Precision branching in ethylene copolymers: Synthesis and thermal behavior

Acyclic diene metathesis polymerization allows the synthesis of sequenced polyethylene copolymers via step-growth propagation, thereby avoiding the inherent side reactions associated with chain polymerization. Here we review the synthesis and thermal behavior of ADMET polyethylene (PE) as well as ethylene/propylene (EP), ethylene/butene (EB), ethylene/octane (EO), and ethylene/vinyl ether (EVE) copolymers prepared by ADMET. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 44: 4981–4989, 2006     

Modeling branched polyethylene: copolymers possessing precisely placed ethyl branches

A structural investigation of precise ethylene/1-butene (EB) copolymers has been completed using step polymerization chemistry. The synthetic methodology needed to generate four model copolymers is described; their primary and higher level structure is characterized. The copolymers possess an ethyl branch on every 9th, 15th, and 21st carbon along the backbone of linear polyethylene. Melting points and heats of fusion decrease with increased branch frequency. Differential scanning calorimetry and infrared spectroscopy show highly disordered crystal structures favoring ethyl branch inclusion. On the other hand, the EB copolymers contain high concentrations of kink and gauche defects independent of branch frequency. These model copolymers are compared with random copolymers produced using traditional chain chemistry and previously synthesized ADMET EP copolymers.     

SYNTHESIS AND CHARACTERIZATION OF POLY(STYRENE - ETHYLENE OXIDE) DIBLOCK COPOLYMERS

1NTRODUCTIONSinceanionicpolymerizationhasthecharactersofnon--terminationandnon--chainstransferinallpolymersynthesisreactions,themolecularweightandmolecularweitghtdistributionofpolymerscanbecontrolledbyiteasily,soastopreparethepolymerswithexpectedfinestructures.Especially,theattentionisfocusedonthediblockcopolymersmanufacturedbythecomonomerswithdifferent.h....t.r.["ZJ,whichcancompatibilizethetwoincompatiblepolymersascompatibilizer['].InthesystemsofgelorlatexthediblockcOPolymerscanimprovet…     

Characterization of propylene-ethylene block copolymers using solid state 13C-NMR spectroscopy

Commercial block copolymers of propylene with ethylene (PEBC) are multiphase systems comprising block and random copolymers as well as small amounts of homopolymers. At present, no satisfactory method exists for characterizing the “blocky” structure of these copolymers. This article aims to fulfill this need. Accordingly, the block and random copolymers of propylene with ethylene have been investigated using ¹³C CP/MAS NMR with high-power dipolar decoupling. Comparisons have been made between the spectra of block and random copolymers and it is shown possible to distinguish between them by means of an additional signal, appearing at 32.5δ, in block copolymers (attributable to block junctions). © 1992 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

单茂钛/MAO体系催化乙烯/丙烯共聚合研究Ⅲ.乙烯/丙烯共聚物的表征与结构分析

采用合成的催化剂五甲基环戊二烯基三烯丙氧基钛 [Cp Ti(OAllyl) 3]与改性甲基铝氧烷 (mMAO)组成催化体系制备乙烯 /丙烯共聚物 .红外分析显示 ,乙醚可溶和己烷可溶两个级分的化学结构几乎相同 .GPC测试结果表明共聚物分子量高 ,分子量分布窄 .X 射线衍射分析 ,大多数样品的图谱为宽的弥散峰 ,表明它们是无规共聚物 ;只有当乙烯含量很高时 ,样品的谱图才有较为尖锐的结晶峰 ,结晶度不高 .经热分析(DSC、TG) ,大多数样品没有出现明显的熔点 ,只有当乙烯含量很高时才显示出熔点 ;共聚物的热稳定性较高 .DMA分析表明 ,共聚物样品中乙烯含量多的 ,其储能模量 (E′)大一些 ;共聚物的玻璃化转变温度随着丙烯链节的增多而升高 .     

Improved chemical composition separation of ethylene–propylene random copolymers by high-temperature solvent gradient interaction chromatography

High-temperature solvent gradient interaction chromatography (HT-SGIC) is a fast and efficient fractionation technique for the chemical composition analysis of olefin copolymers. The separation of ethylene–propylene random copolymers (EPRs) was achieved on a graphitic stationary phase, Hypercarb, at 160 °C by using linear solvent gradient elution from 1-decanol to 1,2,4-trichlorobenzene (TCB). In the present work, the solvent gradient profile was modified to improve the chromatographic separation of EPRs. With the aim to obtain a better resolution in separation, a slow increase in the volume fraction of TCB was applied. This allowed for a relatively large retention region for linear polyethylene (PE) chains on the column; thereby, a broader elution volume zone between the start of the gradient and the PE elution was achieved. The efficiency of this new gradient profile was demonstrated by analysing two fully amorphous EPR samples. Clear differences in the chemical composition of these EPR samples with similar ethylene contents have been proven by using this modified solvent gradient. The comprehensive chemical composition and microstructure analysis of the SGIC-separated fractions by FTIR revealed that ethylene/propylene (EP) copolymer chains were eluted according to their ethylene/propylene contents and E or P sequence lengths, even though they are distributed in a random manner. These results showed that the solvent composition is an important factor to affect the interactive adsorption or desorption behaviour of EP chains on Hypercarb. In this way, for the first time, the determination of the complex composition and chain structure of EPR samples was achieved within short analysis time, which is not possible till now using other fractionation techniques reported.

丙烯/1-丁烯和丙烯/乙烯无规共聚物的表征及性能研究

采用摩尔含量接近的两个单体乙烯和1-丁烯分别无规共聚聚丙烯样品,用三氯苯进行室温可溶物和不溶物的分离,采用凝胶渗透色谱、13C核磁共振波谱及热分析等方法对两种共聚聚合物及其分离物进行表征,探讨了乙烯和1-丁烯作为共聚单体对聚丙烯树脂结构和性能的影响.结果表明,与乙烯相比,1-丁烯更趋向于共聚在较长的聚丙烯分子链上,其结果导致丙烯/1-丁烯无规共聚聚丙烯的可溶物含量更低.同时,对两种无规共聚物结晶性能的差异以及对光学性能和动态力学性能的影响研究表明,如果共聚单体含量接近,丙烯/1-丁烯无规共聚物结晶度更高;透明制品雾度相同时,丙烯/1-丁烯无规共聚物的刚性更高.     

苯乙烯—环氧乙烷嵌段共聚物的阴离子聚合与表征

用二苯甲烷钾为引发剂,阴离子聚合法合成了苯乙烯（Ｓｔ）－环氧乙烷（ＥＯ）嵌段共聚物,并用ＦＴＩＲ,＾１Ｈ－ＮＭＲ,ＳＥＣ,ＷＡＸＤ和动态粘弹谱对共聚物进行了表征。结果表明所得聚合物为分子量可控,窄分布的两嵌段共聚物。     

SYNTHESIS AND CHARACTERIZATION OF POLY（STYRENE—ETHYLENE OXIDE）DIBLOCK COPOLYMERS

Well-defined diblock copolymers of styrene(St) and ethylene oxide(EO) have been prepared by sequential living anionic polymerization of the two comonomers in THF.Diphenyl methyl potassum has been used as initiator.The block copolymers were characterized in detail by methods of size exclusion chromatography(SEC),^1H-NMR,FT-IR,dynamic mechanical analysis(DMA) and WAXD.     

RANDOM COPOLYMER OF PROPYLENE OXIDE AND ETHYLENE OXIDE PREPARED BY DOUBLE METAL CYANIDE COMPLEX CATALYST

Copolymerization of propylene oxide (PO) and ethylene oxide (EO) using double metal cyanide (DMC) complexas the catalyst was carried out. The structure of random copolymers was confirmed by ~(13)C-NMR and IR spectra. ~1H-NMRanalysis shows that the EO content in the copolymer is the same as that in the initial monomer feed. Moderate molecularweight copolymers with various EO content were obtained and their values of molecular weigh distribution (MWD) fell inthe range of 1.21-1.55. It was found that the molecular weight of copolymers is controlled by the mass ratio of EO + PO toinitiator moles used. The reaction rate as well as polymer yield decrease with increasing EO content in the feed composition.     

Molecular heterogeneity of ethylene‐propylene rubbers: New insights through advanced crystallization‐based and chromatographic techniques

For a long time ethylene‐propylene rubber (EPR) copolymers with high comonomer contents were believed to be amorphous materials with a random copolymer composition. This is not completely correct as has been shown by temperature rising elution fractionation (TREF) combined with differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), crystallization analysis fractionation (CRYSTAF), and high temperature–high‐performance liquid chromatography (HT‐HPLC). When using only conventional crystallization‐based fractionation methods, the comprehensive compositional analysis of EPR copolymers was impossible due to the fact that large fractions of these copolymers do not crystallize under CRYSTAF conditions. In the present work, HT‐HPLC was used for the separation of the EPR copolymers according to their ethylene and propylene distributions along the polymer chains. These investigations showed the existence of long ethylene sequences in the bulk samples which was further confirmed by DSC. The results on the bulk samples prompted us to conduct preparative fractionations of EPR copolymers having varying ethylene contents using TREF. Surprisingly, significant amounts of crystallizing materials were obtained that were analyzed using a multistep protocol. CRYSTAF and DSC analyses of the TREF fractions revealed the presence of components with large crystallizable sequences that had not been detected by the bulk samples analyses. HT‐HPLC provided a comprehensive separation and characterization of both the amorphous and the crystalline TREF fractions. The TREF fractions eluting at higher temperatures showed the presence of ethylene‐rich copolymers and PE homopolymer. In order to obtain additional structural information on the separated fractions, HT‐HPLC was coupled to Fourier transform‐infrared (FT‐IR) spectroscopy. The FT‐IR data confirmed that the TREF fractions were separated according to the ethylene contents of the eluted samples. Preparative TREF analysis together with a combination of various analytical methods proved to be useful tools in understanding the complex molecular composition of these rubber samples. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2015 , 53, 863–874     

CHARACTERISTICS OF STRUCTURE OF IMPACT COPOLYMERS OF POLYPROPYLENE WITH LOW ETHYLENE CONTENTS

In the present work, the structure and impact properties of copolymers of polypropylenewith low ethylene contents have been investigated. Based on the results of ~(13)C--NMR, FTIR,WAXD, DSC, PLM and SEM, the relationship between impact properties and morphology of thecopolymers has been discussed. The high impact properties of copolymer ICP2 may attribute tothe relatively higher ethylene content and homogeneous ethylene unit distribution. The size andits distribution of spherulite in the copolymers and cycloid cavities dispersed in polypropylenecontinue phase may also be two important factors which affect the impact properties of these materials.     

Homo-and copolymerization of propylene and ethylene in the presence of titanium dichloride complexes with dioxolane dicarboxylate and bis(difurylmethanephenoxyimine) ligands

The polymerization of propylene and ethylene and the copolymerization of these olefins with postmetallocene catalysts [(4R,5R)-2,2-dimethyl-α,α,α′,α′-tetra(perfluorophenyl)-1,3-dioxolane-4,5-dimethanol] titanium(IV) dichloride and bis{N-(3,5-ditert-butylsalicylidene)-4-[bis(5-methyl-2-furyl)methyl]aniline}titanium( IV) dichloride have been studied. The polymerization of propylene and its copolymerization with ethylene have been carried out in a liquid monomer, while the polymerization of ethylene has been performed in toluene at the constant concentration of the monomer. Polymethylaluminoxane has been used as a cocatalyst. The activity of the catalysts in the polymerization of propylene and ethylene at 50°C is ～ 10 and ～45 kg PP/mol Ti h mol C₃H₆/l and 178.5 and 2700 kg PE/mol Ti h mol C₂H₄/l, respectively. It has been established that, in the copolymerization of propylene with ethylene, the active sites of both catalysts selectively polymerize ethylene. The resulting copolymers have a block structure (r ₁ r ₂= 4.6); as a result, the crystalline phase of polyethylene is formed in them. Polypropylene and propylene-ethylene copolymers are elastomeric materials. Polypropylene samples synthesized with [(4R,5R)-2,2-dimethyl-α,α,α′,α′-tetra(perfluorophenyl)-1,3-dioxolane-4,5-dimethanol]titanium(IV) dichloride demonstrate a high melting point (150–157°C) in combination with good elastic properties. Polyethylene is a linear polymer with the degree of crystallinity varying from 37 to 45% and a melting point of 133–134°C. The mechanical properties of the polymers and copolymers have been investigated.     

Unprecedented living olefin polymerization derived from an attractive interaction between a ligand and a growing polymer chain

Ti complexes incorporating fluorine-containing phenoxy-imine chelate ligands (fluorinated Ti-FI catalysts) have been demonstrated to induce an unprecedented living polymerization effect with both ethylene and propylene, through an attractive interaction between the fluorine atom in the ligand and a beta-hydrogen atom on the growing polymer chain. With the aid of this attractive interaction, highly controlled living ethylene polymerization, highly-syndiospecific living propylene polymerization, the synthesis of unique block copolymers from ethylene and propylene, and the catalytic production of monodisperse polyethylene and Zn-terminated polyethylene have been realized. The attractive interaction provides a conceptually new strategy for the achievement of controlled living olefin polymerization.     

Comparative study of the kinetics of non-isothermal melt solidification of random copolymers of butene-1 with either ethylene or propylene

The kinetics of non-isothermal melt solidification of random butene-1/propylene copolymers has been compared with that of random butene-1/ethylene copolymers. Analysis of the distance between neighbored chain segments in the crystal phase revealed inclusion of propylene chain defects into crystals, while ethylene co-units are excluded from crystallization. As a consequence of different acceptance of propylene and ethylene chain defects to participate in crystallization, the kinetics of the transition of the melt into ordered phase is significantly slower in random butene-1/ethylene copolymers. For samples of similar co-unit concentration, the decrease of the crystallization temperature and of the critical cooling rate to suppress ordering/crystallization is higher in random butene-1/ethylene copolymers than in butene-1/propylene copolymers. Due to the required rejection of ethylene co-units at the crystal growth front, ultimately, the maximum crystallinity is lower in butene-1/ethylene copolymers than in butene-1/propylene copolymers of similar amount of co-units.     

Structure-properties relationships in some random copolymers of propylene

Correlations have been investigated between the content of short isotactic segments and thermal properties in some propylene/olefin random copolymers. Polypropylene copolymers modified by ethylene show variations different from those for copolymers modified by ethylene and butene. However, in both cases, the weldability temperature decreases on increasing the comonomer concentration.     

阳离子烷基钪配合物催化体系催化乙烯与丙烯共聚合的研究

双烷基钪配合物LSc(CH2SiMe3)2(L=(2,6-iPr2C6H3)NC(Me)CHPPh2N(2,6-Me2C6H3))在助催化剂[Ph3C][B(C6F5)4]的作用下能够高活性地催化乙烯和丙烯共聚.在反应温度30℃和乙烯与丙烯常压(1.0×105Pa)下聚合,共聚活性能够达到7.5×105g(PE)mol-1h-1(105Pa)-1.单体的竞聚率分别为rE=29.75和rP=0.015.13C-NMR和DSC分析表明所得到的乙丙共聚物是弹性体,且丙烯单体无规分布在共聚物链中.     

Olefin copolymerization with metallocene catalysts. I. Comparison of catalysts

A number of metallocene/methylaluminoxane (MAO) catalysts have been compared for ethylene/propylene copolymerizations to find relationship between the polymerization activities, copolymer structures, and copolymerization reactivity ratio with the catalyst structures. Stereorigid racemic ethylene bis (indenyl) zirconium dichloride and the tetrahydro derivative exhibit very high activity of 10 ⁷ g (mol Zr h bar)^?1, giving copolymers having comonomer compositions about the same as the feed compositions, molecular weights increasing with the increase of ethylene in the feed, random incorporation of comonomers, and narrow molecular weight distribution indicative of a single catalytic species. Nonbridged bis (indenyl) zirconium behaved differently, favoring the incorporation of ethylene over propylene, producing copolymers whose molecular weight decreases with the increase of ethylene in the feed, broad molecular weight distribution, and a methanol soluble fraction. This catalyst system contains two or more active species. Simple methallocene catalysts have much lower polymerization activities. C_pTiCl₂/MAO produced copolymers with tendency toward alternation, whereas Cp₂HfCl₂/MAO gave copolymer containing short blocks of monomers.     

单茂钛/MAO体系催化乙烯/丙烯共聚合研究Ⅰ.乙烯/丙烯共聚物的合成及聚合反应规律研究

采用合成的催化剂五甲基环戊二烯基三烯丙氧基钛 [Cp Ti(OAllyl) 3]与改性甲基铝氧烷 (mMAO)组成新型催化体系进行乙烯 /丙烯共聚合 ,考察了助催化剂 (mMAO)中TMA含量、气体配比、聚合温度、助催化剂和主催化剂浓度等因素对共聚合活性及产物分子量的影响 ,研究其变化规律 .结果表明 ,Cp Ti(OAllyl) 3/mMAO催化体系中钛的价态分布为Ti(Ⅳ )时对共聚合更为有利 ,制得了乙烯 /丙烯无规共聚物弹性体     

Synthesis and characterization of novel poly(propylene terephthalate-co-adipate) biodegradable random copolyesters

Novel aromatic/aliphatic poly(propylene terephthalate-co-adipate) (PPTAd) random copolymers were synthesized. Copolymer composition varied over the whole range from that of neat poly(propylene terephthalate) (PPT) to that of neat poly(propylene adipate) (PPAd). Interestingly, the copolymers showed that they can degrade via hydrolysis, especially in presence of enzymes, even for a terephthalate content as high as 66 mol%. Thermal behaviour and solid state as well as mechanical properties were studied. In contrast to hydrolysis rates, mechanical properties increase with terephthalate content. WAXD patterns indicate some extent of co-crystallization of both comonomers, especially for intermediate compositions. The thermodynamic analysis of the melting point depression showed that some portion of the adipate comonomer units participate in the formation of crystals, although the major portion of them is rejected from crystals and remain in the amorphous phase. WAXD patterns showed that even for a 60 mol% or more adipate content, the copolymers form PPT like crystals. Thus, the amorphous phase is enriched in adipate units, as is also shown by a lowering of the glass transition temperature of the crystallized copolymer samples, compared to glassy ones. Finally, multiple melting behaviour of the melt crystallized copolymer samples, as well as, banded spherulitic morphology was observed.