Abstract: A process to produce a branched ethylene-?-olefin diene elastomer comprising combining a catalyst precursor and an activator with a feed comprising ethylene, C3 to C12 ?-olefins, and a dual-polymerizable diene to obtain a branched ethylene-?-olefin diene elastomer; where the catalyst precursor is selected from pyridyldiamide and quinolinyldiamido transition metal complexes. The branched ethylene-?-olefin diene elastomer may comprise within a range from 40 to 80 wt % of ethylene-derived units by weight of the branched ethylene-?-olefin diene elastomer, and 0.1 to 2 wt % of singly-polymerizable diene derived units, 0.1 to 2 wt % of singly-polymerizable diene derived units, and the remainder comprising C3 to C12 ?-olefin derived units, wherein the branched ethylene-?-olefin diene elastomer has a weight average molecular weight (Mw) within a range from 100 kg/mole to 300 kg/mole, an average branching index (g?avg) of 0.9 or more, and a branching index at very high Mw (g?1000) of less than 0.9.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides methods for producing an olefin polymer by contacting a C3-C40 olefin, ethylene and a diene with a catalyst system including an activator and a metallocene catalyst compound comprising a substituted or unsubstituted indacenyl group and obtaining a C3-C40 olefin-ethylene-diene terpolymer typically comprising from 30 to 55 mol % ethylene, from 69.09 to 45 mol % C3 to C40 comonomer, and from 0.01 to 7 mol % diene wherein the Tg of the terpolymer is ?28° C. or less. Preferably, a propylene-ethylene-ethylidene norbornene is obtained.

Abstract: Compositions are provided which include blends of (A) branched and/or bimodal ethylene copolymers and (B) linear ethylene copolymers. The branched and/or bimodal ethylene copolymers may be produced using a dual metallocene catalyst system comprising two different metallocene catalysts: one capable of producing high Mooney-viscosity polymers and one suitable for producing polymers having at least a portion of vinyl terminations. The linear ethylene copolymers may be produced using a metallocene catalyst capable of producing high Mooney-viscosity polymers, which may be the same as such catalyst of the dual metallocene catalyst system. Processes for making such blends, including parallel and/or series polymerization processes, are also provided. The blends may have excellent cure properties suitable in curable rubber compound applications.

Abstract: A compound suitable for use in producing articles including foamed articles can include 100 parts per hundred rubber (phr) of a branched ethylene propylene diene monomer (EPDM) elastomer comprising 35 wt % to 70 wt % ethylene derived units, 20 wt % to 64 wt % propylene derived units, and 1 wt % to 10 wt % diene derived units, wherein the EPDM elastomer has a Mooney viscosity (ML) (1+4) at 125° C. of 30 MU to 120 MU, a corrected Mooney relaxation area (cMLRA) at 80 ML of 300 MU·sec to 1000 MU·sec, and long chain branching (LCB) g? (vis) of 0.80 to 1.0; 75 phr to 200 phr of a filler; 25 phr to 125 phr of a processing oil; 5 phr to 50 phr of a curative, and optionally 0.1 phr to 25 phr of a foaming agent.

Abstract: Processes are provided which include copolymerization using two different metallocene catalysts, one capable of producing high Mooney-viscosity polymers and one suitable for producing lower Mooney-viscosity polymers having at least a portion of vinyl terminations. The two catalysts may be used together in polymerization to produce copolymer compositions of particularly well-tuned properties. For instance, polymerizations are contemplated to produce high-Mooney metallocene polymers that exhibit excellent processability and elasticity, notwithstanding their high Mooney viscosity. Other polymerizations are also contemplated in which lower-Mooney metallocene polymers are produced, which also exhibit excellent processability and elasticity, while furthermore having excellent cure properties suitable in curable elastomer compound applications.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides polymerization processes to produce polymeric materials, such as olefin terpolymers, using transition metal catalysts having bridged phenolate ligands. The polymerization process includes contacting a transition metal complex with a mixture olefin monomers that contain ethylene, propylene, and a cyclic diene to produce an olefin polymer and recovering the olefin polymer. The mixture of olefin monomers can include specified weight ratios for the various olefin monomers. The transition metal complex includes a bridged phenolate ligand bonded to a metal atom via covalent bonds by two oxygens, a coordinate covalent bond by a Group 15 atom, and a coordinate covalent bond by a Group 15 or 16 atom. The transition metal complex provides relatively high endocyclic alkene/vinyl selectivity to minimize hyperbranching during the production of olefin polymeric materials, such as EPDM and other terpolymers that are free or substantially free of gels.

Abstract: A process to produce a branched ethylene-?-olefin diene elastomer comprising combining a catalyst precursor and an activator with a feed comprising ethylene, C3 to C12 ?-olefins, and a dual-polymerizable diene to obtain a branched ethylene-?-olefin diene elastomer; where the catalyst precursor is selected from pyridyldiamide and quinolinyldiamido transition metal complexes. The branched ethylene-?-olefin diene elastomer may comprise within a range from 40 to 80 wt % of ethylene-derived units by weight of the branched ethylene-?-olefin diene elastomer, and 0.1 to 2 wt % of singly-polymerizable diene derived units, 0.1 to 2 wt % of singly-polymerizable diene derived units, and the remainder comprising C3 to C12 ?-olefin derived units, wherein the branched ethylene-?-olefin diene elastomer has a weight average molecular weight (Mw) within a range from 100 kg/mole to 300 kg/mole, an average branching index (g?avgg) of 0.9 or more, and a branching index at very high Mw (g?1000) of less than 0.9.

Abstract: This invention relates to production of propylene-predominant copolymers using a transition metal complex and at least two different non-coordinating anion activators. An olefinic feed comprising a C3-C40 alpha olefin, ethylene, and a diene monomer is contacted under polymerization reaction conditions with a catalyst system comprising a first non-coordinating anion activator, a second non-coordinating borate activator differing from the first non-coordinating anion activator, and a transition metal complex comprising a tetrahydro-s-indacenyl or tetrahydro-as-indacenyl group bound to a group 3-6 transition metal. A molar ratio of the first non-coordinating anion activator to the second non-coordinating anion activator is sufficient to produce a melt flow rate under the polymerization reaction conditions for the resulting copolymer of about 30 g/10 min or below as determined by ASTM D-1238 (230° C., 2.16 kg).

Abstract: A process to produce a branched ethylene-?-olefin diene elastomer comprising combining a catalyst precursor and an activator with a feed comprising ethylene, C3 to C12 ?-olefins, and a dual-polymerizable diene to obtain a branched ethylene-?-olefin diene elastomer; where the catalyst precursor is selected from pyridyldiamide and quinolinyldiamido transition metal complexes. The branched ethylene-?-olefin diene elastomer may comprise within a range from 40 to 80 wt % of ethylene-derived units by weight of the branched ethylene-?-olefin diene elastomer, and 0.1 to 2 wt % of singly-polymerizable diene derived units, 0.1 to 2 wt % of singly-polymerizable diene derived units, and the remainder comprising C3 to C12 ?-olefin derived units, wherein the branched ethylene-?-olefin diene elastomer has a weight average molecular weight (Mw) within a range from 100 kg/mole to 300 kg/mole, an average branching index (g?avg) of 0.9 or more, and a branching index at very high Mw (g?1000) of less than 0.9.

Abstract: Disclosed is the preparation of thermoplastic vulcanizates with reduced crosslinked rubber dispersion sizes and dispersity. The thermoplastic vulcanizates include a polypropylene matrix phase in which cross-linked rubber particles are dispersed. The thermoplastic vulcanizates include the reaction product of a mixture that includes at least 10 wt % of isotactic polypropylene at least 30 wt % of an amorphous propylene-ethylene-diene terpolymer containing at least 60 wt % propylene-derived units and less than or equal to 25 wt % of ethylene-derived units; at least 10 wt % of a diluent and at least 0.015 wt % of at least one curative. The mixture is preferably formed without adding an ethylene-propylene-diene terpolymer.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides methods for producing an olefin polymer by contacting a C3-C40 olefin, ethylene and a diene with a catalyst system including an activator and a metallocene catalyst compound comprising a substituted or unsubstituted indacenyl group and obtaining a C3-C40 olefin-ethylene-diene terpolymer typically comprising from 30 to 55 mol % ethylene, from 69.09 to 45 mol % C3 to C40 comonomer, and from 0.01 to 7 mol % diene wherein the Tg of the terpolymer is ?28° C. or less. Preferably, a propylene-ethylene-ethylidene norbornene is obtained.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides methods for producing an olefin polymer by contacting a C3-C40 olefin, ethylene and a diene with a catalyst system including an activator and a metallocene catalyst compound comprising a substituted or unsubstituted indacenyl group and obtaining a C3-C40 olefin-ethylene-diene terpolymer typically comprising from 1 to 35 mol % of ethylene, from 98.9 to 65 mol % C3-C40 olefin, and, optionally, from 0.1 to 10 mol % diene. Preferably, a propylene-ethylene-ethylidene norbornene is obtained.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides methods for producing an olefin polymer by contacting a C3-C40 olefin, ethylene and a diene with a catalyst system including an activator and a metallocene catalyst compound comprising a substituted or unsubstituted indacenyl group and obtaining a C3-C40 olefin-ethylene-diene terpolymer typically comprising from 30 to 55 mol % ethylene, from 69.09 to 45 mol % C3 to C40 comonomer, and from 0.01 to 7 mol % diene wherein the Tg of the terpolymer is ?28° C. or less. Preferably, a propylene-ethylene-ethylidene norbornene is obtained.

Abstract: Processes are provided which include copolymerization using two different metallocene catalysts, one capable of producing high Mooney-viscosity polymers and one suitable for producing lower Mooney-viscosity polymers having at least a portion of vinyl terminations. The two catalysts may be used together in polymerization to produce copolymer compositions of particularly well-tuned properties. For instance, polymerizations are contemplated to produce high-Mooney metallocene polymers that exhibit excellent processability and elasticity, notwithstanding their high Mooney viscosity. Other polymerizations are also contemplated in which lower-Mooney metallocene polymers are produced, which also exhibit excellent processability and elasticity, while furthermore having excellent cure properties suitable in curable elastomer compound applications.

Abstract: Compositions are provided which include blends of (A) branched and/or bimodal ethylene copolymers and (B) linear ethylene copolymers. The branched and/or bimodal ethylene copolymers may be produced using a dual metallocene catalyst system comprising two different metallocene catalysts: one capable of producing high Mooney-viscosity polymers and one suitable for producing polymers having at least a portion of vinyl terminations. The linear ethylene copolymers may be produced using a metallocene catalyst capable of producing high Mooney-viscosity polymers, which may be the same as such catalyst of the dual metallocene catalyst system. Processes for making such blends, including parallel and/or series polymerization processes, are also provided. The blends may have excellent cure properties suitable in curable rubber compound applications.

Abstract: A polymer obtained by a solution polymerization process comprising within a range from 0.5 to 20 wt % of cyclic olefin derived units, within a range from 0 wt % to 15 wt % C4 to C12 ?-olefin derived units, the remainder being ethylene derived units; and having a Mw/Mn of less than 2.5; a weight average molecular weight (Mw) within a range from 80,000 to 300,000 g/mole; and a g? value of greater than 0.95. The polymer may be formed in a solution polymerization process comprising combining in a solution cyclic olefins, ethylene, hydrogen and optionally C4 to C12 ?-olefins with a single-site catalyst to form the polymer, wherein the single-site catalyst is most preferably selected from unsymmetrical Group 4 bis-bridged cyclopentadienyl metallocenes.

Abstract: Processes are provided which include copolymerization using two different metallocene catalysts, one capable of producing high Mooney-viscosity polymers and one suitable for producing lower Mooney-viscosity polymers having at least a portion of vinyl terminations. The two catalysts may be used together in polymerization to produce copolymer compositions of particularly well-tuned properties. For instance, polymerizations are contemplated to produce high-Mooney metallocene polymers that exhibit excellent processability and elasticity, notwithstanding their high Mooney viscosity. Other polymerizations are also contemplated in which lower-Mooney metallocene polymers are produced, which also exhibit excellent processability and elasticity, while furthermore having excellent cure properties suitable in curable elastomer compound applications.

Abstract: A compound suitable for use in producing articles including foamed articles can include 100 parts per hundred rubber (phr) of a branched ethylene propylene diene monomer (EPDM) elastomer comprising 35 wt % to 70 wt % ethylene derived units, 20 wt % to 64 wt % propylene derived units, and 1 wt % to 10 wt % diene derived units, wherein the EPDM elastomer has a Mooney viscosity (ML) (1+4) at 125° C. of 30 MU to 120 MU, a corrected Mooney relaxation area (cMLRA) at 80 ML of 300 MU·sec to 1000 MU·sec, and long chain branching (LCB) g? (vis) of 0.80 to 1.0; 75 phr to 200 phr of a filler; 25 phr to 125 phr of a processing oil; 5 phr to 50 phr of a curative, and optionally 0.1 phr to 25 phr of a foaming agent.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides polymerization processes to produce polymeric materials, such as olefin terpolymers, using transition metal catalysts having bridged phenolate ligands. The polymerization process includes contacting a transition metal complex with a mixture olefin monomers that contain ethylene, propylene, and a cyclic diene to produce an olefin polymer and recovering the olefin polymer. The mixture of olefin monomers can include specified weight ratios for the various olefin monomers. The transition metal complex includes a bridged phenolate ligand bonded to a metal atom via covalent bonds by two oxygens, a coordinate covalent bond by a Group 15 atom, and a coordinate covalent bond by a Group 15 or 16 atom. The transition metal complex provides relatively high endocyclic alkene/vinyl selectivity to minimize hyperbranching during the production of olefin polymeric materials, such as EPDM and other terpolymers that are free or substantially free of gels.

Abstract: This invention relates to the use of quinolinyldiamido transition metal complexes and catalyst systems with an activator and a metal hydrocarbenyl chain transfer agent, such as an aluminum vinyl-transfer agent (AVTA), to produce branched propylene-ethylene-diene terpolymers.