Metallocene-catalyzed polyolefins in wax formulations and their use for the precision casting/lost wax process

1 . A wax formulation comprising

a.) a wax powder or a wax powder mixture having a melting point above 120° C. as filler and

b.) a base formulation having a melting point below 100° C.

2 . The wax formulation as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the wax powder or wax powder mixture a.) is present in a proportion of from 5 to 60% by weight and the base formulation b.) is present in a proportion of from 50 to 95% by weight, based on the total wax formulation.

3 . The wax formulation as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the wax powder or a wax powder mixture a.) is a polyolefin wax prepared by polymerization of olefins in the presence of one or more metallocene as catalyst.

4 . The wax formulation as claimed in claim 3 , wherein the one or more metallocene catalysts comprise chiral or achiral transition metal compounds of the formula M 1 L x .

5 . The wax formulation as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the wax powder or a wax powder mixture a.) is selected from the group consisting of TP Licocene® PP 6102, TP Licocene® PP 6502, TP Licocene® PP 7402 TP Licocene® PP 7502 and mixtures thereof.

6 . The wax formulation as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the wax formulation comprises from 5 to 60 parts by weight of wax powder or a wax powder mixture a.) and from 40 to 95% by weight of at least one additive, based on the total wax formulation.

7 . The wax formulation as claimed in claim 6 , wherein the at least one additive is selected from the group consisting of metallocene PP waxes, polyolefin waxes or reaction products of fatty acids and polyfunctional diamines or or a mixture thereof.

8 . The wax formulation as claimed in claim 6 , wherein the at least one additive is selected from the group consisting of petroleum waxes, natural vegetable or mineral waxes, synthetic waxes, polymers of monomers other than propylene and ethylene, resin-like materials derived from the refining of petroleum or tree resin, hydrocarbon resins or terpene-like resins or a mixture thereof.

9 . The wax formulation as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising one or more compounds selected from the group consisting of organic acids, polystyrene, crosslinked polystyrene, urea, polyacrylates, cellulose acetates, bisphenols, polyethylene terephthalate and high-melting polyols.

10 . The wax formulation as claimed in claim 6 , wherein the at least one additive is selected from the group consisting of TP Licocene® PP 1302, TP Licocene® PP 1502, TP Licocene® PP 2602, TP Licocene® PP 3502 and mixtures thereof.

11 . The wax formulation as claimed in claim 1 , wherein 90% of the wax powder or wax powder mixture particles a.) have a diameter below 250 μm and at least 50% of the wax powder or wax powder mixture particles have a diameter below 150 μm.

12 . The wax formulation as claimed in at least one of the preceding claims, wherein the wax powder or wax powder mixture a.) has a density at 20° C. of from 0.85 to 1.20 g/cm 3 .

13 . A precision cast article produced using a wax formulation as claimed in claim 1 .