Propylene copolymer with high impact properties

1. Propylene copolymer (R-PP) having:

(a) a melt flow rate MFR 2 (230° C.) measured according to ISO 1133 in the range of more than 2.5 to 15.0 g/10 min,

(b) a comonomer content in the range of 2.0 to below 12.0 mol. %,

(c) a melting temperature in the range of 125 to below 143° C.,

(d) a xylene cold soluble fraction (XCS), determined at 25° C. according to ISO 16152, in the range of 17.0 to 45.0 wt. %,

(e) a molecular weight distribution (Mw/Mn) of at least 2.7; and/or a polydispersity index (PI) of at least 2.3, and

(f) 2,1 regio-defects of at least 0.2% determined by 13 C-NMR spectroscopy.

2. Propylene copolymer (R-PP) according to claim 1 , wherein said propylene copolymer (R-PP) has:

(a) a glass transition temperature in the range of −12 to +2° C.; and/or

(b) no glass transition temperature below −20° C.

3. Propylene copolymer (R-PP) according to claim 1 , wherein said propylene copolymer (R-PP)

is monophasic.

4. Propylene copolymer (R-PP) according to claim 1 , wherein the comonomer is selected from ethylene, C 4 to C 12 α-olefin, and mixtures thereof.

5. Propylene copolymer (R-PP) according to claim 1 , wherein said propylene copolymer (R-PP) comprises two fractions, a first propylene copolymer fraction (R-PP1) and a second propylene copolymer fraction (R-PP2), said first propylene copolymer fraction (R-PP1) differs from said second propylene copolymer fraction (R-PP2) in the melt flow rate MFR 2 (230° C.) and/or in the comonomer content.

6. Propylene copolymer (R-PP) according to claim 5 , wherein:

(a) the weight ratio between the first propylene copolymer fraction (R-PP1) and the second propylene copolymer fraction (R-PP2) [(R-PP1):(R-PP2)] is 70:30 to 30:70; and/or

(b) the comonomers for the first propylene copolymer fraction (R-PP1) and the second propylene copolymer fraction (R-PP2) are selected from ethylene, C 4 to C 12 α-olefin, and mixtures thereof.

7. Propylene copolymer (R-PP) according to claim 5 , wherein:

(a) the first propylene copolymer fraction (R-PP1) is the comonomer lean fraction and the second propylene copolymer fraction (R-PP2) is the comonomer rich fraction; and/or,

(b) the first propylene copolymer fraction (R-PP1) has a lower melt flow rate MFR 2 (230° C.) than the second propylene copolymer fraction (R-PP2).

8. Propylene copolymer (R-PP) according to claim 5 , wherein:

(a) the first propylene copolymer fraction (R-PP1) has a lower comonomer content than the propylene copolymer (R-PP); and/or

(b) the first propylene copolymer fraction (R-PP1) has a lower melt flow rate MFR 2 (230° C.) than the propylene copolymer (R-PP).

9. Propylene copolymer (R-PP) according to claim 5 , wherein:

(a) the first propylene copolymer fraction (R-PP1) has a comonomer content in the range of 1.0 to 8.0 mol % based on the first propylene copolymer fraction (R-PP1); and/or

(b) the second propylene copolymer fraction (R-PP2) has a comonomer content in the range of more than 8.0 to 17.0 mol % based on the second propylene copolymer fraction (R-PP2).

10. Propylene copolymer (R-PP) according to claim 5 , wherein:

(a) the first propylene copolymer fraction (R-PP1) has a melt flow rate MFR 2 (230° C.) in the range of 1.5 to 8.0 g/10 min; and/or

(b) the second propylene copolymer fraction (R-PP2) has a melt flow rate MFR 2 (230° C.) in the range of more than 7.0 to 28.0 g/10 min.

11. Propylene copolymer (R-PP) according to claim 5 , wherein:

(a) the first random propylene copolymer fraction (R-PP1) and the second random propylene copolymer fraction (R-PP2) fulfill together the inequation (IV):

MFR

⁡

(

R

-

PP

⁢

⁢

2

)

MFR

⁡

(

R

-

PP

⁢

⁢

1

)

≥

1.1

(

IV

)

wherein, MFR (R-PP1) is the melt flow rate MFR 2 (230° C.) [g/10 min] of the first propylene copolymer fraction (R-PP1),

MFR (R-PP2) is the melt flow rate MFR 2 (230° C.) [g/10 min] of the second propylene copolymer fraction (R-PP2); and/or,

(b) the first random propylene copolymer fraction (R-PP1) and the random propylene copolymer fraction (R-PP) fulfill together the inequation (VI):

MFR

⁡

(

R

-

PP

)

MFR

⁡

(

R

-

PP

⁢

⁢

1

)

≥

1.1

(

VI

)

wherein, MFR (R-PP1) is the melt flow rate MFR 2 (230° C.) [g/10 min] of of the first propylene copolymer fraction (R-PP1), and/or

MFR (R-PP) is the melt flow rate MFR 2 (230° C.) [g/10 min] of the propylene copolymer fraction (R-PP).

12. Propylene copolymer (R-PP) according to claim 5 , wherein:

(a) the first random propylene copolymer fraction (R-PP1) and the second random propylene copolymer fraction (R-PP2) fulfill together the inequation (III):

Co

⁡

(

R

-

PP

⁢

⁢

2

)

Co

⁡

(

R

-

PP

⁢

⁢

1

)

≥

2.0

;

(

III

)

wherein, Co (R-PP1) is the comonomer content [mol. %] of the first propylene copolymer fraction (R-PP1),

Co (R-PP2) is the comonomer content [mol. %] of the second propylene copolymer fraction (R-PP2), and/or,

(b) the first random propylene copolymer fraction (R-PP1) and the random propylene copolymer fraction (R-PP) fulfill together the inequation (V):

Co

⁡

(

R

-

PP

)

Co

⁡

(

R

-

PP

⁢

⁢

1

)

≥

0.5

(

V

)

wherein, Co (R-PP1) is the comonomer content [mol. %] of the first propylene copolymer fraction (R-PP1), and/or

Co (R-PP) is the comonomer content [mol. %] of the propylene copolymer fraction (R-PP).

13. Process for producing the propylene copolymer (R-PP) claim 1 , producing the propylene copolymer (R-PP) in the presence of a metallocene catalyst of formula (I):

R n (Cp′) 2 MX 2   (I)

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

each “X” is independently a monovalent anionic σ-ligand,

each “Cp′” is a cyclopentadienyl-type organic ligand independently selected from the group consisting of substituted cyclopentadienyl, substituted indenyl, substituted tetrahydroindenyl, and substituted or unsubstituted fluorenyl, said organic ligands coordinate to the transition metal (M),

“R” is a bivalent bridging group linking said organic ligands (Cp′), and

“n” is 1 or 2.

14. Process according to claim 13 , wherein the propylene copolymer (R-PP) is produced in a sequential polymerization process comprising at least two reactors (R1) and (R2), in the first reactor (R1) the first propylene copolymer fraction (R-PP1) is produced and subsequently transferred into the second reactor (R2), in the second reactor (R2) the second propylene copolymer fraction (R-PP2) is produced in the presence of the first propylene copolymer fraction (R-PP1).

15. Article comprising the propylene copolymer (R-PP) according to claim 1 , wherein the article is a packaging material, or a container.

16. Article according to claim 15 , wherein the article:

(a) comprises a film, said film comprising the propylene copolymer (R-PP), or

(b) is an injection molded article; or

(c) is a thermoformed article.