# US 2019/0169334 A1 · Microstructure-controlled copolymers of ethylene and c3-c10 alpha-olefins

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- Number: US 2019/0169334 A1
- Document ID: US20190169334A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 16/271,419
- Filed: 2019-02-08
- Published: 2019-06-06
- Earliest claimed: 2016-12-13
- Assignees: Afton Chemical Corporation
- Applicants: Afton Chemical Corporation
- Inventors: Nathaniel Cain; John Loper; Lawrence Cunningham; Joseph W. Roos
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20190169334A1

## CPC

- C08L 23/0815: {with aliphatic 1-olefins containing one carbon-to-carbon double bond}
- C08F 10/02: Ethene
- C08F 10/06: Propene
- C08F 110/00: Homopolymers of unsaturated aliphatic hydrocarbons having only one carbon-to-carbon double bond
- C08F 210/00: Copolymers of unsaturated aliphatic hydrocarbons having only one carbon-to-carbon double bond
- C08F 210/16: Copolymers of ethene with alpha-alkenes, e.g. EP rubbers
- C08K 3/22: of metals
- C08K 3/38: Boron-containing compounds
- B01J 2231/20: Olefin oligomerisation or telomerisation
- C08F 4/65908: {in combination with an ionising compound other than alumoxane, e.g. (C6F5)4B-X+}
- C08F 4/65912: {in combination with an organoaluminium compound}
- C08F 2500/02: Low molecular weight, e.g. <100,000 Da.
- C08F 2500/03: Narrow molecular weight distribution, i.e. Mw/Mn < 3
- C08F 2500/06: Comonomer distribution, e.g. normal, reverse or narrow
- C08F 2800/10: as molar percentages
- C08K 2003/2227: {of aluminium}
- C08K 2003/2244: {of zirconium}
- C08L: COMPOSITIONS OF MACROMOLECULAR COMPOUNDS (compositions based on polymerisable monomers C08F, C08G; artificial filaments or fibres D01F; textile treating compositions D06)
- 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)
- B01J: CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROCESSES, e.g. CATALYSIS OR COLLOID CHEMISTRY; THEIR RELEVANT APPARATUS

## Abstract

A copolymer including ethylene units and units of one or more C3-10 alpha-olefins. The copolymer has a number average molecular weight of less than 5,000 g/mol, as measured by GPC. The ethylene content of the copolymer is less than 80 mol %. At least 70% of molecules of the copolymer have an unsaturated group, and at least 70% of said unsaturated groups are located in a terminal vinylidene group or a tri-substituted isomer of a terminal vinylidene group. The copolymer has a crossover temperature of −20° C. or lower and/or a certain ethylene run length. Also disclosed are a method for making the copolymer and polyolefins plasticized with 1-40 wt % of the copolymer.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A copolymer comprising ethylene units and units of one or more C3-10 alpha-olefins,
wherein the copolymer has a number average molecular weight of less than 5,000 g/mol as measured by GPC;
wherein the ethylene content of the copolymer is less than 80 mol %;
at least 70% of molecules of the copolymer have an unsaturated group, and at least 70% of said unsaturated groups are located in a terminal vinylidene group or a tri-substituted isomer of a terminal vinylidene group; and
wherein the copolymer has an average ethylene unit run length (nC2) which is less than 2.8, as determined by 13C NMR spectroscopy, and satisfies the relationship shown by the expression below:
n
C


2
<
(
EEE
+
EEA
+
AEA
)
(
AEA
+
0.5


EEA
)
wherein
EEE=(xC2)3,
EEA=2(xC2)2(1−xC2),
AEA=xC2(1−xC2)2,
xC2 being the mole fraction of ethylene incorporated in the polymer as measured by 1H-NMR spectroscopy, E representing an ethylene unit, and A representing an alpha olefin unit.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The copolymer of claim 1, wherein the copolymer has a crossover temperature of −20° C. or lower.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The copolymer of claim 1, wherein the copolymer has an average ethylene unit run length of less than 2.6.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The copolymer of claim 1, the ethylene content of the copolymer is less than 70 mol %.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The copolymer of claim 1, wherein the ethylene content of the copolymer is less than 55 mol %.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The copolymer of claim 1, wherein the ethylene content of the copolymer is at least 10 mol % and less than 70 mol %.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The copolymer of claim 1, wherein the ethylene content of the copolymer is at least 40 mol % and less than 60 mol %.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The copolymer of claim 1, wherein the C3-C10 alpha-olefin content of the copolymer is at least 40 mol %.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The copolymer of claim 1, wherein at least 85 mol % of the copolymer terminates in the terminal vinylidene group or the tri-substituted isomer of the terminal vinylidene group.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The copolymer of claim 1, wherein the copolymer has an average ethylene unit run length of less than 2.4.

### Claim 11 (depends on 1)

The copolymer of claim 1, wherein the copolymer has an average ethylene unit run length of less than 2.

### Claim 12 (depends on 1)

The copolymer of claim 1, wherein the crossover temperature of the copolymer is −30° C. or lower.

### Claim 13 (depends on 1)

The copolymer of claim 1, wherein the crossover temperature of the copolymer is −40° C. or lower.

### Claim 14 (depends on 1)

The copolymer of claim 1, wherein the copolymer has a polydispersity index of less than or equal to 4.

### Claim 15 (depends on 1)

The copolymer of claim 1, wherein the copolymer has a polydispersity index of less than or equal to 3.

### Claim 16 (depends on 1)

The copolymer of claim 1, wherein the C3-C10 alpha-olefin units comprise propylene units.

### Claim 17 (depends on 1)

The copolymer of claim 1, wherein the number average molecular weight of the copolymer is between 800 and 4,000 g/mol, as measured by GPC.

### Claim 18 (depends on 1)

The copolymer of claim 1, wherein less than 20% of unit triads in the copolymer are ethylene-ethylene-ethylene triads.

### Claim 19 (depends on 1)

The copolymer of claim 1, wherein the copolymer is an ethylene-propylene copolymer and has a number average molecular weight less than 3,500 g/mol, as measured by GPC.

### Claim 20 (depends on 19)

The copolymer of claim 19, wherein the ethylene content of the copolymer is at least 10 mol % and less than 70 mol %.