Ethylene copolymer and a method of preparing the same

1. A process for preparing ethylene copolymer, which comprises

(a) polymerizing ethylene and one or more C3-C18 α-olefin comonomer(s) in the presence of a catalyst composition containing a transition metal catalyst represented by Chemical Formula (1) in one or more adiabatic solution-phase reactor(s) equipped with feed cooler and feed heater to produce a first copolymer; and

(b) passing the first copolymer prepared from stage (a) through at least one other adiabatic solution-phase reactor(s) equipped with feed cooler and feed heater and containing ethylene or ethylene and at least one C3-C18 α-olefin at a temperature higher than the reaction temperature of stage (a) in the presence of the same catalyst composition employed in stage (a) in order to prepare polymer of high temperature which contains ethylene and C3-C18 α-olefin copolymer composition,

in the formula, M represents transition metal from Group 4 in the Periodic Table of Elements;

Cp represents a cyclopentadienyl ring which is η 5 bonded to the core metal M, or a ring system containing a fused cyclopentadienyl ring, in which the cyclopentadienyl ring or the ring system containing a fused cyclopentadienyl ring may be further substituted by one or more substituents selected from (C1-C20)alkyl, (C6-C30)aryl, (C2-C20)alkenyl and (C6-C30)ar(C1-C20)alkyl;

R 1 through R 4 independently represent hydrogen atom, halogen atom, (C1-C20)alkyl, (C3-C20)cycloalkyl, (C6-C30)aryl, (C6-C30)ar(C1-C10)alkyl, (C1-C20)alkoxy, (C3-C20)alkylsiloxy, (C6-C30)arylsiloxy, (C1-C20)alkylamino, (C6-C30)arylamino, (C1-C20) alkylthio, (C6-C30)arylthio or nitro, or each of R 1 through R 4 may be linked to an adjacent substituent via (C3-C12)alkylene or (C3-C12) alkenylene with or without containing a fused ring to form an alicyclic ring, or a monocyclic or polycyclic aromatic ring;

Ar 1 represents (C6-C30)aryl or (C3-C30)heteroaryl containing one or more heteroatom(s) selected from N, O and S;

X 1 and X 2 independently represent halogen atom, (C1-C20)alkyl, (C3-C20)cycloalkyl, (C6-C30)ar(C1-C20)alkyl, (C1-C20)alkoxy, (C3-C20)alkylsiloxy, (C6-C30) arylsiloxy, (C1-C20)alkylamino, (C6-C30)arylamino, (C1-C20)alkylthio, (C6-C30)arylthio, or

wherein n is an integer of 1 or 2;

R 11 through R 15 independently represent hydrogen atom, halogen atom, (C1-C20)alkyl, (C3-C20)cycloalkyl, (C6-C30)aryl, (C6-C30)ar(C1-C10)alkyl, (C1-C20)alkoxy, (C3-C20)alkylsiloxy, (C6-C30)arylsiloxy, (C1-C20)alkylamino, (C6-C30)arylamino, (C1-C20)alkylthio, (C6-C30)arylthio or nitro, or R 11 through R 15 may be linked to an adjacent substituent via (C3-C12)alkylene or (C3-C12) alkenylene with or without containing a fused ring to form an alicyclic ring, or a monocyclic or polycyclic aromatic ring; and

the alkyl, aryl, cycloalkyl, aralkyl, alkoxy, alkylsiloxy, arylsiloxy, alkylamino, arylamino, alkylthio or arylthio of R 1 through R 4 , R 11 through R 15 , X 1 and X 2 ; the ring formed by linkage of each of R 1 through R 4 or R 11 through R 15 to an adjacent substituent via alkylene or alkenylene; or the aryl or heteroaryl of Ar 1 and Ar 11 may be further substituted by one or more substituent(s) selected from halogen atom, (C1-C20)alkyl, (C3-C20)cycloalkyl, (C6-C30)aryl, (C6-C30)ar(C1-C10)alkyl, (C1-C20)alkoxy, (C3-C20)alkylsiloxy, (C6-C30)arylsiloxy, (C1-C20)alkylamino, (C6-C30)arylamino, (C1-C20)alkylthio, (C6-C30)arylthio, nitro and hydroxyl.

2. A process for preparing ethylene copolymer, which comprises

(a) polymerizing ethylene and one or more C3-C18 α-olefin comonomer(s) in the presence of a catalyst composition containing a transition metal catalyst represented by Chemical Formula (1) in one or more adiabatic solution-phase reactor(s) equipped with feed cooler and feed heater to produce a first copolymer;

(b) reacting the ethylene or ethylene and one or more C3-C18 α-olefin at a temperature higher than the reaction temperature of stage (a) in the presence of the same catalyst composition employed in stage (a) in at least one other adiabatic solution-phase reactor(s) equipped with feed cooler and feed heater, in order to prepare a second copolymer; and

(c) mixing the first copolymer with the second copolymer;

in the formula, M represents transition metal from Group 4 in the Periodic Table of Elements;

Cp represents a cyclopentadienyl ring which is η 5 bonded to the core metal M, or a ring system containing a fused cyclopentadienyl ring, in which the cyclopentadienyl ring or the ring system containing a fused cyclopentadienyl ring may be further substituted by one or more substituents selected from (C1-C20) alkyl, (C6-C30)aryl, (C2-C20)alkenyl and (C6-C30)ar(C1-C20)alkyl;

R 1 through R 4 independently represent hydrogen atom, halogen atom, (C1-C20)alkyl, (C3-C20)cycloalkyl, (C6-C30)aryl, (C6-C30)ar(C1-C10)alkyl, (C1-C20)alkoxy, (C3-C20)alkylsiloxy, (C6-C30)arylsiloxy, (C1-C20)alkylamino, (C6-C30)arylamino, (C1-C20)alkylthio, (C6-C30)arylthio or nitro, or each of R 1 through R 4 may be linked to an adjacent substituent via (C3-C12)alkylene or (C3-C12) alkenylene with or without containing a fused ring to form an alicyclic ring, or a monocyclic or polycyclic aromatic ring;

Ar 1 represents (C6-C30)aryl or (C3-C30)heteroaryl containing one or more heteroatom(s) selected from N, O and S;

X 1 and X 2 independently represent halogen atom, (C1-C20)alkyl, (C3-C20)cycloalkyl, (C6-C30)ar(C1-C20)alkyl, (C1-C20)alkoxy, (C3-C20)alkylsiloxy, (C6-C30)arylsiloxy, (C1-C20)alkylamino, (C6-C30)arylamino, (C1-C20)alkylthio, (C6-C30)arylthio, or

wherein n is an integer of 1 or 2;

R 11 through R 15 independently represent hydrogen atom, halogen atom, (C1-C20)alkyl, (C3-C20)cycloalkyl, (C6-C30)aryl, (C6-C30)ar(C1-C10)alkyl, (C1-C20)alkoxy, (C3-C20)alkylsiloxy, (C6-C30)arylsiloxy, (C1-C20)alkylamino, (C6-C30)arylamino, (C1-C20)alkylthio, (C6-C30)arylthio or nitro, or R 11 through R 15 may be linked to an adjacent substituent via (C3-C12)alkylene or (C3-C12) alkenylene with or without containing a fused ring to form an alicyclic ring, or a monocyclic or polycyclic aromatic ring; and the alkyl, aryl, cycloalkyl, aralkyl, alkoxy, alkylsiloxy, arylsiloxy, alkylamino, arylamino, alkylthio or arylthio of R 1 through R 4 , R 11 through R 15 , X 1 and X 2 ; the ring formed by linkage of each of R 1 through R 4 or R 11 through R 15 to an adjacent substituent via alkylene or alkenylene; or the aryl or heteroaryl of Ar 1 and Ar 11 may be further substituted by one or more substituent(s) selected from halogen atom, (C1-C20)alkyl, (C3-C20)cycloalkyl, (C6-C30)aryl, (C6-C30)ar(C1-C10)alkyl, (C1-C20)alkoxy, (C3-C20)alkylsiloxy, (C6-C30)arylsiloxy, (C1-C20)alkylamino, (C6-C30)arylamino, (C1-C20)alkylthio, (C6-C30)arylthio, nitro and hydroxyl.

3. A process for preparing ethylene copolymer according to claim 1 , wherein M is Ti in the transition metal catalyst of Chemical Formula (1).

4. A process for preparing ethylene copolymer according to claim 3 , wherein the transition metal catalyst is selected from the compounds represented by one of the following Chemical Formulas:

in the formulas, R 21 through R 26 independently represent hydrogen atom, halogen atom, (C1-C20)alkyl, (C3-C20)cycloalkyl, (C6-C30)aryl, (C6-C30)ar(C1-C10)alkyl, (C1-C20)alkoxy, (C3-C20)alkylsiloxy, (C6-C30)arylsiloxy, (C1-C20)alkylamino, (C6-C30)arylamino, (C1-C20)alkylthio, (C6-C30)arylthio or nitro, or each of R 21 through R 26 may be linked to an adjacent substituent via (C3-C12)alkylene or (C3-C12) alkenylene with or without containing a fused ring to form an alicyclic ring, or a monocyclic or polycyclic aromatic ring; the alkyl, aryl, cycloalkyl, aralkyl, alkoxy, alkylsiloxy, arylsiloxy, alkylamino, arylamino, alkylthio or arylthio of R 21 through R 26 may be further substituted by one or more substituent(s) selected from halogen atom, (C1-C20)alkyl, (C3-C20)cycloalkyl, (C6-C30)aryl, (C6-C30)ar(C1-C10)alkyl, (C1-C20)alkoxy, (C3-C20)alkylsiloxy, (C6-C30)arylsiloxy, (C1-C20)alkylamino, (C6-C30)arylamino, (C1-C20)alkylthio, (C6-C30)arylthio, nitro and hydroxyl;

Cp represents a cyclopentadienyl ring which is η 5 if bonded to the core metal M, or a ring system containing a fused cyclopentadienyl ring, in which the cyclopentadienyl ring or the ring system containing a fused cyclopentadienyl ring may be further substituted by one or more substituents selected from (C1-C20) alkyl, (C6-C30)aryl, (C2-C20)alkenyl and (C6-C30)ar(C1-C20)alkyl; and

X 1 and X 2 represent methyl or Cl.

5. A process for preparing ethylene copolymer according to claim 4 , wherein the transition metal catalyst is selected from the following compounds:

in the formulas, Cp represents a cyclopentadienyl ring which is η 5 bonded to the core metal M, or a ring system containing a fused cyclopentadienyl ring, in which the cyclopentadienyl ring or the ring system containing a fused cyclopentadienyl ring may be further substituted by one or more substituents selected from (C1-C20)alkyl, (C6-C30)aryl, (C2-C20)alkenyl and (C6-C30)ar(C1-C20)alkyl; and

X 1 and X 2 represent methyl or Cl.

6. A process for preparing ethylene copolymer according to claim 1 , wherein the catalyst composition comprises the transition metal catalyst; and cocatalyst selected from aluminoxane compounds, alkylaluminum compounds and boron compounds, and mixtures thereof.

7. A process for preparing ethylene copolymer according to claim 6 , wherein the ratio of the transition metal catalyst to the cocatalyst is from 1:1 to 1:2,000 on the basis of the molar ratio of transition metal M: aluminum atom.

8. A process for preparing ethylene copolymer according to claim 6 , wherein the ratio of the transition metal catalyst to the cocatalyst is from 1:0.1 to 1:50 on the basis of the molar ratio of transition metal M: boron atom.

9. A process for preparing ethylene copolymer according to claim 7 , wherein the ratio of the transition metal catalyst to the cocatalyst is 1:0.1˜50 :1˜1,000 on the basis of the molar ratio of transition metal M: boron atom: aluminum atom.

10. A process for preparing ethylene copolymer according to claim 1 , wherein the reaction temperature is from 80 to 210° C. for stage (a), and from 90 to 220° C. for stage (b), and the reaction pressure for each stage is from 20 to 500 atm.

11. A process for preparing ethylene copolymer according to claim 1 , wherein the α-olefin comonomer of stage (a) and (b) is selected from propylene, 1-butene, 1-pentene, 4-methyl-1-pentene, 1-hexene, 1-octene, 1-decene, 1-dodecene, and mixtures thereof.

12. A process for preparing ethylene copolymer according to claim 1 , wherein the amount of ethylene and one or more C3-C18 α-olefin comonomer of stage (a) and (b) is 60˜99% by weight of ethylene and 1˜40% by weight of α-olefin comonomer.

13. A process for preparing ethylene copolymer according to claim 1 , wherein 10-70% by weight of the polymer is prepared from stage (a) and 30-90% by weight of the polymer is prepared from stage (b).

14. A process for preparing ethylene copolymer according to claim 1 , wherein the polymer prepared from stage (a) has MI of 0.001 to 2.0 g/10 min and density of 0.860 to 0.925 g/cm 3 , and the polymer prepared from stage (b) has MI of 0.1 to 100.0 g/10 min and density of 0.900 to 0.970 g/cm 3 .

15. A process for preparing ethylene copolymer according to claim 1 , wherein the molecular weight distribution index of ethylene copolymer is 2.8 to 30.

16. A process for preparing ethylene copolymer according to claim 2 , wherein 10-70% by weight of the polymer is prepared from stage (a) and 30-90% by weight of the polymer is prepared from stage (b).

17. A process for preparing ethylene copolymer according to claim 2 , wherein the polymer prepared from stage (a) has MI of 0.001 to 2.0 g/10 min and density of 0.860 to 0.925 g/cm 3 , and the polymer prepared from stage (b) has MI of 0.1 to 100.0 g/10 min and density of 0.900 to 0.970 g/cm 3 .

18. A process for preparing ethylene copolymer according to claim 2 , wherein the molecular weight distribution index of ethylene copolymer is 2.8 to 30.