POLYMER COMPOSITION FOR APPLICATIONS COMPRISING A LAYER ELEMENT

1 - 18 . (canceled)

19 . A layer element (LE) comprising one or more layer(s), wherein at least one layer comprises a polymer composition comprising

a polymer (P);

silane group(s) containing units (b); and

a hindered amine compound (HALS) comprising a unit of formula (A0):

wherein

R 1 is a substituted or unsubstituted (C1-C20)hydrocarbylene group optionally interrupted with one or more heteroatom(s) selected from —O—, —N═ or —NR—; or a heteroatom selected from —O—, —N═ or —NR—;

R 2 , R 3 , R 4 and R 5 are each independently selected from a substituted or unsubstituted (C1-C20)hydrocarbyl group optionally interrupted with one or more heteroatom(s) selected from —O—, —N═ or —NR—;

R 6 is selected from substituted or unsubstituted (C1-C20)hydrocarbylene group optionally interrupted with one or more heteroatom(s) selected from —O—, —N═ or —NR—; provided that R 6 is attached to the ring atom of unit of formula (A0) via atom other than oxygen, —O—;

wherein the number of optional substituent(s) of each of R 1 to R 6 is independently selected from 1, 2 or 3; and the optional substituent(s) of each R 1 to R 6 are independently selected (C1-C20)hydrocarbyl group which can optionally be interrupted with one or more heteroatom(s) selected from —O—, —N═ or —NR— and which can optionally be substituted with (C1-C20)hydrocarbyl group optionally interrupted with one or more heteroatom(s) selected from —O—, —N═ or —NR—; or ═O group; or —N(R) 2 ;

R is independently selected from H or linear (C1-C8)alkyl group; and

n is 1 to 20.

20 . The layer element according to claim 19 , wherein the polymer (P) is a polyethylene polymer.

21 . The layer element according to claim 19 , wherein the hindered amine compound (HALS) of formula (A) is a compound of formula (A1), wherein:

R 1 is selected from a substituted or unsubstituted, saturated or unsaturated, straight or branched chain (C1-C20)alkylene group optionally interrupted with 1, 2, or 3 heteroatom(s) selected from —O—, —N═ or —NR—; a substituted or unsubstituted, unsaturated or partially saturated cyclic (C5-C8)alkylene group optionally having 1, 2 or 3 ring heteroatoms selected from —O—, —N═ or —NR—; a substituted or unsubstituted cyclic (C5-C8)arylene group optionally having 1, 2 or 3 ring heteroatoms selected from —O—, —N═ or —NR—; a substituted or unsubstituted (C1-C20)alkylene-cyclic (C5-C8)alkylene group which is optionally interrupted with —O—, —N═ or —NR—; a substituted or unsubstituted (C1-C20)alkylene-(C5-C8)arylene group which is optionally interrupted with —O—, —N═ or —NR—; a substituted or unsubstituted cyclic (C5-C8)alkylene-(C1-C20)alkylene group which is optionally interrupted with —O—, —N═ or —NR—; a substituted or unsubstituted (C5-C8)arylene-(C1-C20)alkylene group which is optionally interrupted with —O—, —N═ or —NR—; or a heteroatom selected from —O— or —NR—;

R 2 , R 3 , R 4 and R 5 are each independently selected from a substituted or unsubstituted, saturated or unsaturated, straight or branched chain (C1-C20)hydrocarbyl group optionally interrupted with 1, 2 or 3 heteroatom(s) selected from —O—, —N═ or —NR—;

R 6 is selected from a substituted or unsubstituted, saturated or unsaturated, straight or branched chain (C1-C20)alkylene group optionally interrupted with 1, 2, or 3 heteroatom(s) selected from —O—, —N═ or —NR—; a substituted or unsubstituted, unsaturated or partially saturated cyclic (C5-C8)alkylene group optionally having 1, 2 or 3 ring heteroatoms selected from —O—, —N═ or —NR—; a substituted or unsubstituted cyclic (C5-C8)arylene group optionally having 1, 2 or 3 ring heteroatoms selected from —O—, —N═ or —NR—; a substituted or unsubstituted (C1-C20)alkylene-cyclic (C5-C8)alkylene group which is optionally interrupted with —O—, —N═ or —NR—; a substituted or unsubstituted (C1-C20)alkylene-(C5-C8)arylene group which is optionally interrupted with —O—, —N═ or —NR—; a substituted or unsubstituted cyclic (C5-C8)alkylene-(C1-C20)alkylene group which is optionally interrupted with —O—, —N═ or —NR—; a substituted or unsubstituted (C5-C8)arylene-(C1-C20)alkylene group which is optionally interrupted with —O—, —N═ or —NR—; and

wherein the number of optional substituent(s) of each of R 1 to R 6 is independently selected from 1, 2 or 3; and the optional substituent(s) of each R 1 to R 6 are independently selected from saturated or unsaturated, straight or branched chain (C1-C20)hydrocarbyl group optionally interrupted with 1, 2 or 3 heteroatom(s) selected from —O—, —N═ or —NR—; a substituted or unsubstituted, unsaturated or partially saturated cyclic (C5-C8)hydrocarbyl group optionally having 1, 2 or 3 ring heteroatoms selected from —O—, —N═ or —NR—; a substituted or unsubstituted (C5-C8)aryl group optionally having 1, 2 or 3 ring heteroatoms selected from —O—, —N═ or —NR—; or ═O group; or —N(R) 2 ;

R is independently selected from H or linear (C1-C8)alkyl group; and

n is 2 to 20.

22 . The layer element according to claim 19 , wherein in the hindered amine compound (HALS) of formula (A) has pH of 9 or less.

23 . The layer element according to claim 19 , wherein the hindered amine compound (HALS) of formula (A) has a molecular weight of 300 to 6000.

24 . The layer element according to claim 19 , wherein the hindered amine compound (HALS) of formula (A) has Tm of 180° C. or less, preferably 15 to 150° C.

25 . The layer element according to claim 19 , wherein the polymer (P) is selected from a polymer of ethylene (a) which is selected from

(a1) a polymer of ethylene which bears silane group(s) containing comonomer;

(a2) a copolymer of ethylene with one or more polar comonomer(s) selected from (C1-C6)-alkyl acrylate or (C1-C6)-alkyl (C1-C6)-alkylacrylate comonomer(s), which copolymer (a2) bears silane group(s) containing units and which copolymer (a2) is different from the polymer of ethylene (a1); or

(a3) a copolymer of ethylene with one or more (C1-C10)-alpha-olefin comonomer which is different from polymer of ethylene (a1) and polymer of ethylene (a2).

26 . The layer element according to claim 19 , wherein the polymer of ethylene (a) is a (a2) copolymer of ethylene with one or more polar comonomer(s) selected from (C1-C6)-alkyl acrylate or (C1-C6)-alkyl (C1-C6)-alkylacrylate comonomer(s) and with silane group(s) containing comonomer.

27 . The layer element according to claim 19 , wherein the amount of the polar comonomer in the copolymer of ethylene (a2) is of 0.5 to 30.0 mol %.

28 . The layer element according to claim 19 , wherein the silane group(s) containing unit of polymer of ethylene (a) is a hydrolysable unsaturated silane compound represented by the formula (I):

R1SiR2 q Y3- q   (I)

wherein

R1 is an ethylenically unsaturated hydrocarbyl, hydrocarbyloxy or (meth)acryloxy hydrocarbyl group,

each R2 is independently an aliphatic saturated hydrocarbyl group,

Y which may be the same or different, is a hydrolysable organic group; and

q is 0, 1 or 2;

the amount of the silane group(s) containing unit or, the silane group(s) containing comonomer, of polymer of ethylene (a) is of 0.01 to 2.0 mol %;

the polymer of ethylene (a) is produced by polymerisation in a high pressure polymerisation process using a radical initiator.

29 . The layer element according to claim 19 , wherein polymer of ethylene (a) has one or two, in any order,

a melt flow rate, MFR 2 , of less than 20 g/10 min (according to ISO 1133 at 190° C. and at a load of 2.16 kg); or

a melting temperature, Tm, of 120° C. or less.

30 . An article comprising the polymer composition according to claim 19 .

31 . The article according to claim 30 , comprising the layer element (LE).

32 . The article according to claim 31 which is an assembly comprising two or more layer elements, wherein at least one layer element is the layer element (LE).

33 . The article according to claim 31 , which is a photovoltaic (PV) module comprising a photovoltaic element and one or more further layer elements, wherein at least one layer element is the layer element (LE).

34 . A photovoltaic (PV) module according to claim 33 , comprising, in the given order, a protective front layer element, a front encapsulation layer element, a photovoltaic element, a rear encapsulation layer element and a protective back layer element, wherein the front encapsulation layer element and rear encapsulation layer element is the layer element (LE).

35 . The photovoltaic (PV) module according to claim 33 , wherein the protective front layer element, preferably the protective layer element and the protective back layer element are rigid layer element(s).

36 . A process for producing an article, preferably a photovoltaic (PV) module, comprising two or more layer elements, wherein at least one layer element is the layer element (LE) according to claim 19 , comprising the steps of:

assembling the layer element (LE) and one or more further layer elements to an assembly;

laminating the layer elements of the assembly in elevated temperature to adhere the elements together; and

recovering the obtained article.