it is for application in foaming, thermoforming, injection, blown films, flat films, BOPP, injection, fibers, raffia, recoating, and blowing.

### Claim 31 (depends on 26, 27, 28, 29)

Polymer blend comprising the modified polypropylene, as defined in any of claims 26 to 29, characterized in that it comprises at least one polymer selected from linear PP homopolymer, random and heterophasic copolymers, HDPE, LDPE, LLDPE, EVA, copolymer of ethene/octene, ethene/butane, ethene hexene, EPR thermoplastic rubbers, and mixture thereof.

### Claim 32 (depends on 31)

Polymer blend, in accordance with claim 31, characterized in that the modified polypropylene is present in amounts ranging from 5% to 95%.