Abstract: A bottle closure made from an olefin polymer composition (A) which includes: 1) 90-100% by weight of a crystalline propylene homopolymer or propylene/C2-C10 alpha-olefin random copolymer, those polymers containing at least 94% by weight of a fraction insoluble in xylene at room temperature; and 2) 0-10% by weight of an ethylene/C3-C10 alpha-olefin elastomeric copolymer, provided that when the amount of polymer (2) is 0% by weight, polymer (1) is one of the above random copolymers. Said composition (A) has a flexural elastic modulus value at 23° C. of at least 1620 MPa, a strength at yield at 23° C. of at least 33 MPa, and an IZOD impact resistance at 0° C. of at least 2.5 kJ/m2.

Abstract: A hot melt adhesive polyolefin composition having a viscosity from 7,000 to less than 500,000 mPa·sec, at 190° C. including (by weight): I) 5-85% of a crystalline propylene polymer selected from a propylene homopolymer and a copolymer of propylene and ethylene or a C4-C10 &agr;-olefin or blends thereof, having an isotactic index from 80 to 98%; II) 5-85% of an heterophasic polyolefin composition including: (i) a crystalline propylene polymer and (ii) and an amorphous copolymer of ethylene and propylene or a C4-C10 &agr;-olefin or blends thereof, containing less than 40% of ethylene; III) 10-75% of a material selected from aliphatic hydrocarbon resins, terpene/phenolic resin, polyterpenes, rosin, rosin esters and blends thereof; and optionally IV) a mineral paraffinic or naphthalenic oil, an amorphous poly(&agr;-olefin) having low molecular weight or a mixture thereof.

Abstract: New metallocene compounds are described where the ligand contains at least one open-pentadienyl containing radical characterized by a cyclic or acyclic, six &pgr; electron, delocalized, five atomic center structure. These metallocenes can advantageously be used in catalyst systems for the polymerization of olefins to generate a wide variety of different polymers including HDPE, LLDPE, ethylenelpropylene/(diene) elastomers, tactiospecific C3+&agr;-olefin polymers, intimate mixture thereof and the like.

Abstract: Process for gas-phase polymerization carried out in two interconnected polymerization zones, to which one or more &agr;-olefins CH2=CHR are fed in the presence of catalyst under reaction conditions and from which the polymer product is discharged. The process is characterized in that the growing polymer flows through a first polymerization zone under fast fluidization conditions, leaves said first zone and enters a second polymerization zone through which it flows in a densified form under the action of gravity, leaves said second zone and is reintroduced into the first polymerization zone, thus establishing a circulation of polymer around the two polymerization zones. The novel process allows olefins to be polymerized in the gas phase with high productivity per unit volume of the reactor without incurring the problems of the fluidized-bed technologies of the known state of the art.

Abstract: A fluorine-containing graft copolymer is made from a backbone of an olefin polymer material to which is graft polymerized (a) at least one gaseous fluorinated monomer such as vinylidene fluoride, (b) at least one fluorinated acrylic acid or ester, (c) a mixture of (a) and (b), or (d) a mixture of (a) and/or (b) and a non-fluorinated monomer such as methyl methacrylate. An organic peroxide or a polymeric peroxide is used as the initiator for the graft polymerization process. The graft copolymers have improved surface properties and oxygen barrier properties, and improved thermal stability.

Abstract: A co-extruded, multilayer film for packaging freshly cut produce consists of (1) an outer layer of an ethylene/propylene/4-8 C alpha-olefin terpolymer, (2) a middle layer containing at least one of (a) 0-100% of the terpolymer described in (1) and (b) 0-100% of a blend of (i) about 99.5% to about 95% of an olefin copolymer composition made by sequential polymerization in at least two stages and (ii) about 0.5% to about 5% of a low density polyethylene, wherein (a)+(b)=100%, and (3) an inner layer containing at least one of (a) 0-100% of a copolymer of ethylene and a C4-C8 alpha-olefin made using a metallocene catalyst and having a density of 0.89 to 0.91 g/cm3, and (b) 0-100% of blend (b) described in layer (2), wherein (a)+(b)=100%. The thickness ratios of the layers and, when both components are present, the amount of each polymer in the blends of layers (2) and (3) can be varied to match the gas transmission rate of the produce to be packaged.

Abstract: A polymer blend having a high melt strength and a low Young's modulus after irradiation of the polymers contains (1) a propylene homopolymer or copolymer having an isotactic index of greater than 90 and (2) a propylene homopolymer or copolymer having a crystallinity of <24% made using a metallocene catalyst. The blend can be used for extrusion coating (including fabric coating), foam extrusion, blow molding, and thermoforming applications.

Abstract: A co-extruded sheet made from olefin polymer materials includes (1) at least one outer layer of (a) a propylene polymer having a melt flow rate of 0.5-15 dg/min, or a graft copolymer comprising a backbone of a propylene polymer material to which is graft polymerized a vinyl monomer, and (b) a nucleating agent having a melting point greater than 265° C. and (2) another layer made from (a) about 5% to about 50% of a high melt strength propylene homopolymer or copolymer, (b) optionally about 5% to about 40% of an inorganic filler, (c) about 2% to about 50% of an olefin polymer composition, and (d) optionally about 5% to about 70% of one or more other olefin polymer materials. The sheet has high surface gloss and good chemical resistance, and can be thermoformed using a melt phase thermoforming process wherein the surface temperature of the nucleated propylene polymer layer is from at least 310° F.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a solid catalyst component for the polymerization of olefins CH2═CHR in which R is hydrogen or a hydrocarbyl radical with 1-12 carbon atoms, comprising a titanium compound, having at least a Ti-halogen bond and an electron donor compound supported on a Mg halide, in which said electron donor compound is selected from esters of malonic acids of formula (I): wherein R1 is H or a C1-C20 linear or branched alkyl, alkenyl, cycloalkyl, aryl, arylalkyl or alkylaryl group; R2 is a C1-C20 linear or branched alkyl, alkenyl, cycloalkyl, aryl, arylalkyl or alkylaryl group; R3 and R4 the same or different are C4-C20 linear or branched alkyl, alkylcycloalkyl, primary arylalkyl or primary alkylaryl. Said catalyst components when used in the polymerization of olefins, and in particular of propylene, are capable to give high yields and polymers having high insolubility in xylene.

Abstract: The present invention relates to bituminous compositions, particularly suitable for paving and building waterproofing, comprising a bitumen and a copolymer of ethylene with propylene and/or other alpha-olefins and optionally with smaller proportion of a diene or polyene. The copolymer is besides characterized by a very low crystallinity, intrinsic viscosity higher than 1.5 dl/g and by a content of propylene units or of the alpha-olefin in form of triads comprised between 4 and 50% of the propylene or of the alpha-olefin, with at least 70% of said triads having isotactic structure.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a solid catalyst component for the polymerization of olefins CH2═CHR in which R is hydrogen or a hydrocarbyl radical with 1-12 carbon atoms, comprising a titanium compound, having at least a Ti-halogen bond and an electron donor compound supported on a Mg halide, in which said electron donor compound is selected from esters of malonic acids of formula (I): wherein R1 is a C1-C20 linear or branched alkyl, C3-C20 alkenyl, C3-C20 cycloalkyl, C6-C20 aryl, arylalkyl or alkylaryl group; R2 is a C1-C20 linear alkyl, C3-C20 linear alkenyl, C6-C20 aryl, arylalkyl or alkylaryl group; R3 and R4 are independently selected from the group consisting of C1-C3 alky, cyclopropyl, with the proviso that when R1 is C1-C4 linear or branched alkyl or alkenyl, R2 is different from R1. Said catalyst components when used in the polymerization of olefins, and in particular of propylene, are capable to give high yields and polymers having high insolubility in xylene.

Abstract: Polyolefin compositions containing from 70 to 99 parts by weight of a composition (A) that includes (i) from 75 to 95% by weight of a copolymer of ethylene with an &agr;-olefin CH2═CHR, where R is an alkyl radical having from 1 to 10 carbon atoms; and (ii) from 5 to 25% by weight of a copolymer of propylene with ethylene and/or an &agr;-olefin CH2═CHR1, where R1 is an alkyl radical having from 2 to 10 carbon atoms, and from 1 to 30 parts by weight of a polyolefin component (B) that includes crystalline polybutene-1. The compositions can be used for making films.

Abstract: A process is disclosed for preparing 2-aryl-substituted indenes by reacting an indene with an arene compound substituted with an halogen atom, preferably a iodine atom, or with an organosulphonate group, said reaction being carried out in a basic medium in the presence of a palladium catalyst. The compounds obtainable by this process can be used to prepare metallocene compounds with transition metals such as titanium, zirconium or hafnium, which are useful as catalyst components in the polymerization of olefins.

Abstract: Elastomeric ethylene/propylene or ethylene/propylene/polyene copolymers containing small amounts of one or more &agr;-olefins are prepared by a slurry process wherein the polymerization reaction is carried out in a mixture of liquid propylene and alpha-olefin.

Abstract: A multi-stage process for preparing ethylene (co)polymers having broad molecular weight distributions is disclosed, said process comprising: (A) a first polymerization stage in which, in the presence of a Ti or V catalyst, a first ethylene polymer is prepared; (B) a treatment stage in which the catalyst used in the first stage is deactivated and in which a bridged bis-2-indenyl zirconocene is supported on the ethylene polymer produced in stage (A), optionally in the presence of a suitable cocatalyst; and (C) a second polymerization stage in which ethylene is polymerized in the presence of the product obtained from stage (B). Furthermore, polyethylene obtainable by the above process is disclosed, having intrinsic viscosity ranging from 0.5 to 6 dl/g, Mw/Mn>8 and cold xylene solubility<1.2% wt.

Abstract: The thermal oxidative stability of acrylic grafted polymers is improved by (a) graft polymerizing monomers selected from the group consisting of (i) an ester or salt of an unsubstituted or 1-3 C alkyl-substituted acrylic acid and (ii) an ester or salt of an unsubstituted or 1-3 C alkyl-substituted acrylic acid and about 1 to about 10 mole %, based on the total monomers added, of an unsubstituted or 1-3 C alkyl-substituted acrylic acid, to a backbone of a propylene polymer material in the presence of a 4-vinyl-substituted 5-12 C cyclic 1-alkene, wherein the total amount of polymerized monomer is about 20 to about 200 parts per hundred parts of the propylene polymer material and the vinyl-substituted cyclic alkene is present in an amount of about 1 mole % to about 30 mole %, based on the total moles of monomer added, and (b) removing any unreacted grafting monomer from the resulting grafted propylene polymer material, decomposing any unreacted initiator, and deactivating any residual free radicals in the materi

Abstract: A process for polymerizing addition polymerizable monomers using hafnocenes catalysts/catalyst precursors having a selected symmetry condition under condensed polymerization conditions where the symmetry condition is such that the resulting polymer has varying degrees of tactioselectivity or copolymers having regions of varying degrees of tactioselectivity. Preferred classes of the haflocenes are capable of generating near pure isospecific and syndiospecific polymers in solution or in bulk polymerization conditions.

Abstract: A process, particularly a gas phase fluidised bed process, for the production of polymers avoids formation of sheets or chunks within the reactor, without the need to use antistatic agents, which can reduce the activity of the catalyst or alter the characteristics of the yielded product. According to the invention, a device generates a corona discharge in the polymerisation reactor during the polymerisation process; an AC voltage difference is applied between the elements which constitute the discharging pair of the device.

Abstract: Process for the gas-phase polymerization of olefins of the formula CH2═CHR where R is hydrogen or an alkyl or aryl radical with 1 to 8 carbon atoms carried out in one or more reactors having a fluidized or mechanically agitated bed, using a catalyst obtained by reaction of a titanium halide or haloalcoholate and optionally an electron-donor compound supported on an active Mg-dihalide with an Al-trialkyl compound and optionally an electron-donor compound, comprising the steps of: a) contacting the catalyst components in the absence of polymerizable olefin or optionally in the presence of said olefin in an amount to from up to 3 g per g of solid catalyst component; b) prepolymerizing propylene or mixtures of propylene with ethylene or an alpha-olefin to form a propylene polymer having an insolubility in xylene of at least 60% by weight, in an amount of from 5 g of polymer per g of solid catalyst component to 10% by weight of the final catalyst yield; and c) polymerizing one or more CH2═CHR olefins

Abstract: A polymer blend having a high melt strength and a low Young's modulus after irradiation of the polymers contains (1) a propylene homopolymer or copolymer having an isotactic index of greater than 90 and (2) a propylene homopolymer or copolymer having a crystallinity of <24% made using a metallocene catalyst. The blend can be used for extrusion coating (including fabric coating), foam extrusion, blow molding, and thermoforming applications.