Random propylene-based copolymer compositions with low ethylene content and methods related thereto

Abstract

Comprising an ethylene / propylene random copolymer composition comprising an ethylene content of from about 0.1% to about 0.47% by weight, a molecular weight distribution of from about 5 to about 20, a plate haze of from about 10% to about 35%, and a flexural modulus of from about 250 kps i to about 350 kps i.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to low ethylene content propylene-based random copolymer compositions and methods related thereto, and more particularly, to low ethylene content propylene-based random copolymer compositions having improved strength and toughness while maintaining transparency and methods related thereto. Background Art

[0002] Polypropylene is one of the most widely used thermoplastics for various applications due to its excellent physical properties. In particular, compared with other polyolefins, polypropylene shows excellent performance in chemical resistance, tensile strength and easy processability to organic solvents. The conventional use of polypropylene includes packaged products (molded products), such as food containers, beverage containers, storage containers, plastic cans, lids and covers associated therewith, etc. These packaged products are usually expected to be rigid so that they can be formed into different shapes suitable for specific applications and keep this shape. In addition, such packaged products are usually expected to be characterized by high transparency (low haze), making it easy to observe the packaged articles.

[0003] However, polypropylene samples may be very brittle and therefore may exhibit undesirable mechanical properties, particularly for use in packaging products. Therefore, polypropylene is typically compounded with elastomeric polymers such as ethylene to form random copolymers with improved impact strength and toughness. The ethylene content in polypropylene copolymers is used for product packaging due to this impact strength and toughness as well as other advantages, including favorable heat sealing properties. However, as the ethylene content increases, undesirable side effects may result, such as large amounts of extractables, leading to processing difficulties and constraints in food and medical packaging product applications. Some of these processing difficulties, such as an increased tendency for oligomer / additive migration, may cause visible signs of blooming that negatively affect transparency.

[0004] Thus, there remains a need for a low ethylene content ethylene / propylene copolymer having advantageous strength and toughness without sacrificing clarity for use in rigid packaging products. Summary of the invention SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0005] The present disclosure relates to low ethylene content propylene-based random copolymer compositions and methods related thereto, and more particularly, to low ethylene content propylene-based random copolymer compositions having improved strength and toughness while maintaining transparency and methods related thereto.

[0006] Non-limiting examples of one or more aspects of the present disclosure include compositions comprising ethylene / propylene random copolymers. The ethylene / propylene random copolymers include an ethylene content of about 0.1 wt % to about 0.47 wt %, a molecular weight distribution of about 5 to about 20, a plaque haze of about 10% to about 35%, and a flexural modulus of about 250 kpsi to about 350 kpsi.

[0007] Non-limiting examples of one or more aspects of the present disclosure include a method of polymerizing ethylene and propylene monomers to produce an ethylene / propylene random copolymer. The ethylene / propylene random copolymer includes an ethylene content of about 0.1 wt % to about 0.47 wt %, a molecular weight distribution of about 5 to about 20, a plate haze of about 10% to about 35%, and a flexural modulus of about 250 kpsi to about 350 kpsi.

[0008] Non-limiting examples of one or more aspects of the present disclosure include molded articles comprising ethylene / propylene random copolymers, wherein the ethylene / propylene random copolymers include an ethylene content of about 0.1 wt % to about 0.47 wt %, a molecular weight distribution of about 5 to about 20, a plate haze of about 10% to about 35%, and a flexural modulus of about 250 kpsi to about 350 kpsi. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] The present disclosure relates to low ethylene content propylene-based random copolymer compositions and methods related thereto, and more particularly, to low ethylene content propylene-based random copolymer compositions having improved strength and toughness while maintaining transparency and methods related thereto.

[0010] As mentioned above, ethylene / propylene random copolymers can be effectively used to make packaging products, particularly rigid packaging products, but may suffer from a compromise between strength / toughness and transparency. The present disclosure alleviates the aforementioned difficulties and also provides related advantages. In particular, the present disclosure provides improvements in the strength and toughness of ethylene / propylene random copolymers by utilizing the broad molecular weight distribution of ethylene / propylene random copolymers, which allows for a reduction in ethylene content and thus improved transparency.

[0011] Illustrative aspects of the present disclosure include ethylene / propylene random copolymers, methods of making the same, and packaging products made therefrom. Definitions and test methods

[0012] All numerical values ​​in the detailed description and claims herein are modified by "about" or "approximately" relative to the indicated value, and take into account experimental errors and deviations that would be expected by one of ordinary skill in the art. Unless otherwise indicated, ambient temperature (room temperature or "RT") is about 25°C.

[0013] As used in this disclosure and the appended claims, the singular forms "a," "an," and "the" include plural referents unless the context clearly dictates otherwise.

[0014] The term "and / or" used in phrases such as "A and / or B" herein is intended to include "A and B", "A or B", "A" and "B".

[0015] For purposes of this disclosure and its claims, the following definitions shall apply.

[0016] As used herein, "copolymer" and grammatical variations thereof consist of polymerized comonomers of propylene and ethylene. The copolymers described herein are "random copolymers" in which the ethylene monomer residues are randomly located within the polypropylene polymer. As used herein, the term "co-polypropylene polymer" will refer to a random copolymer of propylene and ethylene.

[0017] As used herein, the term "melt flow rate" or "MFR" and grammatical variations thereof are the grams extruded in 10 minutes under a standard load and are inversely proportional to viscosity. A high MFR means a low viscosity and a low MFR means a high viscosity. In addition, the copolymers described herein are shear thinning, which means that their resistance to flow decreases with increasing shear rate. This is attributed to the molecular alignment in the direction of flow and disentanglement. The MFR (I2, 230°C, 2.16 kg) as provided herein is determined according to ASTM D-1238-E (20) and is measured in grams per minute (g / min).

[0018] Unless otherwise indicated, the term "melting temperature" or "Tm" and grammatical variations thereof refer to the melting temperature of the copolymer at the extruder die and are expressed in °C.

[0019] The term "crystallization temperature" or "Tc" and grammatical variations thereof refers to the temperature at which a copolymer melt transitions from the amorphous-liquid state to the crystalline state and is reported in °C unless otherwise indicated.

[0020] As used herein, the term "plate haze" and grammatical variations thereof refer to the scattering of light as it passes through the co-polypropylene polymer of the present disclosure. Plate haze is determined according to ASTM D1003B-21 based on 1 mm plate thickness.

[0021] The term "flexural modulus" and grammatical variations thereof refer to the tendency of a material to bend with respect to the stress-strain ratio and is determined in accordance with ASTM D790A- 17. The units of flexural modulus are kilopounds per square inch (kpsi).

[0022] The term "tensile strength" and its grammatical variations refer to the plastic strength specification of unreinforced and reinforced polymers. The test method uses a 14 mm thick standard dog bone specimen and is conducted in accordance with ASTM D638-22. The units of tensile strength are pounds per square inch (psi).

[0023] As used herein, the term "notched Izod" and its grammatical variations refer to a measure of resistance to impact from a swinging pendulum; it is the degree of kinetic energy required to initiate a fracture in a material and to continue the fracture until the material breaks. Notched Izod is determined according to ASTM D256A-10 and is measured in foot-pounds per inch (ft-lb / in).

[0024] The “M n ” is the number average molecular weight, “M w ” is the weight average molecular weight. Unless otherwise indicated, all molecular weight units (e.g., M w and M n ), including molecular weight data, are in kilograms per mole (kg / mol). Molecular weight is measured according to GPC-4D method.

[0025] As used herein, the term "molecular weight distribution" or "MWD" and its grammatical variations are equivalent to the expression M w / M n , and is also called the polydispersity index (PDI). The expression M w / M n It is M w With M n The ratio of M w It is given by:

[0026] M n It is given by: Where n in the above equation i is a molecular weight M i The ratio of the number of molecules.

[0027] As used herein, the term "ethylene percent" or "C2%" and grammatical variations thereof refer to the percentage of ethylene included in the co-polypropylene polymer.

[0028] As used herein, the terms "slurry polymerization", "slurry" and "slurry polymerization reactor" and grammatical variations thereof each refer to a process in which an olefin (e.g., propylene) is partially dissolved or insoluble in the polymerization medium. During slurry polymerization, the catalyst components, solvent, α-olefin and hydrogen may be conveyed under pressure to one or more slurry polymerization reactors. Typically, the catalyst components are fed to the slurry polymerization reactor as a mixture in an aliphatic hydrocarbon solvent, oil, a mixture thereof or as a dry powder.

[0029] The term "extruder" and its grammatical variants used herein include any machine suitable for polyolefin extrusion. For example, the term includes a machine that can extrude polyolefin in the form of powder or pellets, sheets, fibers or other shapes and / or profiles, but is not limited thereto. Typically, an extruder is operated by feeding a polymer material through a feed throat that contacts one or more rotating screws. The rotating screw (one or more) forces the polyolefin to enter one or more heated barrels forward. In some processes, a heating curve can be set for the barrel, wherein one or more (e.g., three or more) independent proportional-integral-differential controllers (PID) controlled heater zones can gradually increase the temperature of the barrel. The extruder can be a single screw or twin screw extruder. Co-polypropylene random copolymers, methods and systems

[0030] Compositions and methods for producing co-polypropylene polymers include preparing co-polypropylene polymer compositions having low ethylene content, having broad MWD, exhibiting enhanced flexural modulus values ​​(stiffness) and tensile strength without compromising sheet haze (clarity).

[0031] The compositions and methods disclosed herein include preparing co-polypropylene polymer compositions having broad MWD and enhanced strength and toughness while maintaining transparency by polymerization. The co-polypropylene polymer compositions disclosed herein may include a mixture of a polypropylene polymer and a low concentration of a second polyethylene polymer, as described herein.

[0032] The co-polypropylene polymers of the present disclosure may have an ethylene content of less than about 0.47 wt%, such as less than about 0.46 wt%, or in the range of about 0 wt% to about 0.47 wt%, encompassing any values ​​and subgroups therebetween.

[0033] The co-polypropylene polymers of the present disclosure may have a flexural modulus greater than about 250 kpsi, such as in the range of about 250 kpsi to about 350 kpsi, encompassing any values ​​and subgroups therebetween.

[0034] The co-polypropylene polymers of the present disclosure may have a tensile strength greater than about 5500 psi, such as greater than about 5600 psi, or in the range of about 5500 psi to about 6500 psi, encompassing any values ​​and subgroups therebetween.

[0035] The co-polypropylene polymers of the present disclosure may have a plaque haze of less than about 35%, such as in the range of about 10% to about 35%, or about 30%, based on a 1 mm thick sample, encompassing any values ​​and subgroups therebetween.

[0036] The co-polypropylene polymers of the present disclosure may have an MFR at 230°C ranging from about 2 g / 10 min to about 100 g / 10 min, encompassing any values ​​and subgroups therebetween.

[0037] The co-polypropylene polymers of the present disclosure may have a melting temperature (Tm) ranging from about 150°C to about 170°C, encompassing any values ​​and subgroups therebetween.

[0038] The co-polypropylene polymers of the present disclosure may have a crystallization temperature (Tc) of about 100°C to about 140°C, encompassing any values ​​and subgroups therebetween.

[0039] The co-polypropylene polymers of the present disclosure described herein have a molecular weight (Mw) of about 300 kg / mol to about 700 kg / mol, such as about 350 kg / mol to about 600 kg / mol, or about 350 kg / mol to about 500 kg / mol, encompassing any values ​​and subgroups therebetween.

[0040] The co-polypropylene polymers of the present disclosure may have an MWD of about 5 to about 20, such as about 5 to about 16, or about 7 to about 16, encompassing any values ​​and subgroups therebetween.

[0041] The co-polypropylene polymers of the present disclosure may have a 23°C notched Izod impact value of about 0.5 ft-lb / in to about 1 ft-lb / in, such as about 0.8 ft-lb / in to about 0.9 ft-lb / in, including any values ​​and subgroups therebetween. The methods disclosed herein may include a single-stage or multi-stage polymerization process having a first stage in which the polypropylene polymerization reaction produces a first polypropylene and a second stage in which a second polyethylene polymer is produced. The two polymers may be co-extruded to form the co-polypropylene polymers of the present disclosure. In one or more aspects, co-extrusion compounding may be achieved using a screw extruder, such as a ZSK 45Mc 18 Screw extruder (Coperion, Stuttgart, Germany).

[0042] The methods described herein can be used in combination with other techniques to tailor strength and toughness without compromising clarity, including post-reactor modification by crosslinking or blending with other additives such as antioxidants.

[0043] The method of preparing the co-polypropylene polymer composition of the present disclosure may include polymerizing propylene and ethylene with a non-phthalate Ziegler-Natta catalyst system to form an ethylene / propylene random copolymer composition, and extruding the ethylene / propylene random copolymer composition to form the co-polypropylene polymer composition.

[0044] Various Ziegler-Natta procatalysts can be used in non-phthalate catalyst systems, but other catalyst systems for polymerizing propylene and ethylene can be used without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. For example, the Ziegler-Natta procatalyst composition can include a transition metal compound and a Group 2 metal compound. The transition metal compound can include a solid complex derived from the transition metal compound, such as titanium-, zirconium-, chromium- or vanadium-hydrocarbyl oxides, hydrocarbyl compounds, halides or mixtures thereof. In one or more aspects, the Ziegler-Natta procatalyst composition comprises a titanium transition metal, a magnesium Group 2 metal and a chlorine halogen.

[0045] The polymerization process comprises polymerizing ethylene (at low concentrations) and propylene in the presence of a non-phthalate catalyst system under reaction conditions sufficient to form the co-polypropylene polymer composition of the present disclosure.

[0046] Any kind of polymerization process suitable for preparing polyolefins can be used with the catalyst system. The polymerization can be carried out, for example, in the bulk phase using a liquid monomer (e.g., propylene) as a reaction medium, in a slurry using an inert liquid (e.g., hydrocarbon) as a diluent, in a solution using a monomer or an inert hydrocarbon as a polymerization solvent, or in the gas phase, wherein operating in one or more fluidized or mechanically stirred bed reactors.

[0047] Copolymerization-polypropylene polymer compositions disclosed herein can include one or more additives in one or more stages of the polymerization process and / or before or after polymerization. Suitable additives can include mechanical and rheological modifiers, such as carbon nanomaterials, including carbon nanotubes, graphene, fullerenes, diamond-like carbon (diamond-like carbon) or carbon black, fibers, nanocrystalline cellulose, cellulose nanofibrils, silica, silica-alumina, aluminum oxide such as (pseudo) boehmite, gibbsite, titanium oxide, zirconium oxide, cationic clay or anionic clay such as soapstone, bentonite, kaolin, sepiolite, hydrotalcite, etc. Additives can also include metal oxides, such as trihydrate aluminum oxide (ATH), aluminum monohydrate, magnesium hydroxide, magnesium silicate, talc, silicon dioxide (such as pyrogenic silicon dioxide and precipitated silica) and calcium carbonate, calcium metasilicate, wollastonite, dolomite, perlite, hollow glass spheres, kaolin, etc.

[0048] Other additives may include fillers; antioxidants (e.g., hindered phenols such as IRGANOX available from Ciba-Geigy); TM 1010 or IRGANOX TM 1076); phosphites (such as Irgafos available from Ciba-Geigy TM 168); nucleating agents (e.g., aromatic carboxylates, organic derivatives of dibenzylidene sorbitol, organic phosphates, inorganic materials lacking polymer solubility); anti-adhesion additives; tackifiers such as polybutene, terpene resins, aliphatic and aromatic hydrocarbon resins, alkali metal and glycerol stearates and hydrogenated rosin; UV stabilizers such as titanium oxide, zinc oxide, benzophenone, benzotriazole, aromatic esters, sterically hindered amines, etc.; heat stabilizers; anti-blocking agents; mold release agents; antistatic agents; pigments; colorants; dyes; waxes; silica; fillers; talc, etc. Example Implementation

[0049] Non-limiting example embodiments of the present disclosure include:

[0050] Embodiment A: A composition comprising: an ethylene / propylene random copolymer comprising an ethylene content of about 0.1 wt% to about 0.47 wt%, a molecular weight distribution of about 5 to about 20, a plate haze of about 10% to about 35%, and a flexural modulus of about 250 kpsi to about 350 kpsi.

[0051] Embodiment B: A method comprising: polymerizing ethylene and propylene monomers to prepare an ethylene / propylene random copolymer composition, wherein the ethylene / propylene random copolymer composition comprises an ethylene content of about 0.1 wt% to about 0.47 wt%, a molecular weight distribution of about 5 to about 20, a plate haze of about 10% to about 35%, and a flexural modulus of about 250 kpsi to about 350 kpsi.

[0052] Embodiment C: A molded article comprising an ethylene / propylene random copolymer composition comprising an ethylene content of about 0.1 wt% to about 0.47 wt%, a molecular weight distribution of about 5 to about 20, a plate haze of about 10% to about 35%, and a flexural modulus of about 250 kpsi to about 350 kpsi.

[0053] Non-limiting example embodiments A, B or C may include one or more of the following elements:

[0054] Element 1: wherein the composition has a tensile strength of about 5500 psi to about 6500 psi.

[0055] Element 2: wherein the composition has a melt flow rate at 230°C of about 2 g / 10 min to about 100 g / 10 min.

[0056] Element 3: wherein the composition has a melting temperature of about 150°C to about 170°C.

[0057] Element 4: wherein the composition has a crystallization temperature of about 100°C to about 140°C.

[0058] Element 5: wherein the composition has a molecular weight of about 300 kg / mol to about 700 kg / mol.

[0059] Element 6: wherein the composition has a 23°C notched Izod impact value of about 0.5 ft-lb / in to about 1 ft-lb / in.

[0060] Element 7: wherein the composition has a tensile strength of about 5500 psi to about 6500 psi, a melt flow rate at 230°C of about 2 g / 10 min to about 100 g / 10 min, a melting temperature of about 150°C to about 170°C, a crystallization temperature of about 100°C to about 140°C, a molecular weight of about 300 kg / mol to about 700 kg / mol, and a 23°C notched Izod impact value of about 0.5 ft-lb / in to about 1 ft-lb / in.

[0061] Embodiments A, B and C may include any one of elements 1-6, or element 7, in any combination.

[0062] Non-limiting example embodiment B may further include one or more of the following elements:

[0063] Element 8: wherein the polymerization is carried out in the presence of at least a Ziegler-Natta procatalyst.

[0064] Element 9: Also comprising thermoforming, blow molding or injection molding the composition.

[0065] Embodiment B may include any one of elements 1-6 and 8-9 in any combination or elements 7 and 8-9 in any combination.

[0066] Non-limiting example embodiment C may further include one or more of the following elements:

[0067] Element 10: wherein the molded article is a packaging product.

[0068] Element 11: wherein the molded article is thermoformed, blow molded or injection molded.

[0069] Embodiment B may include any one of elements 1-6 and 10-11 in any combination or elements 7 and 10-11 in any combination.

[0070] In order to facilitate a better understanding of the aspects of the present disclosure, the following examples of preferred or representative aspects are given. The following examples should not be interpreted as limiting or defining the scope of the present disclosure in any way. Example

[0071] In the following examples, various experiments were performed and measurements were made to evaluate and verify the improvements in strength and toughness and transparency of the co-polypropylene polymer compositions described herein having broad molecular weight and low ethylene content.

[0072] Samples EX1 and EX2 were prepared according to the following Table 1. EX1 and EX2 were compounded using a ZSK 45 mm twin screw extruder. Table 1

[0073] Each of EX1 and EX2 was tested for the properties provided in Table 2 below according to the methods described herein. Each of EX1 and EX2 was mixed with commercially available PP6272NE1, a nucleated polypropylene homopolymer (ExxonMobil TM ,Texas), marked as “CT” in Table 2) for comparison. Table 2

[0074] As shown in Table 2, as the MWD increases, the stiffness of the co-polypropylene polymer also increases; the flexural modulus of EX2, which has a significantly wider MWD than EX1 and CT, shows an increase of 10.3% compared to EX1 and 4.5% compared to CT. In EX1 and EX2, the transparency remains comparable to the CT sample. Therefore, the co-polypropylene polymer composition of the present disclosure exhibits increased strength and toughness (stiffness) at low ethylene levels and wider MWD without compromising transparency. Such co-polypropylene polymer compositions are particularly useful in thermoforming, blow molding, and injection molding applications, such as for packaging products.

[0075] It is obvious from the above overview and specific embodiments that, although the form of the present disclosure has been illustrated and described, various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure. Therefore, it is not desired that the present disclosure be limited in this way. For example, the composition described herein may not contain any component or composition that is not specifically listed or disclosed herein. Any method may lack any step that is not listed or disclosed herein. Similarly, the term "comprising" is considered to be synonymous with the term "including". Whenever a method, composition, element or element group is in front of the transitional term "comprising", it should be understood that the same composition or element group in which the transitional phrase "essentially consisting of", "consisting of", "selected from" or "is" in front of the listed composition, element or each element, and vice versa is also considered.

[0076] Unless otherwise indicated, all numerical values ​​used in the specification and the appended claims to express the quantity of ingredients, properties such as molecular weight, reaction conditions, etc. should be understood as being modified by the term "about" in all cases. Therefore, unless otherwise indicated, the numerical parameters listed in the following specification and the appended claims are approximate values, which may vary depending on the desired properties sought to be obtained by the embodiments of the present disclosure. At the very least, and not as an attempt to limit the application of the doctrine of equivalents to the scope of the claims, each numerical parameter should at least be interpreted in light of the number of reported significant digits and by applying ordinary rounding techniques.

[0077] Whenever a numerical range with a lower limit and an upper limit is disclosed, any number and any included range falling within the range is explicitly disclosed. In particular, each range of values ​​disclosed herein (in the form of "from about a to about b" or equivalently "from approximately a to b" or equivalently "from approximately ab") should be understood to list each number and range covered in the wider range of numerical values. In addition, the terms in the claims have their ordinary normal meaning unless otherwise clearly and clearly defined by the patentee. In addition, the indefinite articles "a" or "an" used in the claims are defined herein to mean one or more of the elements introduced therein.

[0078] One or more illustrative embodiments are provided here. For the sake of clarity, all features of physical implementation are not described or shown in this application. It should be understood that in the development of the physical implementation scheme incorporating the present disclosure, many execution-specific decisions must be made to achieve the developer's goal, such as complying with system-related, business-related, government-related and other constraints, which depend on implementation and change from time to time. Although the efforts of the developer may be time-consuming, for those of ordinary skill in the art who benefit from the present disclosure, this effort remains a routine task.

[0079] Therefore, the present disclosure is well adapted to obtain the objects and advantages mentioned, as well as those inherent therein. The particular embodiments disclosed above are illustrative only, as the present disclosure may be modified and practiced in different but equivalent ways apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art having the benefit of the teachings herein. In addition, except as described in the claims below, there is no intention to limit the details of construction or design shown herein. Therefore, it is apparent that the particular illustrative embodiments disclosed above may be changed, combined or modified, and all such variations are considered to be within the scope and spirit of the present disclosure. The embodiments illustratively disclosed herein may be appropriately practiced in the absence of any elements not specifically disclosed herein and / or any optional elements disclosed herein.

Claims

1. A composition comprising: An ethylene / propylene random copolymer comprising an ethylene content of about 0.1 wt% to about 0.47 wt%, a molecular weight distribution of about 5 to about 20, a plate haze of about 10% to about 35%, and a flexural modulus of about 250 kpsi to about 350 kpsi.

2. The composition of claim 1, wherein the composition has a tensile strength of about 5500 psi to about 6500 psi.

3. The composition of any of the above claims, wherein the composition has a melt flow rate at 230°C of from about 2 g / 10 min to about 100 g / 10 min.

4. The composition of any of the preceding claims, wherein the composition has a melting temperature of about 150°C to about 170°C.

5. The composition of any of the preceding claims, wherein the composition has a crystallization temperature of about 100°C to about 140°C.

6. The composition of any preceding claim, wherein the composition has a molecular weight of about 300 kg / mol to about 700 kg / mol.

7. The composition of any of the above claims, wherein the composition has a 23°C notched Izod impact value of from about 0.5 ft-lb / in to about 1 ft-lb / in.

8. The composition of any of the above claims, wherein the composition has a tensile strength of about 5500 psi to about 6500 psi, a melt flow rate at 230°C of about 2 g / 10 min to about 100 g / 10 min, a melting temperature of about 150°C to about 170°C, a crystallization temperature of about 100°C to about 140°C, a molecular weight of about 300 kg / mol to about 700 kg / mol, and a notched Izod impact value at 23°C of about 0.5 ft-lb / in to about 1 ft-lb / in.

9. Methods, including: Ethylene and propylene monomers are polymerized to prepare an ethylene / propylene random copolymer composition comprising an ethylene content of about 0.1 wt% to about 0.47 wt%, a molecular weight distribution of about 5 to about 20, a plate haze of about 10% to about 35%, and a flexural modulus of about 250 kpsi to about 350 kpsi.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the composition has a tensile strength of about 5500 psi to about 3500 psi.

11. The method of claims 9-10, wherein the composition has a melt flow rate at 230°C of about 2 g / 10 min to about 100 g / 10 min.

12. The method of claims 9-11, wherein the composition has a melting temperature of about 150°C to about 170°C.

13. The method of claims 9-12, wherein the composition has a crystallization temperature of about 100°C to about 140°C.

14. The method of claims 9-13, wherein the composition has a molecular weight of about 300 kg / mol to about 700 kg / mol.

15. The method of claims 9-14, wherein the composition has a 23°C notched Izod impact value of about 0.5 ft-lb / in to about 1 ft-lb / in.

16. The process of claims 9 to 15, wherein the polymerization is carried out in the presence of at least a Ziegler-Natta procatalyst.

17. The method of claims 9-16, further comprising thermoforming, blow molding or injection molding the composition.

18. A molded article comprising an ethylene / propylene random copolymer composition comprising an ethylene content of about 0.1 wt% to about 0.47 wt%, a molecular weight distribution of about 5 to about 20, a plate haze of about 10% to about 35%, and a flexural modulus of about 250 kpsi to about 350 kpsi.

19. The molded article of claim 18, wherein the molded article is a packaging product.

20. The molded article of claims 18-19, wherein the molded article is thermoformed, blow molded or injection molded.

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