Polypropylene impact-modified copolymer

The use of olefin rubbers [18] as good impact modifiers for sPS when used in conjunction with S-B or S-B-S block copolymers, which may be hydrogenated in the butadiene phase, has also been described. Instead of butadiene, isoprene can be used. Examples of the olefinic polymers are polyethylene, ethylene-propylene rubbers (EPR) and polypropylene-(ethylene propylene rubber) block copolymers. Here the styrene block copolymers presumably function as... 

Impact-modified polypropylenes are produced by combining the homopolymer with an ethylene-propylene copolymer rubber. Ziegler-Natta processes yield such products in cascaded reactors. The first reactor in the sequence produces a rigid polymer with a high propylene content and feeds the second reactor, where the ethylene-propylene elastomer is polymerized in intimate mixture with the first material. 

Owing to adequate level of compatibility between polypropylene and ethylene-propylene copolymers, simple blends of these two polymers have been known for a long time. Impact modified... 

Blends of polyolefins (e.g., HPDE/LDPE, LDPE/ ethylene copolymers, PP/EPDM, PP/HDPE/EPDM, HDPE/butyl rubber) have been commercial since the late 1960 s and early 1970 s. Specific film formulations were commonly based on polyolefin blends to achieve the proper balance of processing, environmental stress crack resistance, modulus, toughness, cling, transparency, filler acceptance, printability, tear resistance, shrinkage characteristics, and permeability. Ethylene-propylene mbber (EPR, EPDM) was commonly incorporated into polypropylene as an impact modifier at moderate levels and as a flexibilizer at high levels. One of... 

Chem. Descrip. Anhydride-modified polypropylene impact copolymer CAS 900 074)... 

Clarity in impact-modified formulations has also been addressed. High clarity in bottles, containers and glazing generally requires the impact modifier to have a very similar refractive index to the base polymer over all the relevant temperatures. In practice most modifiers undergo considerable drift in refractive index with changes in temperatme, so this is a major challenge. Exact , an octene-based plastomer from Dex-Plastomers, has been used with some success to toughen clear polypropylene copolymer bottles. 

Syndiotactic polypropylene can be used as an impact modifier. Indeed, the addition of s-PP to i-PP can improve impact characteristics over pure i-PP [222-225]. When s-PP is blended with i-PP, the resulting resin has a processability better than that of i-PP and impact and transparency properties better than those of pure i-PP. As an impact modifier to a controlled rheology i-PP copolymer, s-PP does not crosslink or affect the peroxide efficiency of the copolymer while improving the Izod notched impact and maintaining the similar processability of the copolymer. 

In the early history of polypropylene technology, blends with ethylene propylene copolymer were introduced for toughening polypropylene. Subsequently block copolymers of polypropylene with random ethylene propylene copolymer rubber were produced in the polymerization reaction. Dynamic vulcanization of ethylene propylene terpolymer in blends with polypropylene together with hydrocarbon oils was a third technology. The first TPO was elastomer (ethylene)-modified propylene (EP polymer) marketed to overcome polypropylene s weakness that cold temperature negatively impacts resistance. 

Automotive industry is one of the largest applications for polymers, where innovative material designs are often introduced to tailor and improve performance. Of all, polypropylene (PP) is the material of choice for many car interior and exterior components. Additionally, PP can be blended specifically with olefin based copolymers to yield high performance thermoplastic olefins (TPOs). A good example is the impact modified PP-based TPO that has been widely used for bumper fascias. The importance of PP-based TPO as a material for the car industry is reflected by its current leading market share and further growth is expected in the area of interior and under-the-hood applications [1]. 

Thermoplastic polyolefins (TPOs) are composite blends of semicrystalline polypropylene and ethylene propylene copolymer (EPR) or ethylene propylene diene monomer (EPDM), widely used in the automotive industry for the production of plastic car parts such as bumper fascia [1]. Polypropylene, which is the major component in such blends, is an inexpensive, easily proccessible polymer, although its poor mechanical properties necessitate the addition of a rubber-dispersed phase. The added rubber acts as an impact modifier by imparting improved ductility, crack resistance, and impact strength to the resulting TPO [1-4]. The cost-effectiveness, light weight, processability, and resilience of TPOs have made them increasingly viable alternatives to steel for bumpers and other car parts. 

Polypropylene polymers are typically modified with ethylene to obtain desirable properties for specific applications. Specifically, ethylene—propylene mbbers are introduced as a discrete phase in heterophasic copolymers to improve toughness and low temperature impact resistance (see Elastomers, ETHYLENE-PROPYLENE rubber). This is done by sequential polymerisation of homopolymer polypropylene and ethylene—propylene mbber in a multistage reactor process or by the extmsion compounding of ethylene—propylene mbber with a homopolymer. Addition of high density polyethylene, by polymerisation or compounding, is sometimes used to reduce stress whitening. In all cases, a superior balance of properties is obtained when the sise of the discrete mbber phase is approximately one micrometer. Examples of these polymers and their properties are shown in Table 2. Mineral fillers, such as talc or calcium carbonate, can be added to polypropylene to increase stiffness and high temperature properties, as shown in Table 3. 

Polypropylene polymers are typically modified with ethylene to obtain desirable properties for specific applications. Specifically, ethylene-propylene rubbers are introduced as a discrete phase in heterophasic copolymers to improve toughness and low temperature impact resistance. 

ABA ABS ABS-PC ABS-PVC ACM ACS AES AMMA AN APET APP ASA BR BS CA CAB CAP CN CP CPE CPET CPP CPVC CR CTA DAM DAP DMT ECTFE EEA EMA EMAA EMAC EMPP EnBA EP EPM ESI EVA(C) EVOH FEP HDI HDPE HIPS HMDI IPI LDPE LLDPE MBS Acrylonitrile-butadiene-acrylate Acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene copolymer Acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene-polycarbonate alloy Acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene-poly(vinyl chloride) alloy Acrylic acid ester rubber Acrylonitrile-chlorinated pe-styrene Acrylonitrile-ethylene-propylene-styrene Acrylonitrile-methyl methacrylate Acrylonitrile Amorphous polyethylene terephthalate Atactic polypropylene Acrylic-styrene-acrylonitrile Butadiene rubber Butadiene styrene rubber Cellulose acetate Cellulose acetate-butyrate Cellulose acetate-propionate Cellulose nitrate Cellulose propionate Chlorinated polyethylene Crystalline polyethylene terephthalate Cast polypropylene Chlorinated polyvinyl chloride Chloroprene rubber Cellulose triacetate Diallyl maleate Diallyl phthalate Terephthalic acid, dimethyl ester Ethylene-chlorotrifluoroethylene copolymer Ethylene-ethyl acrylate Ethylene-methyl acrylate Ethylene methacrylic acid Ethylene-methyl acrylate copolymer Elastomer modified polypropylene Ethylene normal butyl acrylate Epoxy resin, also ethylene-propylene Ethylene-propylene rubber Ethylene-styrene copolymers Polyethylene-vinyl acetate Polyethylene-vinyl alcohol copolymers Fluorinated ethylene-propylene copolymers Hexamethylene diisocyanate High-density polyethylene High-impact polystyrene Diisocyanato dicyclohexylmethane Isophorone diisocyanate Low-density polyethylene Linear low-density polyethylene Methacrylate-butadiene-styrene... 

Polypropylene (PP) resembles PE, but is somewhat harder and stiffer than HDPE. It is crystalline as well, and melts at 165 °C. Its impact strength at lower temperatures is quite poor therefore PP is often modified with a certain amount of rubber (mostly built-in as a copolymer). Main applications are film for packaging, fibres, crates, pipes, automotive parts (often with reinforcing fillers). A special feature of PP is its ability to form integral hinges with a practically unlimited resistance against repeated bending. 

Figure 13.9. Elastomer content vs. impact strength of polypropylene containing 15% talc and maleic anhydride modified ethylene-propylene copolymer. [Data from Yu Long, Shanks R A, J. Appl. Polym. Sci., 61, No. 11, 1996,1877-85.]...

---