Blends of co-precipitated hydrogenated ethylene-dicyclopentadiene and elastomeric polymers to provide impact modified structural polyolefins

摘要

Disclosed is the preparation of compositions which are blends of certain types of hydrogenated ethylene-dicyclopentadiene (E/DCPD) copolymers in combination with elastomeric polymers. An E/DCPD copolymer and an elastomeric polymer are co-dissolved in a common liquid reaction medium which is then subjected to hydrogenation conditions. These hydrogenation conditions serve to hydrogenate in-situ at least a portion of the residual double bonds of the E/DCPD copolymer component and possibly also eliminate any residual unsaturation which might be present in the elastomeric polymers. This combination of materials which has been hydrogenated in-situ can then be co-precipitated to form a polymer composition which can be molded into polyolefin materials of improved structural, thermal and mechanical properties with desirable impact resistance.

主权项

1. A process for preparing polymeric compositions suitable for molding into structural polyolefin products, which process comprises:
A) dissolving in a liquid reaction medium from 60 to 95 parts by weight of ethylene-dicyclopentadiene copolymer component having:
i) a dicyclopentadiene-derived comonomer content of from 30 mole % to 55 mole % with at least 10mol% of said dicyclopentadiene-derived comonomers having residual double bond moieties therein;ii) a weight average molecular weight, Mw, of from 100,000 to 800,000 g/mole; andiii) a glass transition temperature, Tg, of from 105° C. to 170° C.; B) co-dissolving with said ethylene-dicyclopentadiene copolymer component in said liquid reaction medium from 5 to 40 an elastomeric polymer component having a glass transition temperature, Tg, which ranges from −70° C. to −5° C.; C) subjecting said liquid reaction medium containing said ethylene-dicyclopentadiene copolymer component and said elastomeric polymer component to hydrogenation conditions in-situ, effective to completely hydrogenate the residual double bond moieties within said ethylene-dicyclopentadiene copolymer component and the elastomeric polymer component; and D) co-precipitating the resulting completely partially hydrogenated ethylene-dicyclopentadiene copolymer component and completely hydrogenated elastomeric polymer component from said liquid reaction medium as a co-precipitated polymeric composition With a precipitation-inducing agent which renders the polymer components insoluble in said liquid reaction medium.