Process for manufacturing an adhesive by means of extrusion

1. A process for manufacturing an adhesive by means of extrusion, the adhesive comprising:

i) at least one degraded polypropylene (co)polymer and

ii) at least one additional additive,

the process comprising the following steps:

a) providing a first extrusion section with one or more temperature zones and a second extrusion section with one or more temperature zones;

b) feeding a polypropylene (co)polymer into the first extrusion section and subsequently thermomechanically degrading the polypropylene (co)polymer in the presence of at least one radical donor in the first extrusion section by shear stress to manufacture a degraded polypropylene (co)polymer, wherein the temperature of the first extrusion section, at least in one zone, is above the softening point of the polypropylene (co)polymer;

c) transferring the degraded polypropylene (co)polymer from the first extrusion section into the second extrusion section, wherein the content of the radical donor in the degraded polypropylene (co)polymer on entry into the second extrusion section is less than 0.01 wt % based on the total amount of the degraded polypropylene (co)polymer;

d) feeding at least one additive into the second extrusion section and subsequently blending the additive with the degraded polypropylene (co)polymer under shear stress to manufacture the adhesive;

wherein

the melt viscosity determined at 200° C. of the degraded polypropylene (co)polymer on entry into the second extrusion section is less than 70% of the melt viscosity determined at 200° C. of the polypropylene (co)polymer,

the highest temperature in the second extrusion section is less than the highest temperature in the first extrusion section, and

the degraded polypropylene (co)polymer is transferred in the molten state from the first extrusion section into the second extrusion section.

2. The process according to claim 1 wherein the adhesive is a hot melt adhesive.

3. The process according to claim 1 wherein the radical donor is present in an amount of from 0.02 to 5 wt.

4. The process according to claim 3 wherein the radical donor is a peroxide and is present in an amount of from 0.05 to 3 wt %.

5. The process according to claim 3 wherein the content of radical donor in the degraded polypropylene (co)polymer on entry into the second extrusion section is less than 0.01 wt %.

6. The process according to claim 1 wherein the additive is added in an amount such that the total amount of additive in the adhesive ranges from 10 to 90 wt %.

7. The process according to claim 1 wherein the additive is selected from the group consisting of tackifying resins, waxes, stabilizers, crosslinking agents, fillers, nucleating agents, antioxidants, adhesion promoters, oils, plasticizers, elastomers, polymers and any of their mixtures.

8. The process according to claim 7 wherein the additive is a tackifying resin.

9. The process according to claim 1 wherein the melt viscosity of the polypropylene (co)polymer is at least 300000 mPa·s and the melt viscosity of the degraded polypropylene (co)polymer is from 500 mPa·s to 1000000 mPa·s, wherein the melt viscosities are each determined at a temperature of 200° C.

10. The process according to claim 1 wherein the ratio of the highest temperature of the first extrusion section to the highest temperature of the second extrusion section is in a range of 1.05 to 1.55.

11. The process according to claim 1 wherein the adhesive is transformed into a bulk material after leaving the second extrusion section.

12. The process according to claim 1 wherein the melt viscosity of the adhesive is from 100 mPa·s to 200000 mPa·s and wherein the melt viscosity is determined at a temperature of 200° C.

13. A process for manufacturing a hot melt adhesive by means of extrusion comprising

a) thermomechanically degrading a polypropylene (co)polymer by shear stress at a temperature above the softening point of the polypropylene (co)polymer to a point where the melt viscosity of the degraded (co)polymer at 200° C. is less than 70% of the melt viscosity of the initial polypropylene (co)polymer;

b) blending in a radical donor with the degraded polypropylene (co)polymer at a temperature lower than the highest temperature in step a), under shear stress to manufacture the adhesive, and

c) adding an additive selected from the group consisting of tackifying resins, waxes, stabilizers, crosslinking agents, fillers, nucleating agents, antioxidants, adhesion promoters, oils, plasticizers, elastomers or mixtures thereof to the degraded polypropylene (co)polymer,

whereby the a hot melt adhesive is formed; and

wherein the degraded polypropylene (co)polymer is in a molten state during steps a)-c).

14. The process for manufacturing a hot melt adhesive of claim 13 ,

wherein the hot melt adhesive comprises 25 to 70 wt % of the degraded polypropylene (co)polymer and 30 to 75 wt % of the additive; and

wherein the total wt % of the components equal to 100 wt % of the hot melt adhesive.

15. The process for manufacturing a hot melt adhesive of claim 14 ,

wherein the hot melt adhesive comprises 35 to 65 wt % of the degraded polypropylene (co)polymer and 35 to 65 wt % of the additive.