Multimodal ethylene copolymer

1 . A multimodal ethylene copolymer (P) comprising

a) an ethylene polymer (A) having a MFR2 of 1 to 50 g/10 min (190° C., 2.16 kg, ISO 1133), having a comonomer content in the range of 0.05 mol % to less than 1.0 mol %, the comonomer being selected from C 4 to C 12 α-olefins, and

b) an ethylene copolymer (B) having a comonomer content in the range of 5.6 mol % to 10.0 mol %, the comonomer being selected from C 4 to C 12 α-olefins,

whereby the comonomer of ethylene copolymer (B) is different from the comonomer of ethylene copolymer (A) and wherein further

(i) the multimodal ethylene copolymer (P) has a total comonomer content in the range of 3.2 mol % to 5.7 mol %,

(ii) the weight ratio of the ethylene copolymer (A) to the ethylene copolymer (B) is in the range of 25/75 to below 60/40, and

iii) the multimodal ethylene copolymer (P) has an Mw/Mn between 2.3 and 4.8.

2 . The multimodal ethylene copolymer (P) according to claim 1 , wherein the ethylene polymer component (A) has a MFR 2 (190° C., 2.16 kg, ISO 1133) of 1.0 to 40.0 g/10 min.

3 . The multimodal ethylene copolymer (P) according to claim 1 , wherein the MFR2 (190° C., 2.16 kg, ISO 1133) of the multimodal ethylene copolymer (P) is in the range of from 0.5 to 7.0 g/10 min.

4 . The multimodal ethylene copolymer (P) according to claim 1 , wherein the ratio of an amount (mol %) of alpha-olefin comonomer having from 4 to 12 carbon atoms present in ethylene polymer component (A)] to an amount (mol %) of at least two alpha-olefin comonomers having from 4 to 12 carbon atoms of the final multimodal ethylene copolymer (P)] is 0.05 to 0.20.

5 . The multimodal ethylene copolymer (P) according to claim 1 , wherein the density of the multimodal ethylene copolymer (P) is in the range of 905 to 920 kg/m 3 .

6 . The multimodal ethylene copolymer (P) according to claim 1 , wherein a melting temperature (Tm) measured according to ISO 11357-3 of the ethylene copolymer composition (P) is in the range of 117° C. to 133° C.

7 . The multimodal ethylene copolymer (P) according to claim 1 , wherein the multimodal ethylene copolymer (P) has a sealing initiation temperature (SIT), determined as described in the experimental part, between 55° C. and 90° C.

8 . The multimodal ethylene copolymer (P) according to claim 1 , wherein the multimodal ethylene copolymer (P) has a difference between a melting temperature (Tm) and a sealing initiation temperature (SIT), determined as described in the Experimental part, Tm−SIT, of at least 37° C.

9 . The multimodal ethylene copolymer (P) according to claim 1 , wherein the ratio of the MFR2 (190° C., 2.16 kg, ISO 1133) of ethylene polymer component (A) to the MFR2 (190° C., 2.16 kg, ISO 1133) of the final multimodal ethylene copolymer (P) is between 0.5 to 30.

10 . The multimodal ethylene copolymer (P) according to claim 1 , wherein ethylene polymer component (B) has a density in the range of 880 to 915 kg/m 3 .

11 . The multimodal ethylene copolymer (P) according to claim 1 , wherein the multimodal ethylene copolymer (P) is produced using the organometallic compound (C) of formula (I):

(L) m R n MX q   (I)

wherein

“M” is zirconium (Zr), hafnium (Hf), or titanium (Ti),

each “X” is independently a monoanionic ligand,

each “L” is independently an organic ligand which coordinates to the transition metal “M”, and

comprising a cyclopentadienyl, indenyl, or fluorenyl ligand,

“R” is a bridging group linking said organic ligands (L),

“m” is 1, 2 or 3

“n” is 0, 1 or 2,

“q” is 1, 2 or 3, and

m+q is equal to the valence of the transition metal (M) or

an organometallic compound (C) of formula (II):

wherein each X is independently a halogen atom, a C1-6-alkyl, C1-6-alkoxy group, phenyl or benzyl group;

each Het is independently a monocyclic heteroaromatic containing at least one heteroatom selected from O or S;

L is —R′2Si—, wherein each R′ is independently C1-20 hydrocarbyl or C1-10 alkyl substituted with alkoxy having 1 to 10 carbon atoms;

M is Ti, Zr or Hf;

each R1 is the same or different and is a C1-6 alkyl group or C1-6 alkoxy group;

each n is 1 to 2;

each R2 is the same or different and is a C1-6 alkyl group, C1-6 alkoxy group or —Si(R)3 group;

each R is C1-10 alkyl or phenyl group optionally substituted by 1 to 3 C1-6 alkyl groups; and

each p is 0 to 1, whereby

ethylene polymer component (A) is produced in a first polymerization zone and the ethylene polymer component (B) is produced in a second polymerization zone.

12 . A film comprising the multimodal ethylene copolymer (P) according to claim 1 , whereby the film is a monolayer film comprising the multimodal ethylene copolymer (P) or a multilayer film, wherein at least one layer comprises the multimodal ethylene copolymer (P).

13 . The film according to claim 12 , wherein the film is a blown extrusion film, or is part of an extrusion coated substrate comprising a substrate and at least one layer of the multimodal ethylene copolymer (P) extrusion coated on said substrate.