Propylene-Ethylene Copolymer Suppressing Component Bleeding

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Solution Overview

Problem

Propylene polymers used in molded articles, such as films and automobile parts, face issues with component bleeding at high temperatures, leading to reduced stickiness resistance, heat resistance, and appearance changes, which are not adequately addressed by existing technologies.

Innovation Solution

A propylene-ethylene-α-olefin copolymer with specific molecular composition and properties, including a high isotactic triad fraction, controlled melt flow rate, and melting point, is developed to enhance flexibility, heat resistance, and reduce component elution, maintaining stickiness resistance and appearance at elevated temperatures.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If conventional propylene polymers are used to provide flexibility and processability, then the material exhibits good flexibility and ease of manufacture, but component bleeding occurs at high temperatures leading to poor stickiness resistance and heat resistance

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveheat resistanceVSAvoidcomponent bleeding
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSObject-generated harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The invention changes the compositional parameters by introducing a specific copolymer structure with controlled ethylene content (5-30 mol%) and α-olefin content (70-95 mol%), along with specific molecular weight distribution (Mw/Mn ≤ 3.0) and melting point (≤ 100°C), to suppress component bleeding while maintaining flexibility

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Solution Approach 2:

The invention creates a composite polymer system by combining propylene, ethylene, and α-olefin in specific ratios to form a copolymer that integrates the advantages of each component: propylene provides flexibility, ethylene improves heat resistance, and α-olefin controls crystallinity and melting behavior

Inventive Principle:
Principle #40Composite materials

2Ease of manufacture

If propylene polymers with low molecular weight are used to improve processability and flexibility, then ease of manufacture and flexibility are enhanced, but stickiness resistance at high temperatures deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:
ImproveprocessabilityVSAvoidstickiness resistance
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of manufactureVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The invention optimizes the molecular weight parameters by controlling the weight average molecular weight (Mw) to be 10,000-1,000,000 and the molecular weight distribution (Mw/Mn) to be 3.0 or less, achieving a balance between processability and high-temperature performance

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Solution Approach 2:

The invention creates a dynamic molecular weight distribution that allows the polymer to flow easily during processing (good processability) while maintaining structural integrity at high temperatures (good stickiness resistance) through controlled chain length distribution

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

3Object-affected harmful factors

If propylene polymers are used to provide environmental aptitude and hygiene, then ecological compatibility and safety are improved, but appearance retention and thickness maintainability at high temperatures worsen

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveenvironmental aptitudeVSAvoidappearance retention
Core Design Contradiction:
Object-affected harmful factorsVSShape

Solution Approach 1:

The invention changes the thermal parameters by controlling the melting point to be 100°C or lower, which prevents excessive softening and deformation at high temperatures, thereby maintaining appearance and thickness while preserving environmental benefits

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Data Source

PatentUS20220251260A1PROPYLENE-ETHYLENE-alpha-OLEFIN COPOLYMER, POLYPROPYLENE COMPOSITION, AND USE THEREFOR
Publication Date: 2022.08.11 MITSUI CHEMICALS INC

AI summary

A propylene-ethylene-α-olefin copolymer satisfying: (I) a content of a propylene-derived constituent unit (i) is 50 to 92 mol %, a content of an ethylene-derived constituent unit (ii) is 5 to 20 mol %, and a content of a C4-20 α-olefin-derived constituent unit (iii) is 3 to 30 mol %, provided that (i) to (iii) total 100 mol %; (II) an mm fraction calculated by 13C-NMR is 85% or more; (III) 0.9≤MOE/(2MO×ME)≤1.5 wherein MOE represents a mole fraction of chains of propylene and ethylene and chains of the C4-20 α-olefin and ethylene in total to the total dyad, MO represents mole fractions of propylene and the C4-20 α-olefin in total, and ME represents a mole fraction of ethylene; (IV) an MFR is 1 to 3 g/10 minutes; and (V) a melting point measured by DSC is less than 100° C., or no melting peak is observed.