Propylene polymers for fibers and fabrics
AssigneeExxonMobil Chemical Patents Inc.
InventorsG. Allan Stahl, Galen C. Richeson
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Abstract
This invention relates generally to fibers and fabrics prepared using crystalline propylene polymer compositions comprising both propylene homopolymer and propylene copolymer. The propylene polymer compositions are prepared using at least one metallocene catalyst system in a polymerization process that involves the initial homopolymerization of propylene followed by the copolymerization of propylene with a small amount of comonomer. Fibers prepared with these propylene polymers are significantly more elastic and fabrics prepared with these polymers have a significantly broader bonding window which allows for more easy processing compared to fibers and fabrics prepared from known propylene polymers.
Claims18
A fiber comprising a crystalline propylene polymer composition comprising:
- a) from about 10 to about 90 weight percent crystalline, isotactic propylene homopolymer having a molecular weight distribution of less than or equal to 3;
- b) from about 90 to about 10 weight percent crystalline propylone copolymer having a molecular weight distribution of less than or equal to 3, wherein the weight percent of the comnonomer based on the total weight of the polymer is in the range of from about 0.05 to about 15;
- and
- c) wherein the polymer composition is prepared with a catalyst system consisting essentially of one metallocene catalyst.
A fabric comprising a crystalline propylene polymer composition comprising:
- a) from about 10 to about 90 weight percent crystalline, isotatic propylene homopolymer haaving a molecular weight distribution of less than or equal to 3;
- b) from about 90 to about 10 weight percent crystalline propylene copolymer having a molecular weight distibution of less than about 3, wherein the weight percent of the comonomer based on the total weight of the polymer is in the range of from about 0.05 to about 15;
- and
- wherein the polymer composition is prepared with a catalyst system consisting essentially of one metallocene catalyst.
A fiber comprising a crystalline propylene polymer composition comprising:
- a) from about 10 to about 90 weight percent crystalline, isotactic propylene homopolymer having a molecular weight distribution of less than or equal to 3, and a weight average molecular weight from 25,000 to 1,500,000;
- b) from about 90 to about 10 weight percent crystalline propylene copolymer having a molecular weight distribution of less tan about 3, wherein the weight percent of the comonomer based on the total weight of the polymer is in the range of from about 0.05 to about 8;
- and
- c) wherein the polymer composition is prepared with a catalyst system consisting essentially of one metallocene catalyst.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.