Soft copolymers with high impact strength

1. A heterophasic propylene copolymer (RAHECO), said heterophasic propylene copolymer (RAHECO) comprises a matrix (M) being a random propylene copolymer (R-PP) and an elastomeric propylene copolymer (E) dispersed in said matrix (M),

wherein the heterophasic propylene copolymer (RAHECO) has

a) a melt flow rate MFR 2 (230° C.) measured according to ISO 1133 in the range of 0.3 to 20.0 g/10 min,

b) a xylene cold soluble content (XCS) determined according ISO 16152 (25° C.) in the range of 16.0 to 50.0 wt.-%,

c) a comonomer content in the range of 11.5 to 21.0 mol-%, and

wherein further the heterophasic propylene copolymer (RAHECO) has a Charpy notched impact strength as defined by in-equation (III)

NIS>60−23.0×In(MFR)  (III)

wherein

“NIS” is the Charpy notched impact strength according to ISO 179-1eA:2000 at 23° C. [in kJ/m 2 ] of the heterophasic propylene copolymer (RAHECO), and

“MFR” is the MFR 2 (230° C./2.16 kg) [in g/10 min] of the heterophasic propylene copolymer (RAHECO),

wherein further

d) the xylene cold insoluble fraction (XCI) of the heterophasic propylene copolymer (RAHECO) has a relative content of isolated to block ethylene sequences (I(E)) in the range of 50.0 to 65.0%, wherein the I(E) content is defined by equation (I)

I

⁡

(

E

)

=

fPEP

(

fEEE

+

fPEE

+

fPEP

)

×

100

(

I

)

wherein

I(E) is the relative content of isolated to block ethylene sequences [in %];

fPEP is the mol fraction of propylene/ethylene/propylene sequences (PEP) in the xylene cold insoluble fraction (XCI) of the heterophasic propylene copolymer (RAHECO);

fPEE is the mol fraction of propylene/ethylene/ethylene sequences (PEE) and of ethylene/ethylene/propylene sequences (EEP) in the xylene cold insoluble fraction (XCI) of the heterophasic propylene copolymer (RAHECO);

fEEE is the mol fraction of ethylene/ethylene/ethylene sequences (EEE) in the xylene cold insoluble fraction (XCI) of the heterophasic propylene copolymer (RAHECO),

wherein all sequence concentrations being based on a statistical triad analysis of 13 C-NMR data.

2. The heterophasic propylene copolymer (RAHECO) according to claim 1 , wherein the heterophasic propylene copolymer (RAHECO) is free of phthalic acid esters as well as their respective decomposition products.

3. A heterophasic propylene copolymer (RAHECO), said heterophasic propylene copolymer (RAHECO) comprises a matrix (M) being a random propylene copolymer (R-PP) and an elastomeric propylene copolymer (E) dispersed in said matrix (M),

wherein the heterophasic propylene copolymer (RAHECO) has

a) a melt flow rate MFR 2 (230° C.) measured according to ISO 1133 in the range of 0.3 to 20.0 g/10 min,

b) a xylene cold soluble content (XCS) determined according ISO 16152 (25° C.) in the range of 16.0 to 50.0 wt.-%,

c) a comonomer content in the range of 11.5 to 21.0 mol-%, and

wherein further the heterophasic propylene copolymer (RAHECO) has a Charpy notched impact strength as defined by in-equation (III)

NIS>60−23.0×In(MFR)  (III)

wherein

“NIS” is the Charpy notched impact strength according to ISO 179-1eA:2000 at 23° C. [in kJ/m 2 ] of the heterophasic propylene copolymer (RAHECO), and

“MFR” is the MFR 2 (230° C./2.16 kg) [in g/10 min] of the heterophasic propylene copolymer (RAHECO).

4. The heterophasic propylene copolymer (RAHECO) according to claim 3 , wherein

a) the xylene cold insoluble fraction (XCI) of the heterophasic propylene copolymer (RAHECO) has a relative content of isolated to block ethylene sequences (I(E)) in the range of 50.0 to 65.0%, wherein the I(E) content is defined by equation (I)

I

⁡

(

E

)

=

fPEP

(

fEEE

+

fPEE

+

fPEP

)

×

100

(

I

)

wherein

I(E) is the relative content of isolated to block ethylene sequences [in %];

fPEP is the mol fraction of propylene/ethylene/propylene sequences (PEP) in the xylene cold insoluble fraction (XCI) of the heterophasic propylene copolymer (RAHECO);

fPEE is the mol fraction of propylene/ethylene/ethylene sequences (PEE) and of ethylene/ethylene/propylene sequences (EEP) in the xylene cold insoluble fraction (XCI) of the heterophasic propylene copolymer (RAHECO);

fEEE is the mol fraction of ethylene/ethylene/ethylene sequences (EEE) in the xylene cold insoluble fraction (XCI) of the heterophasic propylene copolymer (RAHECO),

wherein all sequence concentrations being based on a statistical triad analysis of 13 C-NMR data

and/or

b) wherein the heterophasic propylene copolymer (RAHECO) is free of phthalic acid esters as well as their respective decomposition products.

5. A heterophasic propylene copolymer (RAHECO), said heterophasic propylene copolymer (RAHECO) comprises a matrix (M) being a random propylene copolymer (R-PP) and an elastomeric propylene copolymer (E) dispersed in said matrix (M),

wherein the heterophasic propylene copolymer (RAHECO) has

a) a melt flow rate MFR 2 (230° C.) measured according to ISO 1133 in the range of 0.3 to 20.0 g/10 min,

b) a xylene cold soluble content (XCS) determined according ISO 16152 (25° C.) in the range of 16.0 to 50.0 wt.-%, and

c) a comonomer content in the range of 11.5 to 21.0 mol-%,

wherein further the heterophasic propylene copolymer (RAHECO) is free of phthalic acid esters as well as their respective decomposition products.

6. Heterophasic propylene copolymer (RAHECO) according to claim 5 , wherein the xylene cold insoluble fraction (XCI) of the heterophasic propylene copolymer (RAHECO) has a relative content of isolated to block ethylene sequences (I(E)) in the range of 50.0 to 65.0%, wherein the I(E) content is defined by equation (I)

I

⁡

(

E

)

=

fPEP

(

fEEE

+

fPEE

+

fPEP

)

×

100

(

I

)

wherein

I(E) is the relative content of isolated to block ethylene sequences [in %];

fPEP is the mol fraction of propylene/ethylene/propylene sequences (PEP) in the xylene cold insoluble fraction (XCI) of the heterophasic propylene copolymer (RAHECO);

fPEE is the mol fraction of propylene/ethylene/ethylene sequences (PEE) and of ethylene/ethylene/propylene sequences (EEP) in the xylene cold insoluble fraction (XCI) of the heterophasic propylene copolymer (RAHECO);

fEEE is the mol fraction of ethylene/ethylene/ethylene sequences (EEE) in the xylene cold insoluble fraction (XCI) of the heterophasic propylene copolymer (RAHECO),

wherein all sequence concentrations being based on a statistical triad analysis of 13 C-NMR data.

7. The heterophasic propylene copolymer (RAHECO) according to claim 1 , wherein the xylene cold soluble content (XCS) has

i) a comonomer content in the range of 36.5 to 50.0 mol-%, and/or

ii) an intrinsic viscosity (IV) determined according to DIN ISO 1628/1, (in Decalin at 135° C.) in the range of 2.0 to 4.5 dl/g.

8. The heterophasic propylene copolymer (RAHECO) according to claim 1 , wherein the random propylene copolymer (R-PP) has

i) before vis-breaking a melt flow rate MFR 2 (230° C.) measured according to ISO 1133 in the range of 3.0 to 8.0 g/10 min, and/or

ii) a comonomer content in the range of 4.4 to 9.0 mol-%.

9. The heterophasic propylene copolymer (RAHECO) according to claim 1 , wherein the comonomers of the random propylene copolymer (R-PP) and/or the comonomers of the elastomeric propylene copolymer (E) are ethylene and/or C 4 to C 8 α-olefin.

10. The hetreophasic propylene copolymer (RAHECO) according to claim 1 , wherein the heterophasic propylene copolymer (RAHECO) comprises 60.0 to 90.0 wt.-% based on the total weight of the heterophasic propylene copolymer (RAHECO), of the random propylene copolymer (R-PP) and 10.0 to 40.0 wt.-%, based on the total weight of the heterophasic propylene copolymer (RAHECO), of the elastomeric propylene copolymer (E).

11. The heterophasic propylene copolymer (RAHECO) according to claim 1 , wherein the heterophasic propylene copolymer (RAHECO) has been visbroken.

12. The heterophasic propylene copolymer (RAHECO) according to claim 11 , wherein the heterophasic propylene copolymer (RAHECO) has been visbroken with a visbreaking ratio (VR) as defined by in-equation (II)

1.5

≤

MFRfinal

-

MFRinitial

MFRinitial

≤

30.0

(

II

)

wherein

“MFRfinal” is the MFR 2 (230° C./2.16 kg) of the heterophasic propylene copolymer (RAHECO) after visbreaking and

“MFRinitial” is the MFR 2 (230° C./2.16 kg) of the heterophasic propylene copolymer (RAHECO) before visbreaking.

13. The heterophasic propylene copolymer (RAHECO) according to claim 1 , wherein the heterophasic propylene copolymer (RAHECO) has been polymerized in the presence of

a) a Ziegler-Natta catalyst (ZN-C) comprising compounds (TC) of a transition metal of Group 4 to 6 of IUPAC, a Group 2 metal compound (MC) and an internal donor (ID), wherein said internal donor (ID) is a non-phthalic compound;

b) optionally a co-catalyst (Co), and

c) optionally an external donor (ED).

14. The heterophasic propylene copolymer (RAHECO) according to claim 13 , wherein

a) the internal donor (ID) is selected from optionally substituted malonates, maleates, succinates, glutarates, cyclohexene-1,2-dicarboxylates, benzoates and derivatives and/or mixtures thereof;

b) the molar-ratio of co-catalyst (Co) to external donor (ED) [Co/ED] is 5 to 45.

15. The heterophasic propylene copolymer (RAHECO) according to claim 1 , wherein the heterophasic propylene copolymer (RAHECO) comprising a matrix (M) being a random propylene copolymer (R-PP) and an elastomeric propylene copolymer (E) dispersed in said matrix (M) is produced in a multistage process comprising at least two reactors connected in series.

16. The heterophasic propylene copolymer (RAHECO) according to claim 15 , wherein

(a) in a first reactor propylene and ethylene and/or C 4 to C 8 α-olefin are polymerized obtaining a first propylene copolymer fraction (PP1),

(b) transferring said first propylene copolymer fraction (PP1) in a second reactor,

(c) polymerizing in said second reactor in the presence of the first propylene copolymer fraction (PP1) propylene and ethylene and/or C 4 to C 8 α-olefin obtaining a second propylene copolymer fraction (PP2), said first propylene copolymer fraction (PP1) and said second propylene copolymer fraction (PP2) form the matrix (PP),

(d) transferring said matrix (M) in a third reactor,

(e) polymerizing in said third reactor in the presence of the matrix (M) propylene and ethylene and/or C 4 to C 8 α-olefin obtaining an elastomeric propylene copolymer (E), said matrix (M) and said elastomeric propylene copolymer (E) form the heterophasic propylene copolymer (RAHECO).

17. The heterophasic propylene copolymer (RAHECO) according to claim 1 , wherein the heterophasic propylene copolymer (RAHECO) has a flexural modulus measured according to ISO 178 in the range of 300 to 700 MPa.

18. The injection molded article comprising a heterophasic propylene copolymer (RAHECO) according to claim 1 .

19. The thin wall packaging, comprising a heterophasic propylene copolymer (RAHECO) according to claim 1 .